With the coronavirus continuing to wreak havoc across the globe, nobody knows whether a Major League Baseball season will take place in 2020. Even if it does, it’s just about guaranteed that it will span for fewer than the customary 162 games; beyond that, it’s entirely possible the contests will happen at neutral sites with no fans in the stands, and that the National and American Leagues will go away for at least this season. At what point, though, would it be worthwhile to simply give up on a potential 2020 campaign?
MLBTR’s Jeff Todd spoke on the subject of a potentially canceled season Monday, arguing that it’s too soon for the league to make such a decision. I agree, but there may sadly come a time in the next few months when MLB will have to shut down completely until at least 2021 because of this pandemic. Granted, that sort of doomsday scenario should be at least a few months away from coming to fruition. If we’re lucky, for example, things will restart by June or July. That should enable the league to squeeze in at least half of a typical 162-game schedule, and that doesn’t even factor in the possibility of an increase in doubleheaders or a season taking longer than usual on the calendar.
Unfortunately, the way things have gone of late, it seems just a 100-game campaign would be a welcome outcome for everyone with a real interest in MLB. Even that would be a historical occurrence, however, as Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci noted a few weeks back that the shortest year on record is the 1981 season. A strike cut off around a third of that season and limited teams to an average of 106 games apiece.
There isn’t much doubt that the shorter a season goes, the better the chances are of strange results. The cream tends to rise to the top over a full 162, but if we’re guaranteed to see 100 or fewer games in 2020, teams that never would’ve been looked at as realistic contenders in a whole season (or those that were supposed to push for glory) could finish far from expectations. Would that be good for the game, though, or would it would tarnish the results? Feel free to vote in the poll (link for app users) and share your thoughts in the comments section…
hiflew
The 1981 season happened with 111 games (I think) and nobody really talked about that season being tainted. Although I hope they avoid some kind of half season debacle that resulted in the team with the best overall record in the NL (the Reds) being excluded from the playoffs because they were not the best in the first or second halves of the season.
The 81 season was a little before my time, but it was fresh enough that people still talked about it when I started following the sport in 1985. The strike was discussed, but not nearly as much as Fernando-mania. If we can get some kind of big story going on during this season, an unexpected breakout rookie or something, this virus talk will be on the back burner a short time later.
aladdinlee
I can see many people complaining about the legitimacy of a half-season (81 games), but eventually the idea will sink and people will be ok with that.
So, in order to roughly keep playoff dates, season would have to begin no later than July 15th if you squeeze a couple of doubleheaders here and there. Point is: I’m not sure MLB will be back by then.
stratcrowder
I was 20 at the time and believe me, it was tarnished.
hiflew
I would think that had more to do with the reason for the shortened season instead of the actual shortened season itself.
Sryphilz27
I don’t care about anything being tainted, I just
want baseball back!
The Human Toilet
amen! I am just happy with baseball being back at this point.
brassred66
It was tainted. The Reds has the best record in baseball and were left out of the playoffs. I believe the Cards were 2nd best and also left out.
John Kappel
it seems to me that if they can play an 82 game season or more then it’ll be okay. Anything less than that and it’s just too short.
Tom E. Snyder
81 would be half.
MWeller77
So 82 is like quorum
Danbino
I’d love to get at least 81. Anything above would be nice. But at least a half season.
I’ll be happy with anything because that’s better than no baseball. And the shorter the season is the better the chances my lowly Royals make the playoffs.
But anything below 81 would kind of seem like a joke. And I don’t think some stats should qualify as records.
TommySnodgrass
The NHL returned from their strike in the 2012-13 season, played a 48-game schedule instead of the typical 82 games, and the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup and it still felt legitimate, to me at least.
I understand the argument that the best teams reveal themselves over a 162-game schedule. And I am a huge fan of the 162-game season, but I think the best team could still be revealed in a season with much less games, whether it be 120 games, 81, 50, etc.
Hypothetically, if MLB had a season of 80 or less games, the playoffs would still be occupied by the usual suspects. Teams like the Marlins, Royals, Tigers, and Pirates have a better chance of getting to the playoffs mathematically, but their on-field talent gets the final say. All signs point to those teams getting a stay-at-home order during the playoffs.
