The New York Yankees and fans throughout baseball eagerly await the beginning of a baseball season. MLB and the Players Union continue to negotiate terms to begin a baseball season for 2020. In the latest move to break the deadlock over health concerns and financial matters, the MLB has sent a 67-page document concerning health and safety protocols that MLB will put in place to protect baseball players.
The operations manual for the abbreviated 2020 season, covers medical and testing protocols for COVID-19, spring training, facility protocols, on-field operations, league operations, and transactions, travel, and player and staff education. The details of the manual have been revealed by The Atlantic, Bob Costas, among others.
On March 12 all baseball operations came to a halt, including spring training, and with that halt came the announcement that the regular MLB season for baseball would be delayed by two weeks. That was more than two months ago. Still, there is no baseball and the negotiations to start the season are ongoing with the owners agreeing to the plan, but the Players Association (MLBPA) to date has failed to accept the plan.
Two major stumbling blocks seem to be causing concern. One that has been quite public, the plan calls for revenue sharing that the Players Union Executive Director ex-Yankee Tony Clark sees as a salary cap, something the players have rejected since the 1970s. The other issue less public are concerns about player safety. Some calling the risk very high. The MLB healthy initiative is designed to address those concerns.
Here is a brief summary of the protocols outlined in the document.
Regular testing for all players, managers, coaches, and umpires, plus a limited number of essential staff members who come into close proximity with players. All MLB players must undergo “intake screening†upon arriving at spring training. The screening will take place at multiple locations and at staggered times. It will consist of a temperature check with a contactless thermometer and body fluid and blood samples. Any individual who tests positive is instructed to self-quarantine and gets treated accordingly.
Asymptomatic individuals will undergo temperature checks and symptom screens at least twice daily. All individuals will undergo testing multiple times per week, with results taking approximately 24 hours to report. Players with symptoms will receive instant reports. Each club must maintain a dedicated testing area in its spring training site and MLB ballpark, as well as a dedicated isolation area where an individual who develops symptoms or learns of a positive result can isolate pending relocation to home or medical facility. Before entering a club facility, individuals will get temperatures checked and complete a short symptom and exposure questionnaire.
• Clubs must take the following steps to minimize potential transmission:
Individuals that test positive will self-isolate. MLB clubs and players will be in contact with local health officials. There will be contact tracing and high-risk individuals will have additional precautions.
The on-field rule will be greatly expanded in the 67-page protocol.
The MLB rules may seem like overkill and overly complicated, but the above are just the basics. The 67-page document details how to do everything that players and personnel will face on a daily basis. MLB wants to avoid infection by anyone in baseball operations to avoid a team shutdown. It appears that the entire document has not been made public if it is you will find a link to view the document on EmpireSportsMedia.com.
This post was published on 2020-05-17 06:51