MLB considering radical realignment for 2020 season: Grapefruit and Cactus leagues
Source: USA Today
Major League Baseball, assessing myriad proposals, has discussed a radical plan that would eliminate the traditional American and National Leagues for 2020, a high-ranking official told USA TODAY Sports, and realign all six divisions for an abbreviated season.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the proposal is one of several being discussed.
The plan would have all 30 teams returning to their spring training sites in Florida and Arizona, playing regular-season games only in those two states and without fans in an effort to reduce travel and minimize risks in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/5128935002
LisaM
(27,846 posts)At this point, I'd watch a t-ball game if it was live.
SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)Much as I love ⚾️, I would not want players to take the risk of becoming infected!
TY for posting.
with you and for them to not see their families all that time. Just play next year.
SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)jgmiller
(395 posts)He wants to radically change the game and now he's going to get to mess with everything. Last week they were talking about 7 inning games which is just idiotic.
I'm fine with a one year realignment like this but watch this guy is going to mess with the basic rules to prove a point and pretty soon we're going to be watching something really ridiculous.
bucolic_frolic
(43,379 posts)sports is no different. Entertainment seems not the same when you spend time defending basic necessities of life. Keeping a brand in mind with an abbreviated product? Untested. Didn't attendance falter for awhile following strikes in major sports leagues?
The funding foundation for major leagues sports is uncertain going forward. Corporate income and cash flows are unknown going into earnings season and many are expected to punt on forward looking forecasts. That makes advertising revenue for TV networks, which fund sports to a great degree, unknown. Ticket sales also unknown. Wonder if they have escape clauses in the contracts with players? Taxpayers in many cities invested, of course, hundreds of millions of dollars in stadiums and arenas, expecting tax revenue, jobs, prosperity surrounding home teams. The fallout could be massive, or it could be subdued, or it could be temporary. Only time will tell, but the actions of everyone involved say a crisis is at hand. The Fed prints, the politicians write checks, payment deadlines are flexible .... something bigger than ever is happening.
heckles65
(549 posts)Does Montreal get its team back??
aeromanKC
(3,328 posts)But, I just don't see how they can make it safe. That's still a lot of people getting together.
EarthFirst
(2,905 posts)PLAY BALL!
If the supply chain necessary to organize the safety hundreds of players; staff; grounds crews; etc. are met before our emergency medical staff are not met first; no deal.
Sports are a undoubtedly a great morale boost; however its not essential when people are dying by the hundreds every day in just New York...
Auggie
(31,212 posts)The season is TOAST. Fuggitaboutit.
Dodgers HAVE to play the Giants. Have L.A. sitch with the Cubs.
jalan48
(13,902 posts)stopbush
(24,397 posts)no approach will be safe.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)I've not seen that in years.
stopbush
(24,397 posts)Dont know what youre watching.
rurallib
(62,465 posts)it is baseball.
Follow the science, folks. Until we get some form of vaccine and/or cure stay apart.
Baseball, use your influence to push Trump and his cronies to do things right to get us out of this massive fuck up.
ProfessorGAC
(65,272 posts)72% of people (61% of those identifying as sports fans) say they won't attend a game without a vaccine in place!
There are only a few sports where isolation, distance, and fan free environment does not materially change the game.
Golf is one! Give the caddie a rest (pay him anyway), use carts (one player per cart), and no gallery. If not for the pit crews, racing would seem to apply too.
There are others and they'd work for similar reasons.
Revenues would be down, but not zero.
And most sports are better on TV in this age of HD.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)Actually there have been a lot of changes to the game over the years.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)DeminPennswoods
(15,290 posts)kairos12
(12,883 posts)SBoy
(92 posts)Talk about a hitters league, the pitchers have enough problems throwing curves in the Spring and in the controlled environment of Chase Field. The dry summer heat will drain them completely and totally mess with the break on their pitches. I see lots of 14-12 games with five home runs and games lasting four hours. I think they would have something like the full 40 man rosters and then activate maybe 30 for the games so the players dont wilt. The Arizona Summer Rookie League have 9am start times to try and avoid the hottest part of the days.