Whoever wins the World Series in 2020, if there is one, I will view as legitimate.
If MLB does the Grapefruit/Cactus Leagues all season long? Hmm. I don’t know. Something about the Pirates and the Orioles being in the same division just feels weird.
But still, I don’t care. Come back. I’ll still watch.
66TheNumberOfTheBest
Anyone who survives two months of best of 7 playoff hockey is a legitimate champion.
October baseball has always been more random.
Doesn’t mean they shouldn’t play. Doesn’t mean the eventual winner should get an asterisk. Everyone has the same rules and same chance. Even if the sample size is smaller, that team still has to earn it.
UNLIKE the Astros and Red Sox, who deserve their asterisks.
Baseball should not worry about THIS year’s winner being illegitimate while white washing the last few years of cheaters.
brucenewton
Felt somewhat legit that year. No doubt a couple teams got in that otherwise wouldn’t have and vice versa. If the NHL had a 48 game season last year, StLouis finishes dead last instead of hoisting the Cup.
The NHL also didn’t make drastic changes to the game in order to play, unlike what baseball is proposing. Teams tailored their rosters in part to their division rivals and league. All that gets thrown out. I’m all for an exhibition season though if it doesn’t further the risk to others.
pustule bosey
I just want baseball, I don’t even care if it counts.
bcjd
+1. I just want to listen to games as the evenings grow long and warm.
nymetsking
+2. Even if I wasn’t a huge baseball fan, I’d be wanting something, anything new to watch that’s not marble racing.
heater
Yes
8
This is going to be a unique season of baseball no matter what so even if we had 30 games it would make for a very interesting way in which we see teams compete and use depth.
Yep it is
If they play in empty stadiums and a tree falls oops I mean does anyone really care anymore if they play or not? The game has become Unwatchable.
User 4245925809
I wouldn’t say that. NBA and NFL have both introduced nonsense politics into those sports. Outside of the NHL, MLB is the only game which has remained neutral and stayed pretty much clear of the PC wave of crap eating up this country and ruined those 1st 2 named sports.
just here for the comments
Your comments are unreadable, but you still continue making them and most us would much rather watch baseball than read your comments.
nymetsking
Yep
ABStract
Ditto!
cygnus2112
I thought they were more than cogent & if you don’t agree with his take, I guess it’s sucks to be you, huh?
JoeBrady
The game has become Unwatchable.
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Just out of curiosity, why are you here? I don’t watch fashion shows, auto racing, or golf. So logically, I don’t sign onto website involved in the aforementioned groups, not do I comment that they are ‘Unwatchable’.
Are you here simply to waste your time?
Armaday
We need baseball at any capacity. Something to root for and keep true fans having their vice.
I hope they play, under any safe circumstances.
ChangedName
Got to play at least half a regular season’s worth of games along with the full postseason for it to be sufficient. Just my opinion.
ericl
I feel like they need to try and play half the games if possible. If that means playing 7-inning doubleheaders like they do in the minors, so be it.
angt222
100 games
astros_fan_84
I think baseball should celebrate that this is a unique season and offer some sort of product. Things should be better in the fall and fans need a return to normalcy.
The Yankees losing to Astros in playoffs is a good start.
In all seriousness, a world baseball classic style of pool play would work. There’s no reason to stay in the box. The team that wins the World Series would have a unique accomplishment.
stansfield123
They could just play 15-20 series. 14 in-league (everybody plays each other for a series), and the rest inter-league.
Or, if it’s in Arizona, then series don’t even make sense. Everybody can just play everybody once (in a one month span), and then the second month you do it again. That’s 58 games, which is plenty to separate wheat from chaff.
And I’m confident we will have baseball this year. There’s plenty of time, even for politicians and bureaucrats who are more interested in appearances than facts to figure out that the only way to stop a highly infectious virus with a low mortality rate is to let half or so of the population get it, and develop herd immunity. Lockdowns don’t work (clearly), a vaccine won’t work (because, seriously, you’re not gonna vaccinate hundreds of millions of people in a few months).
