NEWSLETTER
Amid a viral outbreak on the Marlins and concerns in Philadelphia that have canceled a game there, there is a sudden explosion of renewed questions about how MLB intends to handle the interplay between virus transmission, positive test timing, and interactions between humans.
The answer? Well, we’ll just try harder!
Commish Office will redouble health directives, e.g. players must wear masks in clubhouses, & reinforce on-field behavior prohibitions against high-fiving, spitting.
— Scott Miller (@ScottMillerBbl) July 27, 2020
I’m not saying I want the league to cancel the season or even pause the season, necessarily. I don’t really have the information to be able to say that. And of course I’ll hope that the Marlins players/personnel are all OK, and this somehow turns out to be a beneficial wake up call for everyone else in the league.
But I’m just a dude writing on a website. So it ain’t up to me.
It is surprising to me that the owners and the league didn’t even discuss the possibility of pausing the season not only to clarify the extent of the spread among the Marlins and potentially other teams, but also to perhaps buy some additional time to improve the testing/tracing/distancing protocols. Instead, deciding that the best approach right now is to re-emphasize the behavior stuff?
Like I said, I really don’t have the “right” answer here, and there’s always a chance that in these heated moments, you get a little too reactionary.
But let me put it to you this way: the Reds had a positive test on Friday, and then two players out because they felt ill yesterday. Imagine the Cubs play them tonight, and then tomorrow, the Reds are the next Marlins, with a sudden rash of positive tests. How are you feeling then about MLB’s decision today not to even consider pausing the season?
Meanwhile, the “plan” for the immediate fallout with respect to the Marlins and Orioles (ditto Phillies and Yankees) is more or less to cross fingers that it doesn’t get worse:
This is indeed the plan, though it is fluid, sources say. Orioles flying back to Baltimore from Miami tonight. https://t.co/99Unoq2cm1
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 27, 2020
