(When) Will the Season Start?

SemperFidelisSox

Member
SoSH Member
May 25, 2008
31,090
Boston, MA
At some point Manfred has to come to the realization that a canceled season is probably better than some ridiculous 80 game season in empty parks in Arizona.
 
Jul 5, 2018
430
At some point Manfred has to come to the realization that a canceled season is probably better than some ridiculous 80 game season in empty parks in Arizona.
And what would the value of a WS championship be in such an abomination of a season? It would be like the the 1976 Indy 500 which was really the Indy 255 that year because of bad weather. If the Yankees won, it would bring their total WS wins to 27 and a half.
 

grimshaw

Member
SoSH Member
May 16, 2007
4,220
Portland
If owners are discussing moving games to warmer weather with no fans and extending the season until late November, then they aren't going to make a season cancellation call for a long ways. I don't think it's even possible before mid-July, but owners will be desperate to get some of those millions back when the sport is dying a slow death anyhow. Even if that means an 80 game season or even less.

My optimistic guess (ok hope) is August 1st, very few off days regular season games through October then neutral sites for the playoffs. If something happens during spring training, then that's it and at least they hadn't started the season. They could always start next year a month later, skip the all-star game and do something like 140 games.

I get that October is cold, but so is April.
 
Last edited:

amRadio

New Member
Feb 7, 2019
798
At some point Manfred has to come to the realization that a canceled season is probably better than some ridiculous 80 game season in empty parks in Arizona.
I'm sure the owners will get on the horn to him asap and let him know they prefer no money coming in this year. I mean, why even make money at all if they can't make a normal seasons worth? How stupid are these guys?
 

thestardawg

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 30, 2005
862
Section 38, Row 13
Seems likely to happen.
What's the rush then? Maybe it is likely we'll have no baseball. But until we can completely rule it out, there's no need to make any decision until July 1.

One of the tiresome thing occurring now is everyone's rush to cancel everything. Why don't we just go ahead and cancel everything in 2020 right now and provide no hope for anyone?

We have no idea whether or not a treatment for COVID-19 might come into circulation over the next couple months. Cancelling everything through the end of May or even June seems prudent. Going any further seems pretty premature for me.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
I really do not see the point in canceling the season now. Honestly, just play it without fans, and figure out a way to make the travel less of a burden - whether that be neutral site games, or playing series of 6 games instead of 3/4.

MLB players are not on top of one another, so I would have to imagine they are at less of a risk of spreading it to each other than say NBA players who are literally dripping sweat all over each other. Do what we do here, test the employees every day, every shift - and if they have any symptoms, they are gone for 14 days.

I know these leagues want to play with fans, but at this point since they are not going to allow any gatherings yet, just get them started (or re-started) with no fans.

For the love of god I need sports
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,099
It's April, and technically MLB doesn't really have to make a final decision until probably mid-June or even July. If by some miracle, the situation greatly improves, there's no reason to not start a season on July 1st or even August 1st. So the season is short; who cares.

I say the likely outcome is no season. But the decision does not need to be made today, so may as well wait to see what we learn between now and the deadline to start a runt season.
 

axx

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
8,126
What's the rush then? Maybe it is likely we'll have no baseball. But until we can completely rule it out, there's no need to make any decision until July 1.

One of the tiresome thing occurring now is everyone's rush to cancel everything. Why don't we just go ahead and cancel everything in 2020 right now and provide no hope for anyone?

We have no idea whether or not a treatment for COVID-19 might come into circulation over the next couple months. Cancelling everything through the end of May or even June seems prudent. Going any further seems pretty premature for me.
I just don't think the owners will play without the Gate, and I don't think a one or two month regular season makes sense. You don't have to cancel right now, it's just very likely to happen.
 

Plympton91

bubble burster
SoSH Member
Oct 19, 2008
12,408
Im not sure why everyone is so eager to cancel a baseball season on April 5.
Because reasons.
I don’t even want to consider the destruction that will have ensued if this country is still operating under house arrest on July 4.

I hope that whoever is left breathing and healthy at that point still finds that life is worth living.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,455
I say start on Memorial Sunday, end on Halloween. World Series games 4-7 on Thanksgiving weekend (Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun), figure out how many playoff games you need in between, probably 5 games series for LCS I am thinking, no days off for possible tiebreakers. Don't add rounds. Uneven schedules, so be it.

