Cubs, MLB to Begin Play in July!?

Sorry for the lead-in, but this is a Chicago Cubs centric page and 90% of the readers are also Cubs fans. But, of course this is news that covers all of Major League Baseball.

We recently heard New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, make a remark that he can see MLB in New York this summer. Additionally, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot had a similar remark in her Monday briefing. Lightfoot mentioning that that would include decisions made by MLB, but she believed these would happen without fans in attendance.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan has explained that a plan could be finalized by the end of May. There would be an agreement with the player’s association in June, and teams would report for a modified, three-week spring training before games beginning in July. This would then make way for an 80-100 game season, running into October, and solidifying warm-weather stadiums for postseason play.

Of course, this opens the question of, “where will they play regular-season games?”

Regardless of what Cuomo or Lightfoot might say, the most logical plan is for the teams to have four to six cities where they play games. The best idea is to keep them all on the West Coast, where they can keep all players within a small radius of each other, and play in a region where it is less likely to have cancellations due to rain. If all games were regionally near each other, it is also a lot easier for players to have living accommodations where their families could be around as well.

A huge question in all of this will be testing…

When so many around the world have limited access to tests, there’s no way you could allow players to play the game without access to testing. Sure MLB can acquire tests, all it takes is a boatload of money, but that wouldn’t be a good look for baseball when there are high-risk people turned away from testing due to the lack of those tests.

Just look at Joe Rogan. He was recently put through the ringer as he was providing tests for guests on his podcast. While many already weren’t sure that his show was an essential business, and with today’s technology he could host the show from his home while guests are in their homes. While this can cause a clunky interview (I mean if you’ve sat through a Live with Kelly and Ryan show during this quarantine, you would understand), it is the safest way for the show to go on. But, Rogan was paying for a doctor to administer tests, and people were upset.

Thing is, Rogan wasn’t using the official tests that are being used at testing centers. He was using an antibody test, which isn’t an official test but has a very high rate of predicting if someone has, or has had COVID-19. This is not an FDA approved test, but it does have a very high rate of success in telling you if you have, or recently have had COVID-19. Perhaps this is a way to help ensure players and their families, as well as anyone else involved in ensuring a game can be played and televised, can remain healthy while the game is played?

In any event, whatever form of baseball we might get, will feel strange. No fans, no celebrations with teammates, no high-fives or in David Ross’s case, d–k-bumps.

Maybe come July, then August and later the virus is a bit more manageable. But without the promise of being able to play the game safely, with players having the ability to be with their families, I do not see the game starting back up.