Off-Topic Forum

If MLB does not start play by the time the all star game would have been played they should just cancel the season.

By the time of the all star game it is the halfway point of the season or so.

Most fans break the season in two parts, before the all star game and after the all star game.

This is my personal opinion.

I believe they're looking to do a brief June pre-season and start around the 4th of July if both sides can agree to it.

I feel like for a variety of reasons, its better to play an abbreviated season than no season.  If they truly have the go ahead, its somewhat of a return to normalcy.  Sure, there will be asterisks all over player records, but 1981 looks funny in the middle of alot of careers too.  I've been enjoying KBO, so it will be nice to see US ball too.

That is what I've read.

They need to play some games even if it's a short session. For the fans and the revenue. 

Playoff games = mucho TV revenue.

So no doubt how abbreaviated form of season they can create I am sure they would like to run a reasonable slate of playoffs just to try and re-coup something finanacially from the season.

Starting with a bang on the 4th of July would be a great PR move. 

Be it the right decision or not pandemic wise.  The owners and League will play any part of the season to generate any kind of revenue they can.  Sponsors are pushing pretty hard too, I bet. 

The plan being discussed:

-- 82-game schedule
-- Teams will only play their divisional opponents and the interleague region match (i.e. East vs East, Central vs Central, West vs West)
-- 14 playoff teams, 7 each league, team with best record in each league gets a bye to the LDS
-- DH in both leagues

Coming from a Texas perspective on reopening during the pandemic - and not that I agree with the aggressive nature of some, particularly our governor for whom I voted and lieutenant governor for whom I did not - I question the motivation. I cannot read their minds and hearts; I can assume they're driven to serve the people and would be willing to stand by difficult choices for the welfare of the masses, not pocketbooks. Yet since reopening expressly resolved to be safe, they've neglected increased testing - last I checked Texas was not among the leaders in our nation, given in to businesses defying state law with both the aforementioned lieutenant governor and one of our U.S. Senators taking the opportunity to get some political airtime by supporting one of those who believe they are above the law, and the loosening of the leash on Texans has stretched enough to encourage many to freely forego restraints and begin regular social activities against CDC protocols.

While I applaud owners for their decisions that took away sport from us, I believe their motivation to return to be financial, and not in the best interests of our nation. I certainly want sport to return. I've watched those MLB virtual video games, highlights of epic half innings, championship videos of the Astros and Rockets (Cowboys soon to follow), and it's provided some relief for the fan in me. 

I just don't believe the timing is right to resume. I can only go with what I read as I'm not privy to inside information, but I read what Sean Doolittle says about reopening baseball, and it makes me wonder if it's too soon.

I'm with you Joshua.  I know some think we have stopped the spread of the virus (that can be questioned ifone looks at the numbers still rolling in) so we can resume some sort of normalcy with precautions in place - in the case of sports, resuming games without fans. Problem is that many forget the reason the spread has been reduced is because of the extreme precuations most of us have observed for the last 8 weeks. If we start opening things up, albeit it cautiously, some will take that to be back to normal.  My son told me he read a report that in Korea where they reopened the social gathering places, one guy was attributed to infecting 100 others.  He did not know he had the virus when he attended 5 different drinking establishments in one night.

We have come this far and have at least slowed down the spread.  I think we should look to go a little bit further till there is much more known about this virus and its potential to spread as the summer heat comes to us.