Play 13 9-inning games every 14 days. Figure out how many games you need. Rainouts don't get postponed, play it or don't .If you do Arizona, that solves that problem. If you end up with uneven games for teams, so be it.
 

Rovin Romine

Johnny Rico
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
23,691
Miami (oh, Miami!)
Because reasons.
I don’t even want to consider the destruction that will have ensued if this country is still operating under house arrest on July 4.

I hope that whoever is left breathing and healthy at that point still finds that life is worth living.
Don't worry - if you keep up with the attitude it will bring a smile to my face, at least.
 

thestardawg

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 30, 2005
862
Section 38, Row 13
It appears they are trying to start the season in Early May all in Arizona. I think we'd all love to have something to watch but I have a feeling this will go a week before they hit an iceberg.
 

Max Power

thai good. you like shirt?
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
7,878
Boston, MA
If playing a week's worth of games and then pulling the plug on the season means the Red Sox are considered to be under the cap for 2020, I'm all for it.
 

Plympton91

bubble burster
SoSH Member
Oct 19, 2008
12,408
It appears they are trying to start the season in Early May all in Arizona. I think we'd all love to have something to watch but I have a feeling this will go a week before they hit an iceberg.
Yeah, that’s too soon. Unless by “start the season” they mean “resume semi-organized baseball-related workouts in otherwise-isolated training camps.”
 
Last edited:

Plympton91

bubble burster
SoSH Member
Oct 19, 2008
12,408

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,099
Because reasons.
I don’t even want to consider the destruction that will have ensued if this country is still operating under house arrest on July 4.

I hope that whoever is left breathing and healthy at that point still finds that life is worth living.
Well, if you makes you feel better, there are two competing models being thrown around.

There is the Harvard model, which unrealistically assumes we'll be forced to continue and restart these lockdowns for the next several years. It won't happen due to economic realities, so it is honestly not worth the toilet paper it would be printed on.

There is the competing strategy from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, which outlines a plan to get things to open up based around a hyper-aggressive test-and-trace strategy. However, there is infrastructure that needs to be set up to make it work in terms of testing capacity, treatment protocols, etc. So, please write to your political representatives to take the Hopkins plan seriously, as it is the only realistic way out of this mess. However, don't expect baseball to be at the top of the list; schools and universities have priority. There are plenty of detractors to this strategy, mostly those that cannot accept that good enough is a reasonable substitute for perfect, so don't get complacent.
 

snowmanny

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2005
15,670
There is the competing strategy from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, which outlines a plan to get things to open up based around a hyper-aggressive test-and-trace strategy. However, there is infrastructure that needs to be set up to make it work in terms of testing capacity, treatment protocols, etc. So, please write to your political representatives to take the Hopkins plan seriously, as it is the only realistic way out of this mess. However, don't expect baseball to be at the top of the list; schools and universities have priority. There are plenty of detractors to this strategy, mostly those that cannot accept that good enough is a reasonable substitute for perfect, so don't get complacent.
What is "good enough"? What is "good enough" to open a university and what is "good enough" for a 70-year old to go to a ballgame or a 20-year old to go to a ballgame Saturday and visit their 70-year old asthmatic grandmother on Wednesday? I'm dead serious in my question. You are saying we can't wait on everything to get to "perfect" (and I agree) but I'm trying hard to envision a quick (within, say, four months) societal consensus on what is "good enough"
and exactly what "good enough" is good for.

More testing/serology is obvious because that's usable data and it allows some people to get out there and get things rolling. You don't have to be at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg University to deduce that one.
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,099
What is "good enough"? What is "good enough" to open a university and what is "good enough" for a 70-year old to go to a ballgame or a 20-year old to go to a ballgame Saturday and visit their 70-year old asthmatic grandmother on Wednesday? I'm dead serious in my question. You are saying we can't wait on everything to get to "perfect" (and I agree) but I'm trying hard to envision a quick (within, say, four months) societal consensus on what is "good enough"
and exactly what "good enough" is good for.

More testing/serology is obvious because that's usable data and it allows some people to get out there and get things rolling. You don't have to be at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg University to deduce that one.
Good enough to open a university, school, or other place of business is an aggressive test-and-track strategy much like one that's been described by Gottlieb, the Hopkins folks, and others. Because we do not have the luxury to wait 2 years for a vaccine to open up those fairly critical operations, or the economy will be wrecked for decades to come. Will there be societal consensus? Probably not, but most places aren't going to wait for it either. Will there be adequate testing capacity? Better be.

