TORONTO – A few weeks ago, Japan’s efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus appeared to be working. Optimistic that the worst was behind them, Nippon Professional Baseball teams started training again, playing exhibition games in empty stadiums with an April 24 target date for opening day.
Nevertheless, three Hanshin Tigers players tested positive for COVID-19 within a week, and opening day’s again in jeopardy. Now, as MLB contemplates a potential May start date, the NPB’s last few weeks represent a cautionary tale.
Late Monday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that MLB officials and players had become “increasingly focused” on a plan that had support from high-ranking federal public health officials. The plan called for an Arizona-based schedule with no fans in attendance and players sequestered at local hotels away from the outside world – their own families included.
On Tuesday, MLB acknowledged that it continues “considering numerous contingency plans that would allow play to commence once the public health situation has improved to the point that it is safe to do so.”
“While we have discussed the idea of staging games at one location as one potential option, we have not settled on that option or developed a detailed plan,” the league’s statement read. “While we continue to interact regularly with governmental and public health officials, we have not sought or received approval of any plan from federal, state and local officials, or the Players Association.”
In other words, this is an idea right now, not an active plan. And with so much uncertainty surrounding the 2020 MLB season, there has to be room to contemplate outside-the-box ideas like this. Owners are incentivized to generate some kind of revenue and players are genuinely eager to compete after months on the sidelines. In this case fans, owners and players can all agree: we want baseball back.
With that in mind, the downside to considering an idea like this is virtually non-existent. At the same time, there could be real downside to implementing it. Before you get to the public health issues involved, the prospect of separating players from their families for months at a time would pose issues. So would playing an entire schedule in the Arizona heat.
New safety measures would surely be required, too. What do mound visits look like in the age of social distancing? How many team buses are required? What about the umpires? The list of logistical hurdles would be virtually endless. And bigger picture, how would the league respond if (or perhaps when) someone involved contracted the virus?
Even beyond that possibility, there are broader medical and ethical issues to consider. Should MLB use thousands of tests to screen players and staff at a time that there’s a shortage of COVID-19 tests for those showing symptoms? Even if players themselves are safe, what about the thousands of support staff who would have to be involved?
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Tempting though it may be to try to play games as soon as next month, the hasty return of NPB teams suggests more patience may be required. In that case, teams may make their biggest impact by leading by example, as Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins suggested a couple weeks ago.
“For now what we’re focused on is hopefully having a significant impact on others by leading by example,” Atkins said. “Demonstrating respect and completely following through on the recommended guidelines. I feel like we have a responsibility to society and I’d hope that we can impact others by making smart decisions in the coming weeks.”
Eventually those weeks may well turn into months. Nobody involved wants that, but the alternative of rushing back to action comes with risks of its own. After all, the goal isn’t simply to bring baseball back – it’s to bring it back safely and sustainably.
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