Only thing that works is the strategy we use for the flu: let it run its course, protect the vulnerable best you can while it does, and don’t be a drama queen when people die…because, guess what: overall mortality rates are still holding steady at 100%. No fluctuation in that data. So just accept it, don’t stop living in an attempt to fix death. It’s not gonna work.
mrnatewalter
There are some mayors & governors who are getting their rocks off on these lockdowns, and most of them are in places where there are several baseball teams.
I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see a way to have baseball games that have any fans at them.
Frankly, I don’t see any events with 1,000+ people for a while. Everything will open soon, but I think large crowd events will still be closed for a good while.
Yeti
You omit the biggest factor in what will allow us to reopen. Treatments. Many of which have already been approved for some other use & their clinical trials are wrapping up within weeks. We will have solid treatments ready well before a vaccine. In China these treatments (when administered within 24 hrs of major symptoms) have been shown to greatly reduce the serious downturns, lung damage, clotting, death etc. They are using anti-HIV & other anti-viral drugs already to great success.
If we have treatments that turn getting it into a regular viral infection then (our) society goes on basically as normal even without a vaccine yet. Maybe those with serious medical issues still stay home.
The media is doing a disservice conflating treatments with vaccine. We can reopen & go back to near normal & have a nice baseball season without a vaccine.
stansfield123
I guess.
I mean the vast majority of the dead had serious medical issues. There’s no treatment for them, because there’s no treatment for what they already had before coronavirus. And no, they WON’T stay home. We know this, because they don’t stay home during the flu. That’s why tens of thousands get the flu and die each year.
But maybe a “treatment” (something that will alleviate the symptoms for people who .would’ve gotten cured anyway) will end the hysteria. But the media has to be willing to stop feeding the hysteria, and actually SAY that there’s a treatment. I don’t know if they’re willing to do that. “thousands of dead” sells a lot more than “mild, treatable disease”.
scottn59c
Wow, are you ignorant. And self-centered, too. As long as YOU”RE healthy, play ball, eh?
The kind of selfishness you have displayed in your post is exactly the attitude that will result in a second peak and even more death. But what the hell, I mean, it’s only the sick and the elderly who were going to die anyways, so who cares, right? Schmuck.
MWeller77
It is astonishing that people can combine such cruel disregard for the lives of vulnerable people with such ignorance of the nature of this virus. It’s neither “mild” nor “treatable.”
ABStract
Lots of ignorant crap being talked about by people with no training and little info
Let’s let the experts do their thing and just hope for the best outcome
The virus has no ideological preference, one person decided to politicize this illness and is obviously enjoying the constant attention that they’re receiving because of all the suffering…something all voters should be taking note of
JoeBrady
Chill out. Millions of Americans die every year. Many could be prevented if everyone just stayed in their house and didn’t go out after work. We need to take reasonable precautions, but we will need to get on with our lives at some point.
JoeBrady
It’s neither “mild” nor “treatable.”
—————————————
That’s part of the equation. Some doctors think we might have to live with COVID19 forever. It’s conceivable that, if we live with the flu killing 30,000 a year, we can live with Covid 19 killing 60,000 a year.
SportsFan0000
False! Many very healthy people with no underlying medical conditions are catching it and dying including a former college ballplayer/coach, a teacher/assistant principal, a teen in California….Google it. .The shutdown in many States and social distancing is dramatically slowing the infection rate, spread of the disease and keeping out hospitals, presently, from blowing by maximum capacities for treating people. The failure to shutdown in some states like Florida, Louisiana, North Dakota etc has lead to new corona virus clusters that are spreading like wildfire..
US should have instituted a country wide shutdown…
wordonthestreet
Exactly. It has shutdown the world yet some say it is mild?
JoeBrady
Many very healthy people with no underlying medical conditions are catching it and dying including a former college ballplayer/coach, a teacher/assistant principal, a teen in California….Google it.
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When you can describe the individuals that have caught it, that should tell you the numbers are low. When describing deaths from a normal flu, no one ever says ‘a coach caught it’ to prove a point.
For the record, these are the deaths rates:
0-10 = 0%
10-39 = 0.2%
40-49 = 0.4%
50-59 = 1.3%
60-69 = 3.6%
70-79 = 8.0%
80+ = 14.8%
annysway
It’s not over till the fat lady sings !