The ballgame is different, and sporting events will certainly be lower in the priority queue to reopen. I honestly don't have an idea when "good enough" for baseball will be, but I'll be betting the over barring some unforseen developments.
 

amRadio

New Member
Feb 7, 2019
798
Two years seems like an intentionally negative slant on the development timeline for a vaccine. The world doesn't revolve around the US. Doctors around the world have been working on this since mid-2019.
 

snowmanny

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2005
15,670
That (Lexa’s post) is so so non-specific it gives me zero clarity. And I don’t know what to say about the economy bring “wrecked for decades”; is this really that much worse than WWII? I’m out.
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,099
That (Lexa’s post) is so so non-specific it gives me zero clarity. And I don’t know what to say about the economy bring “wrecked for decades”; is this really that much worse than WWII? I’m out.
Never mind. NWI.

Two years seems like an intentionally negative slant on the development timeline for a vaccine. The world doesn't revolve around the US. Doctors around the world have been working on this since mid-2019.
First, the virus wasn't identified until late December of 2019, so not sure how the bolded is possible. This isn't the thread to debate the vaccine availability, but 12-18 months is the likely best case, and even then it may be rightfully reserved for health care workers and the most vulnerable members of society, as it does take time to ramp up volume production.
 

Captaincoop

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
13,487
Santa Monica, CA
Two years seems like an intentionally negative slant on the development timeline for a vaccine. The world doesn't revolve around the US. Doctors around the world have been working on this since mid-2019.
2 years? Never is also a very reasonable possibility.

Waiting in our homes until they develop a vaccine is not a viable strategy.
 

amRadio

New Member
Feb 7, 2019
798
Waiting in our homes until they develop a vaccine is not a viable strategy.
Neato. I don't think I said it was. 2 years is an intentionally negative timeline for society to resume. Not really looking to argue against a strawman.
 

j-man

Member
Dec 19, 2012
3,646
Arkansas
why not a 80-108 game season with no fans i mean no fans will just have to be normal in all sports for at least a year have the Leagues FL/Arizona start july 4 play 108 games in 90 days make the rosters 40-50 players for this season only play 20 doubleheaders over 3 mos 1 doubleheader a week no all star game start the playoffs oct 5 when the ALDS and NLDS starts all games are in Marlins park or chase field the world series will be played at Marlins park and chase field ALDS/NLDS Starts oct 18 World series oct 30 season over nov 9
 

j-man

Member
Dec 19, 2012
3,646
Arkansas
divisions would be

FL NYY PHILLY TOR PITT DET
FLA 2 BALT ATL TB BOS MINN
FLA 3 NYM FLA STL HOU WASH

ARIZONA SEA SD TEX KC MILW
ARIZONA 2 LAD CWS CLE CINN LAA
ARIZONA 3 ZONA COL CC SF OAK
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,099
There are numerous vaccine trials slated to start this year. So a vaccine in 2021, while aggressive, should not be unexpected either. There will be tremendous pressure worldwide to do whatever is necessary to get one to market as soon as possible.

After 2 years, the US likely has herd immunity anyway. The social distancing measures will have broken down long before that point; in fact, I'll be shocked if people haven't given up on it by the end of the year regardless of any "second wave".
 
Jul 5, 2018
430
why not a 80-108 game season with no fans i mean no fans will just have to be normal in all sports for at least a year have the Leagues FL/Arizona start july 4 play 108 games in 90 days make the rosters 40-50 players for this season only play 20 doubleheaders over 3 mos 1 doubleheader a week no all star game start the playoffs oct 5 when the ALDS and NLDS starts all games are in Marlins park or chase field the world series will be played at Marlins park and chase field ALDS/NLDS Starts oct 18 World series oct 30 season over nov 9
If such a bizarre season is pulled off, I would have a hard time calling the championship a world series. Something like "MLB Quarantine Tournament Championship Series" would be better.
 

Robert Plant

New Member
May 2, 2011
698
Santa Barbara, California
I would like to see a 1-2 month exhibition season. Have a month+ of televised games with no fans. Every team would play every other team during this month. Follow this up with a month of bracketed playoffs for the top 9-12 teams. Then have a championship series. Everything including the champion will go into the stat books with an *** and the championship would not be called the World Series. Stats however would still count towards a player's lifetime stats.
 
