According to one report, it’s a matter of when, not if Major League Baseball teams, including the Chicago Cubs, will take the field in 2020.
As we all work to do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19, I’m sure many of you, like myself, can’t help but think hopeful thoughts about a return to normalcy. That, at least for me, means a return to watching the Chicago Cubs in some form.
I don’t have to be in the bleachers at Wrigley Field (although I can assure you that when it’s once again deemed safe to do so, I will once again spend far too much money at the Confines). I just want to see the team take the field, with their eyes on bringing another title to the North Side
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According to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan, there’s a general feeling around the game that we’ll get that at some point this year, although the format remains undetermined.
"“Over the past two weeks, as states have begun to plan their re-openings, nearly everyone along the decision-making continuum — league officials, players, union leaders, owners, doctors, politicians, TV power brokers, team executives — has grown increasingly optimistic that there will be baseball this year.”"
In recent weeks, we’ve heard several proposals as to just how this could be accomplished. First, it was quarantining all relevant personnel in and around the Phoenix metro area and playing games there. Then, it was Arizona and Florida. Most recently, we’ve heard it could be Arizona, Florida and Texas. Who knows.
Passan goes on to say the league’s goal is to finalize a plan next month which would allow players and organizations to start preparing for the return of baseball. There’s nothing official, but based on what he’s heard, the season would look something like this.
- Players return to ‘spring training’ in June; games begin in July. The ‘regular season’, which would be approximately 80-100 games, would run from July to October with an expanded postseason in neutral, warm climate sites in November.
Now there’s a whole lot more that Passan delves into – the real nitty gritty, if you will – so I definitely recommend checking out the piece in its entirety. In the meantime, let’s all just stay home, stay safe and think more pleasant thoughts – like the Chicago Cubs winning their second title in five years on Thanksgiving this year.