Are We There Yet?

[Tom Froemming]

As it pertains to baseball’s return, we seem to have more clouds than concrete timetables. With so many variables, is it even worth starting to speculate when the Twins may be back at Target Field?Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, top infectious disease expert of the federal government, told the New York Times “there are certain parts of the country — in the Mountain region and in the Midwest and in some of the places where there is very little infection and they’re developing the capability of responding — I think they’re getting back to some form of more normality.”

 

Sounds to me like baseball could safely return sans fans and with teams isolated to a few tight-knit communities. The issue is Major League Baseball doesn’t seem too keen on that plan.

 

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported the “preferred plan” is to start play in late June or early July with as many teams as possible playing in home parks. He also wrote that the idea of isolating teams to hub sites is now “being downplayed or dismissed.”

 

Perhaps the most intriguing information of all comes from our old friend Trevor Plouffe, who passed this along Monday evening on Twitter:

 

 

Teams back together and training in a little over a month? Opening Day July 1? In home ballparks!?!?!? Some good baseball news, indeed, but is it realistic?

 

It’s important to point out that at this time Plouffe’s report doesn’t appear to be confirmed by any other sources. Actually, quite the opposite. From The Athletic’s Keith Law:

 

 

It seems to me the fly in the ointment is if the MLB insists upon each team playing in its home stadium, they’re going to need approval from 30 different state and local government agencies. Is that realistic? It seems to be impossible to say at this time.

 

No, we're not there yet, and don't ask again! HA!

 

Baseball is secondary at the moment, of course. Safety and control of the spread of coronavirus comes first. Still, we have to at lease be getting closer to baseball's return, right?

 

I don't know. Either way, despite the sunny forecast from Plouffe, more clouds remain.

 

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[theBOMisthebomb]

July 1 with no fans in the stands seems the most optimistic and aggressive prediction for the start of the MLB season.

[Doctor Gast]

Still hope that MLB would scrap this idea that we have to wait to start MLB until all teams are able to have games in home town stadiums. Longer we wait more complicated & less equitable it will become. The more responsible areas shouldn`t have to be penalized for the lack of discernment of others. Start games in AZ & other states that are open & release the teams as they are safe to have games. Pure & simple & cut the political BS.  Also release the fans as the safety can be controlled & condense the schedule as much as possible. I believe if we were infected more at the NFL timetable & not MLB we wouldn`t have having this BS, it`s all political. I could live w/o NBA, NHL & even NFL but it`d be harder for me to live w/o my Twins.

[Tom Froemming]

Scott Boras has become the latest person to call for baseball's return. A growing number of people are starting to kick the back of the driver's seat, for better or worse.

[Vanimal46]

I’ve been mostly pessimistic about sports returning this year, and unfortunately the goal posts keep getting moved 60 days out.

 

I was hoping we would have more clarify in May, but we still have the same question holding us all back from resuming a somewhat normal life. Where are the widely available tests?

[AceWrigley]

Hey, a Tom Froemming sighting! I see it as trying to balance out our response to the COVID-19 outbreak between the "Open it up and go for it herd immunity" and "I'm not leaving the house until I'm vaccinated". I'm healthy (if I'm going to get COVID-19, I'd rather get it when I am healthy) so I tend to lean toward herd immunity earlier for those who so choose, and realize its good to protect those who need or want protection. So, I'd like things to open up now, taking the precautions we've learned and practiced through all this. As an essential employee in an essential business that has been working full time, all shifts, we've had to adjust the way we work. We've had less people out and less hours-off due to any kind of sickness and health reasons the last 2 months than ever. Maybe washing your hands, practicing safe contact and 2-times daily sanitizing bathrooms and common areas works. Stay safe, stay healthy.