Tom E. Snyder
I hear her warming up in the wings.
toycannon
Ann Wilson is on her 3rd song already.
stephaniebpetagno
There will be no 2020 season.
just here for the comments
Ever the optimist
wordonthestreet
Maybe there will not be. If so do you feel like you have some validation then Stephanie?
VegasSDfan
Fewer than 70, I would say less than 45 would be too few.
July 1st start date could be perfect, if that’s even possible.
Skip the doubleheaders, no reason to risk the players
hiflew
Risk the players with DHs? Players have been playing doubleheaders since baseball began. There is zero evidence that a doubleheader causes any more injuries than two single games.
Personally I think it is coddling to not have doubleheaders. Players getting tired? If you factor in a game time of 3.5 hours for each game and maybe an hour of batting practice, a double header would equal an 8 hour work day. And they only have to do it every now and then. Plus, there is the fact that baseball is not that physical a sport. It’s challenging, but not all that tiring when compared to basketball, soccer, hockey, and football.
I’m not one to complain too much about player’s salaries because the market sets that, but I won’t listen to a single pro athlete say they are too tired to play. For that money, they should just suck it up and play.
Tom E. Snyder
That’s why they are talking about rosters of up to 50.
wordonthestreet
No one is talking rosters up to 50! Man do you just make crap up or what
Joeyjoejoe
I think the issue with double headers is that it normally comes in the midst of a LONG season. If you’re talking about a 2 months season, double headers aren’t going to be that taxing on anyone.
Poundsy24
The season is too long as it is. Would love the MLB to reduce games down to 120 permanently to make each game more meaningful. I think there’s a lot of fans that tune into the start of a season, fall off after a couple weeks of their team starts slow. Then basically monitors the standings to see if games are worth watching again and they might tune back in after the all star break/into playoffs.
Obviously this would have a huge impact on the game/rosters and I really don’t see it happening but 162 games is long. I really think as it is teams should implement a 6th starter or have a long reliever or two that can make a spot start to give the other 5 some rest.
“The game is too long” seems to have been the biggest issue in recent but the MLB was able to cut the game down enough to be shorter than NFL games but yet you still don’t see an impact of the MLB competing against the NFL with viewership/ratings. The MLB is unique and gets a large portion of the year without competition and still is challenged to bring more viewers. I think reducing the season down to 120 games, giving players more time off, and again making each game more meaningful, might make the game more fun to watch over the course of a full season. Maybe bring back a 4 man rotation… who cares about those June games with 5th starters battling it out? I know. Gamblers, that’s it.
DarkSide830
no matter how many games are played teams will not get more time off between games so there is no way rotations are decreasing in size. oh, and i like 5 man rotations despite having never put a dime on anything in my life.
KingSall77
As Master Yoda would say to the MLB… “Do or do not there is no try”
dave frost nhlpa
Spring training resumes no later than July 10th. 3 weeks.
August & September
Play each club in your division 15 times. 9/6 Home and road.
28 man roster. Name 25 to play each game.
Doubleheaders either Tuesday/Wednesday. Day off following a doubleheader.
First place clubs are in. Each 2nd place club makes playoffs and plays a play in game-seeding determined by records. Both games,3vs2 winner vs 1,play at top WC home park to reduce travel.
WC winner plays #1 seed after one day off,other division winners play during that off day. Playoffs played as they always are.
Sunday night game teams-home team plays Monday night at home,road team plays Tuesday.
Travel reduces clauses with union.
Getaway weekday games at noon.
SteveM7
This isn’t a labor-related work stoppage; it’s not about the integrity of a regular season, it’s about providing entertainment to the American public. Even a 50-game, all-DH, Grapefruit and Cactus League regular season followed by playoffs and a World Series championship would be easy to justify.
skullbreathe
More than any other sport baseball has way too many “get off my lawn” fans who can’t stomach anything less than a 162 game schedule, the American and National league set-up and will stomp their feet like two year old’s if they don’t get their way. The “fans” insisting on the aforementioned will insure no baseball in 2020 and tough crap for the other 99% of us. It’s really easy to dismiss baseball in early April but let’s revisit this in June or July when we’ve been without baseball. for months. My guess a 90-100 game schedule played in any park (who cares!) will look great even to the 1% pig-headed baseball fans..
