Well, well, well. After being one of the first sports to start spitballing restart ideas, the MLB has officially fallen behind other leagues. A month-long money struggle later, the MLB has no plan while other sports are beginning to start up again.
NASCAR has been running races at empty tracks for three weeks now, and the PGA Tour is scheduled to return on the 11th. WWE has already completed a few events.
Just this week, the NBA announced its return to the hardwood. They’ll be returning on July 31st in Orlando at Disney World to conclude the regular season and operate the playoffs under a 22-team format. Game seven of the finals would end in mid-October, with the next season starting just seven weeks later. On the ladies’ side of things, the WNBA is in early talks about a 22-game season.
The NHL is operating under a phased plan that could potentially see games resuming in July. The NFL is planning to run its schedule as planned and teams are beginning to reopen facilities.
With all this happening, the MLB is stuck in a huge money struggle with its players. The players have already agreed to prorated salaries, but the greedy owners want players to take larger cuts to minimize the revenue loss. What owners fail to realize is that teams would make back lost revenue very quickly once fans are in the stands again.
But, it may not be impossible to get fans back in the stands. The MLB should consider a limited attendance approach to make a little ticket revenue. NASCAR has an event at Homestead/Miami Speedway next weekend that will allow for 1,000 fans. Families must wear masks and social distance from other families in the stands. The MLB should consider a similar approach.
Time is ticking away, and the MLB needs to act quickly. No season will kill the game, and the league can’t let that happen.