Major League Baseball has been brought to a standstill due to the pandemic that is being felt around the world and there is no real timetable for when this will all come to an end. A waiting game that once may have been viewed in terms of weeks, is beginning to be defined by months and an undetermined amount of them at that.
There was a point in time where Mets broadcaster Ron Darling held some optimism that the season would return in due time, but according to Mike Puma of the New York Post, that may no longer be the case.
When speaking with Puma on Thursday, Darling voiced concerns about the risks that would be associated with starting the season now, with so much uncertainty regarding the novel coronavirus. He believes that every sports league needs to remain cautious and take the safety of all citizens in mind, along with that of their workforce.
“What happens if one of the 26 players tests positive two weeks after you have started the season?” Darling said. “What are you going to do in [places] where games aren’t going to be played? There’s just so many challenges and I would say I was very optimistic when this thing started that at some point we would find a lane to play a season that would be representative of a baseball season, but as each day goes on I get less and less optimistic.”
In recent days, we have seen people like agent Scott Boras come out and present a “functional isolation” plan that could restart the season in short order. The idea is that if you isolate and confine healthy baseball players and play in stadiums with no fans, maybe the season can resume to be aired on television.
While everyone loves the idea of seeing baseball return sooner rather than later, this is also a situation where one player getting sick can once again bring the season to another grinding halt.
“There are so many obstacles and I just think it takes a village to put on a baseball game, and that is without people in the crowd. At some point you are putting a lot of people together. You’re in locker rooms that couldn’t be any closer space for guys to be together in and let’s use whatever energies, resources, let’s do whatever we can to take care of the people that love baseball and once we have got them taken care of and on the mend and protected, then let’s think about throwing a pitch and hitting the ball.” Darling said.
Unfortunately the MLB is in a waiting game with no end in sight. Each day brings more doubt as to if there will be any baseball played in 2020. Darling is just one of many that are losing optimism on if this season will ever be played. For now there is really nothing else to do but wait.