SportsFan0000
2020 Season should be cancelled. Even when the economy restarts sometime this summer, social distancing rules will still be in force. It will discourage fans from attending games in large stadiums.. Players, coaches, support personnel will be at risk. MLB could develop its own corona virus clusters.
A Corona Virus vaccine could take from 1 year to 18 months. according to the experts.
If MLB insists on restarting the season, then an 81 game maximum.
Teams will be playing to virtually empty stadiums.
Big fan. But, I won’t be risking my family’s lives to go to an MLB game this year.
Singapore decided to reopen and had a surge of corona virus cases and fatalities.
Singapore then went on a complete countrywide lockdown.
US must be careful not to push it too fast or the same thing could happen here and all the efforts over the last few months will have been wasted. US will then need a Nationwide shutdown like Singapore.
Nicks Nats
Well said! We’ll be fortunate if they play in 2021.
ABStract
Agreed, but I keep hearing that we don’t need a national lockdown, how?
We’re close to having half of all worldwide covid cases, way more than any other country, why is no one talking about why it’s hit the US harder than most places?
The federal government needs to start acting like the gov. for all states like it used to and start putting the safety of citizens first, not the bank accounts of the super rich and corporations
JoeBrady
why is no one talking about why it’s hit the US harder than most places?
——————————————————————–
The reason why no one talks about why it has hit the US harder is because that’s not true. We have no way of knowing what’s going to happen going forward, but the virus has hit Europe much harder.
We have ~ 23,000 deaths. Europe has over 75,000 dead.
Before anyone goes on a rant, they need to do some research.
DarkSide830
1 game is better than none. if people dont think its worthwhile then they dont need to pay attention.
tigerdoc616
The number of games really doesn’t matter. Just figure out a way to play when it is reasonably safe to do so. Crowds, no crowds, whatever. What will matter, to the owners, is $$$. There may be a point for them that it makes no sense to play. Cut their losses so to speak.
SportsFan0000
South Korea is now Reporting persons who had the Corona Virus once and recovered are now testing positive for the Corona Virus once again…
Joeyjoejoe
irrelevant to the article.
tedtheodorelogan
So everyone should just stay inside forever and never go to work again. You can catch the Coronavirus if you starve to death. Problem solved.
tedtheodorelogan
So everyone should just stay inside forever and never go to work again. You can’t catch the Coronavirus if you starve to death. Problem solved.
ABStract
Nice save…hahaha, not
But seriously, is that really your reaction to hearing there’s not necessarily an immunity built up after having covid? This is serious even if you don’t think so. It’s not just the old and infirm that are dying, perfectly healthy 20 somethings are at risk too.
Which means this could go on much longer…still not relevant?
The previous poster only stated reports from the frontline, what the hell’s your problem?
JoeBrady
When I leave my house, I also increase my chances of dying from the flu, dying in an auto accident, dying from a GSW, etc.
The bacon I am about to make increases my risk.
My next drunken escapade puts me at risk.
People ski, they bike down steep inclines, they climb dangerous mountains.
Like the book says, no one here gets out alive.
66TheNumberOfTheBest
If people want to ride ATV’s drunk without helmets or drink Draino…MORE POWER TO THEM.
When they don’t understand the difference between risking their own lives and the lives of every other person who has the misfortune to come into contact them…
JoeBrady
I’m not risking your life, if you’re staying home.
Past that, what’s the difference between risking your life your life with the regular flu and the virus? The virus is obviously worse, but at some point, we will have to accept that the virus is just one more risk.we have to face in life.
The Human Toilet
I saw that, but there is no conclusion to that and they are doing research, they said it could of been the previous test just did not pick up the virus which they said could of happened. Meaning the person was never negitive for the virus in the first place.
JoeBrady
There is also a difference between re-catching it and have it re-occur within you.
Joeyjoejoe
The poll is flawed. There’s no number lower than 70.
I would vote for a season if it’s only 50 games. Maybe less. Play ball.
peyton
I have a feeling it’s going to wind up being 0, unfortunately
mattman0087
Any baseball > no baseball
♪
I’ll watch regardless of how abbreviated the season is. But at 50 games or less, along with playing at neutral sites and the possibility of temporary realignment, final standings and post season results would mean very little to me.
