Over the last few weeks, the world hasn’t stopped talking about the spread of Coronavirus. The disease is affecting so many people and so many organizations. Could Coronavirus also impact the beginning of the 2020 MLB season?
Right now, the MLB, along with the NHL, NBA, and MLS have media restrictions. Reporters aren’t allowed in locker rooms and must remain several feet away from players while conducting interviews.
In the NCAA, the Ivy League has canceled it’s conference basketball tournaments and placed restrictions on viewing other events in person. The Big West conference tournament won’t be allowing spectators, while the MAC conference tournament will have restricted attendance.
The Ivy League has decided to cancel the League's upcoming Basketball Tournaments and implement highly-restrictive, in-venue spectator limitations for all other upcoming campus athletics events.
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— Ivy League (@IvyLeague) March 10, 2020
The NCAA Tournament is seemingly in jeopardy as well. After saying for several days that the event will take place as scheduled, officials are seemingly having second thoughts.
Statement on COVID-19 and NCAA championship events: https://t.co/KAphcvmwjz pic.twitter.com/6a9Yuu0rcQ
— NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) March 10, 2020
Colleges across the country are shifting to online classes in the wake of the spreading illness. Universities such as Cornell and Harvard are sending students home to complete the rest of the semester online. Students must be off the Harvard campus by Sunday at the latest.
Right now, Rob Manfred is planning on having the MLB season start as planned, and with spectators. Opening Day is still two weeks away, so things could change by then. The biggest risk is for indoor events, and there are several indoor stadiums, although only one doesn’t have a retractable roof (Tropicana Field).
I don’t think that there should be any changes to the start of the regular season. Play the games as planned, and with fans. The virus is spreading rapidly, but not nearly as much as the mainstream media says it is.
But, just because I think that there shouldn’t be any changes to the start of the regular season, doesn’t mean that there won’t be. It’s up to Manfred and his committee. Whether we agree with his decisions or not, we have to live with it.