PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Wednesday, March 11, 2020 was a strange day for all of us. Despite growing concern, it was that morning that I headed to Florida to cover the final two weeks of Spring Training. It’s a ritual I’ve done nearly every year.
The first sign it was going to be something different. It was the cleanest plane ever, plus I hadn’t been on one flight to Tampa or Sarasota that had so many empty seats.
Upon arriving in Bradenton and stocking up on supplies for a two-week stay, I really had no sense of what lied ahead.
That night, drove down to Phillippi Creek in Sarasota, favorite seafood restaurant, and heard talk from locals about how coronavirus was going to scare Spring Break visitors from nearby Siesta Key. Mostly that this was overreaction and the area needed the tourism.
Get home to see at 9:30p that night the NBA had suspended play. Stopped the league, something unheard of until that day.
OK, indoor game, just a suspension. Baseball is outside, maybe there won’t be fans for some Spring Training games, but they still will go forward.
Next morning, March 12, normal routine, got up around 6:30a and headed over to LECOM Park where the Pirates were hosting the Blue Jays. That’s when the first changes started.
One of the big benefits of going to Spring Training is getting to go in the clubhouse. See the team interact and have conversations on and off the record with Pirates players.
We weren’t allowed in that day. You could tell things were in flux. We would conduct interviews outside with a temporary metal barrier between the media and players.
We would talk to five players over the following hours. All are no longer with the team. Among the comments…
· It’s only for two weeks and then this could all be under control
· It ‘sucks’ not to be able to interact with fans
· This is bigger than our careers
· It is tough because we had ramped up and how this would affect Opening Day
· It’s important to get sports back quickly to be an outlet for people during tough times
· One player mentioned his girlfriend was in college and they moved one of the classes on-line instead of in-person
· Another player had optimism a delayed start to the season would benefit the Pirates and other cold weather cities for fewer weather issues
In his first days as a new manager, Derek Shelton thrown a bunch of unknowns. He would handle it calming and directly. As would the organization.
I got up at 4a to start preparing for morning sportscasts on March 13 on 100.1 FM and 1020 AM KDKA and 93.7 The Fan. We reported on the pause in the NHL season, as the Pens were ready to play in Columbus. NCAA Tournament cancelled, the PGA Tour cancelling the Players Championship after one round.
Baseball players told initially to stay in their camps for the next few days. Later than night, they got the go ahead to go home.
Saturday most reporters would head home and spend months reporting on speculation from our residences.
The year caused reflection for all of us.
Wonder what the sports world will look like next March 12.