I’d also be ok if they announced cancellation of the entire 2020 season today.
66TheNumberOfTheBest
I saw the White Sox lineup on MLB Network’s ticker last night. I didn’t realize how solid their 1-9 is now.
If they get some pitching, they could make real noise in a shortened season.
bobtillman
Fans or no fans, the real revenue is TV/streaming, so they should have 81 games.
Again, the small market teams are going to get absolutely hammered by the virus, and that’s going to significantly alter the MLB landscape for years. Those teams need Revenue Sharing; be assured the big boys (teams that contribute to RS) are going to make sure that sharing is done at the lowest rate possible. I can even see the Lords suspending RS for 2020.
ABStract
Good point, although I doubt they cancel revenue sharing considering a lot of factors…legal being the first
I always find it funny how revenue sharing is completely acceptable in successful sports leagues, but the same socialist ideas applied to the larger population is an insane proposition
bobtillman
Oh ya they’re everywhere. Typical response:
“Socialism is terrible”
“Where’s my stimulus check”.
smrtbusnisman04a
I’d shoot for about 90-95 games.
Honestly, the way it sounds, this virus isn’t going away and it could pop up again.
People, wash your damn hands!!
chisoxjon
teams will be playing the same amount of games so why would it be tarnished? It would be different but not tarnished. Even if the season is only 40 games and then the playoffs. The team that gets through would have to make the playoffs and get through a few rounds of playoffs like any other year. As long as every team is playing by the same rules the champ is the champ.
nailz#4life
Well thank you for making a poll since I suggested you do so in the last MLBTR chat. Its great you guys are using your fans ideas.
ABStract
I’ve never seen another site that listens more to their readers than MLBTR
dynamite drop in monty
Season will be canceled.
Stevil
60 Games for me under the normal system.
Oddvark
If you want to have a “Championship Season”, it should probably be at least 80 games. With the traditional divisional structure (realigned or not), teams could play 10 games against each divisional opponent (10×4) plus four games each against the rest of the league (4×10), with no interleague games. Then playoffs as usual. Maybe you could go down to 8 intra-division games per team for a total of 72 regular season games. Anything less than that, and there is not enough of a distribution of games for the regular season to meaningfully determine the best teams in the league to set up playoffs to name a champion.
That being said, I would have no problem with an Exhibition Season of almost any length. A month or two of Spring Training-like games — with expanded rosters (including prospects who we might not see in a “Championship Season”), stats that don’t count (but will still be tracked), tie games, and no playoffs, with or without spectators in attendance — would still be fun to watch, would give players a chance to get in some game action, and give fans and organizations some information to help look ahead to the 2021 season (and the 2020-2021 “offseason”).
Zepp
If they can get started by July 15th and have the last game around October 15th that is 90 days.. 80 game schedule is possible. Of course the season will be different but so is our own lives. It could be interesting though. Some players get on a streak the 1st half and start to falter down the stretch as their bodies wear. Could make for an interesting playoff race with teams going balls to the wall.
Jon Buell
It would definitely be seen as a “special season” from a historical perspective, but I’d still welcome whatever we can get. Even if it’s just an expanded, tournament-style season where there is no “World Series” but instead a “2020 MLB Tournament Champion.” To call a World Series winner I’d think there needs to be at least 80+ games played. And even then, there is going to be a different feel to it. Not any less impressive, but obviously a different feel.
ABStract
Agreed
They could just go nuts and call the whole season an “exhibition season” and use it to try out some crazy ideas or have weird league/division lineups with as many games as there’s time for
Any baseball’s better than none!
Eatdust666
60 would be too few to me, but I wouldn’t have too much of a problem with that, because there would still actually some baseball played. I’m gunning for an 81 game season.
toycannon
Every one seems to be jumping to the conclusion that all the players will agree to start playing games while shelter in place orders are in effect around the country. I believe you will have many that choose not to come back under current conditions.