Last edited:

Sad Sam Jones

Member
SoSH Member
May 5, 2017
2,495
Every team playing every other team in a month would also require 15 games per day in one location/area. I guess you could use some complex with multiple fields and play all day, but then you have terrible television production and also sabotage your ratings with bad start times.
 

Max Power

thai good. you like shirt?
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
7,878
Boston, MA
MLB just sent out a survey asking how much of a season would be an appropriate length. They also asked about potential rule changes for just this season. Some of them would be

7 inning double header games
Games could end in ties
Players could re-enter the game in certain situations
DH for every game
Neutral site games
No divisions
 

Murderer's Crow

Dragon Wangler 216
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
23,480
Garden City
Anything less than 9 innings is horseshit. Don't get me wrong, I'll watch any baseball but the innings limitation has a material impact on the game in the ways that other changes do not.
 

Sad Sam Jones

Member
SoSH Member
May 5, 2017
2,495
I think tie games would cause more problems than they would solve. I know the idea is to avoid burning out a bullpen, but they need to get as many game results in a condensed time frame as they can and a tie is just a wasted day. Why are they floating the minor league idea of 7-inning double-headers but not the minor league rules for extra-innings (where you start the inning with a runner on 2nd)? Don't misunderstand me, it's a terrible rule, but it makes more sense than tie games. Of course, I'd prefer neither as I'd be afraid they adopt the rule permanently.
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,099
MLB just sent out a survey asking how much of a season would be an appropriate length. They also asked about potential rule changes for just this season. Some of them would be

7 inning double header games
Games could end in ties
Players could re-enter the game in certain situations
DH for every game
Neutral site games
No divisions
Not so sure about the 7 inning game either; too big of a change to the rules.

Ties are an OK compromise for one regular season.

I do predict that if the DH thing comes to pass, 2019 will be the last time a pitcher not named Shohei Ohtani hits.

I'm good with everything else.
 

Nevermore

New Member
Apr 12, 2009
82
Omaha, NE
Rather than trying to cram as many games as possible into a shortened season, I think MLB should take the opposite approach and plan a summer tournament. Use the month of May for spring training, then use June and the first half of July for a league qualification round where the 15 teams in each league play each other three times. Based on results, slot the top 16 teams into AL & NL brackets (playing one game tie-breakers if necessary) and start the championship tournament on August 1st. First round would be 3 games, second round 5, and division championship and World Series both 7. The goal would be to crown a champion by the end of August or first half of September.
 

PseuFighter

Silent scenester
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2003
14,408
Another idea I've seen floated, less about an MLB season, but more about MLB, is moving up the World Baseball Classic in the event of no season at all. For example, play that, maybe, over the winter versus during spring training, to ideally let the 2021 season start on time, and maybe avoid players being tired from the WBC.
 

Max Power

thai good. you like shirt?
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
7,878
Boston, MA
I think tie games would cause more problems than they would solve. I know the idea is to avoid burning out a bullpen, but they need to get as many game results in a condensed time frame as they can and a tie is just a wasted day. Why are they floating the minor league idea of 7-inning double-headers but not the minor league rules for extra-innings (where you start the inning with a runner on 2nd)? Don't misunderstand me, it's a terrible rule, but it makes more sense than tie games. Of course, I'd prefer neither as I'd be afraid they adopt the rule permanently.
They asked about starting innings with a runner on as well.
 

keninten

New Member
Nov 24, 2005
588
Tennessee
Rather than trying to cram as many games as possible into a shortened season, I think MLB should take the opposite approach and plan a summer tournament. Use the month of May for spring training, then use June and the first half of July for a league qualification round where the 15 teams in each league play each other three times. Based on results, slot the top 16 teams into AL & NL brackets (playing one game tie-breakers if necessary) and start the championship tournament on August 1st. First round would be 3 games, second round 5, and division championship and World Series both 7. The goal would be to crown a champion by the end of August or first half of September.
I like this but why shorten the season to mid September?
 

Nevermore

New Member
Apr 12, 2009
82
Omaha, NE
I like this but why shorten the season to mid September?
To hedge against the possibility of a repeat of the Spanish Flu of 1918, which surfaced in March but caused the most deaths between September and November. While the U.S. won't have infected troops returning en mass from Europe carrying a new strain like they did after WW I, a normalization of global travel coupled with a mutation could have the same impact.

I also think baseball is a summer sport and normal seasons should be played between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The most important games of the season shouldn't be played by guys who can't feel their fingers because it's too cold or get postponed due to snow.