Finally, some good news for sports fans, specifically baseball fans.
According to
ESPN's Jeff Passan, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are focused on a plan that would allow the 2020 season begin as early as May, with all 30 teams playing in the greater Phoenix area with no fans. One source says June could be a more realistic start date.
Passan is reporting that the plan has support from "high-ranking federal public health officials."
Some of the other details include:
- Games being played at the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field, as well as other Spring Training sites and other nearby fields in Arizona
- Players, coaches, and staff would be isolated in hotels and only allowed to travel back and forth for the games
In-game features that have all been discussed, according to Passan include, an electronic strike zone, no mound visits, seven-inning double headers, regular use of on-field microphones, and sitting in stands six-feet apart instead of dugout.
Obviously, the league would miss out on about $10 billion in gate receipts, which accounts for the largest proportion of the annual revenue, but "the league and union are motivated to make the plan work because they realize the alternative might be worse for both sides: no baseball at all in 2020."
How do you feel about Major League Baseball starting next month, with all the games played in Arizona?
— WIP Morning Show (@WIPMorningShow)
April 7, 2020