Nuschler
60-70 games. Start August 1st at the latest. All games could be played in the Bay Area. Good weather. 2 major league ballparks, 2 minor league ballparks (San Jose & Stockton) and at least a dozen excellent university and college ballparks. And that’s not including Sacramento which has several additional ballparks.
MLB would have to spend a several million dollars grooming fields and closing off the facilities to fan access.
yankeemanuno23
Testing, testing is key! Come on fans think of a few things – logistics: when do you start spring training, MLBP has to agree for example that all players can’t go home – no family visits etc during the season if played all games in AZ. as suggested. Distancing will still be needed in USA thru Nov easily. So it’s hotel, ball park, hotel, eat in same area daily. Test again test test!
No fans, risks are too great. So much to deal with and legal risks that I don’t see a 2020 season happening. Too bad Yankees world be Champs!
nats3256
I’m good with a 50 game season. Have it be the round robin tournament for seeding, then all teams make the playoffs, NCAA style but 3 or 5 game series.
R.D.
81 is ideal to me. It’ll let stats get translated much easier than anything else.
The Human Toilet
Baseball will be back this year, I have zero doubt. IT is only 4/14/2020 and most the country is already peaking and beginning to really flatten the curve. Another month should be on the downslope of this, to the point that you can at least get camps open in Arizona around mid to late May, and start the season in mid to Late June and probaly starting in Aug. Teams will be allowed to go back to their homes cites and finish out there season.
I say 100 games season.
sufferforsnakes
With fans — 0 games
Without fans — 81 games
at12tone
44 games: 2 game series EITHER home or away with each team in the two other league divisions (20 games) plus 3-at-home and 3-away with each of the other team’s in their division (24 games).
JoeBrady
I’d be fine with 60. There are a coupleveryone but Baltimore tuning in.e of advantages which some posters mentioned.
1-Some experimentation. Universal DH, a 20-second pitch clock, etc. In addition, instead of AL v NL, it’ll be FL v AZ, with new teams to hate.
2-60 games means everyone is in contention. Believe it or not, with their pitching, Miami could win a WS. Instead of only half the country tuning into August games, you might get
SAmichaelscarn
0, thousands and thousands of people have died and are going to die. Baseball doesn’t matter. Worrying about baseball when New York is basically burning is insane. Opening up baseball or anything like “normal” right now is dangerous and beyond out of touch.
The Human Toilet
We are aware, but we are allowed and totally acceptable to think about the MLB season, does not make you a bad i person. Life will eventually have to move forward even while the virus is lurking around.
SAmichaelscarn
Never said you were a bad person. Have you lost any loved ones to covid?
JoeBrady
The time to worry about NYC was when DeBlasio refused to close the school, and when he was recommending everyone go to Chinatown to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
miltpappas
Anything under 94-95 games would be ridiculous.
Rosstradamus
It’s like the ENTIRE league will be serving a 60-80 game suspension to start the season….maybe poetic justice with all the Cheating going on in this sport lately!(PED’s and Trashstros etc.) I really hope they play tho of course…could be some GREAT capping angles in this whacky unprecedented kind of season too….$$$!
everlastingdave
50-60 regular season games and a March Madness style tournament to cap it off. 1 seeds get first round byes. And even as I type this I recognize it as wildly optimistic and probably not realistic.
kbarr888
“Wreak Havoc”
LOL
Havoc is far too strong of a word.
SportsFan0000
South Dakota resisted shutdown and social distancing….New Corona Virus cases have exploded in S Dakota..
bigcheesegrilledontoast
Cancel the season. In September and October form 6 division teams and play a series of exhibition games. Obviously MLB would have to work out the logistics.
bigcheesegrilledontoast
I’m chucking woblies cause I had KC Chiefs and the Yankees in a multi bet to win 10k.
PutPeteRoseInTheHall
70
Rsox
The ’95 season with the 144 game schedule was a pretty fun season for the most part though that could have had a lot to do with having Baseball back on the field. In a sense this is sort of the same, having Baseball back even if its only 80 games would still be a major lift for a lot of people. The return of Baseball after 9/11 was huge and I don’t think a lot of people will forget Sammy Sosa running onto the field carrying a giant American flag or Mike Piazza’s walkoff in Queens.
Some Baseball is better than no Baseball and Baseball can be very healing to a distraught nation.