Well, the possibility of Major League Baseball staging Opening Day on July 4 is all but gone, barring a sudden agreement between players and owners who cannot overcome their distrust of one another even as the nation attempts to cope with far greater concerns.
July 4 is less than a month away. Once a new agreement is reached – if a new agreement is reached – players would need time to report for spring training, particularly those returning from foreign countries. Teams would need at least 10 days to prepare their spring-training sites and/or home ballparks to comply with new medical protocols, according to MLB. Spring training 2.0 would last a minimum of three weeks.
The way negotiations are dragging, the start of the season easily might be delayed until August, and 50 to 60 games might prove the only option. The initial March agreement between the parties allows for the extension of the regular season, but experts say a second wave of the virus is possible in the fall, and MLB’s infectious disease consultant, Dr. Ali Kahn, advised the league to complete the season and postseason as early as possible. The union’s proposal for a 114-game schedule suggested playing regular-season games through Oct. 31, followed by a postseason that likely would not be completed until early December, according to dueling letters between the parties, copies of which were obtained by The Athletic.