Chicago Cubs: What plan is the best for the team?

Chicago Cubs: The three-city plan

Chase Field, Globe Life Field and Miami Marlins Park with surrounding spring training parks. That sounds nice, doesn’t it? Accept it’s not Wrigley Field–with or without fans. The tri-city or three-city plan includes the ballparks mentioned above, plus several in the surrounding area.

Phoenix, Arlington and Tampa/St. Petersburg would act as host cities. The three ballparks have the ability to shut or they have a dome. They have good turf and would be able to ‘weather the storm,’ so to speak. So what is the objection? Please, sit down, and I tell you a tale.

First off, the Rangers would be rewarded handsomely with this deal. Ray Davis had the opportunity to serve on the MLB Executive Committee, rubbing elbows with Rob Manfred. The ‘reward’ shouldn’t seem too far fetched.

Secondly, the warm weather will come to Arlington. Texas is smack dab in the center of the country. And if the weather doesn’t hold? It’ll be played under the roof. And the biggest reason to not use this plan? Location.

So what do you say for Houston as a host city? Well, it’s not likely to happen. While Arlington would be a convenient commute from Houston, the sign-stealing scandal might not be how they want to reward them. So out is Houston. And in the end, the three-city deal is out, as well.

Chicago Cubs: Chase Field and the surrounding ballparks

So Chase Field and the surrounding minor ballparks, plus a few more regional sites. That sounds good, right? Well, no. It isn’t. And I’ll tell you why. First, the players and coaches would have the necessary restrictions. Coronavirus testing every couple of days. And the players wouldn’t have family there.

Though the MLB is in favor of it? Players and coaches are not. Are they supposed to stay in–sequestered, mind you–where they live in isolation? Also, federal officials at the Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the National Institutes of Health, have been supportive of social distancing, isolation and the likelihood to be the first to return. Eh, whatever.

The primary reason this won’t work for anyone involved? Quarantine. The players wouldn’t have any family or friends there, plus screening for the COVID-19 virus. Constant screening. Like, every day. It’s going to get old.

Chicago Cubs: Home sweet home

Fans or no fans, let them play at your home ballpark. The Cubs would have an issue playing at Chase Field. Or Chase, Globe Life and Marlins Park. So let’s just stick them where they would be comfortable. Home.

If you have to do it, let them go home to do it. Hopefully, the curve will be flattened, and the game will make its return. Now, fans or not? The CDC will be leary of that. So on to the schedule. Well, that’s a controversy wrapped in an enigma…you get the point.

So 81 games? One hundred sixty-two games, with doubleheaders all day long? In honesty, I don’t know what they’ll do. Doing an 81 game schedule seems fine with me. But I’ve got to realize that most of their money comes from television. So doing 162 game schedule is likely–I just don’t know how they’re going to do that.

In the end–barring a rebirth of the coronavirus–let them go home. It’s what should happen–although I don’t think it will. The Compound will agree, though.