8-Year-Old Child Asked For Another Plan to Resume Baseball

Major League Baseball’s proposal to start the season in May in front of empty Arizona stadiums received a mixed response earlier this week.

Some, understandably desperate for baseball/any kind of sports, were enthusiastic. Others, including players themselves, were much more skeptical, citing issues from lack of medical testing to players abandoning their families for four months during a pandemic to support staff logistics to the fact that Arizona is 400 degrees in the summer.

Now, the child who hatched the initial plan is being asked to keep the idea train rolling.

“I like baseball,” said Timmy Tompkins, age 8. “OK, string cheese time.”

The Stillwater 2nd-grader’s initial pitch was part of a creative writing exercise during his class’ distance learning. The crayon-drenched missive found its way to MLB headquarters, where it soon caught on with the Commissioner’s office and some team owners. League sources say they did not know the age of the proposal’s author (“We thought a Canseco brother sent it,” said one executive) or his characterization of PBS’ Daniel Tiger as “kind of lame.”

“All options are on the table for the 2020 season,” said a source familiar with Commissioner Rob Manfred’s thinking. “The Arizona proposal is one of a number of alternatives under consideration, and we’re asking stakeholders and people with the game’s best interests at heart to keep brainstorming, regardless of bedtime.”

Tompkins’ parents say that his proposals for Home Run Karate, Christmas Every Month, and Pudding Wednesdays have not received as much traction.

For his part, Tompkins is enthusiastic about getting back to the drawing board.

“I bet they could play on the moon,” mused Tompkins. “Astronaut dingers!”

Image license here.