Cubs react to mayor Lori Lightfoot’s statement on baseball returning

The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox reacted with hesitancy with mayor Lightfoot’s declaration that there ‘will be baseball’ this year.

Oh, mayor.  The Chicago Cubs–and the Chicago White Sox, for that matter–listen with skepticism when listening to Lori Lightfoot. That’s because there isn’t a clearcut answer to when baseball will return–if ever. I know. I said it.

The White Sox and the Cubs vice president of communications Scott Reifert and Julian Green, respectively, said there are many loopholes to go through. MLB, the safety of players, input from the authorities and more.

“As the Governor stated, we are looking to the MLB for guidance as to when the season can resume, which will likely include input from health experts that creates the safest environment for players and their families, employees and fans,” Green said in a statement. h/t Becca Wood, Channel 5 News, Chicago

The MLB season, which is on hold due to the COVID-19 virus, was supposed to begin in March. Then in April. June then? I don’t know when it’s going to start. Lightfoot expressed some optimism on Monday.

“We’ve had ongoing conversations about what (opening the season) might look like,” she said. “We’re obviously a ways away from that, because we haven’t seen the level of cases decline on a consistent basis. We’re still seeing them rise. But can I envision a world where a baseball might return to Chicago this summer? Yes. Is it likely to be without fans? Probably.”

Let me get this straight. Do you want to have a baseball game without fans? No. Absolutely not. It is just like a Miami Marlins game. Too soon? Okay, my apologies to the Marlins fans. But they average 10K per game. Do you want to spend time without those 10K fans? No, you wouldn’t.

But if you did, how would social distancing work? Or your employees, how would that play out? Fans and employees. Peanut vendors to beer sales. It ends up being a nightmare for everyone involved.

What about the players? The ‘six feet of separation?’ Nope. It is not happening. So what are you going to do? Test all the players that will come on the field like your doctor’s office? It’s going to be a wild world we live in trying to get through the coronavirus.