The 2020 Major League Baseball season hasn’t gone as smoothly as hoped, with multiple teams dealing with coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreaks and missing large portions of the schedule.
The league recently altered its health and safety protocols as a result, requiring players and staff to wear face coverings at all times while in public on the road, and banning members from visiting bars and other places where large groups of people gather.
As the month of September approaches, MLB is working hard to ensure the postseason can be played without any interruptions. A bubble plan similar to that of the NHL is strongly being considered, with a handful of locations emerging as favorites to host games.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Texas (presumed to be Arlington and Houston) may serve as a centralized location for the Los Angeles Dodgers and other National League postseason teams, while Southern California is the frontrunner to host the American League portion of the playoffs:
Not close to final, but postseason plan at “controlled sites” being discussed, per sources: AL in southern California, NL in Texas. World Series possibly at Rangers’ new ballpark. League talking with union about possibilities. Final plan would be subject to ownership approval.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 26, 2020
A bubble plan in Southern California was reportedly discussed for the regular season, but the league ultimately moved forward with allowing teams to play at their home stadiums, implementing a 60-game regional-based schedule to minimize travel.
The decision was met with criticism, as most health experts believe a bubble is necessary for professional sports leagues to safely resume operations. The NBA and NHL have found much better success containing the virus, with virtually no positive cases emerging to this point.
Dave Roberts not concerned with teams missing games
The Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets are among the clubs this season that were forced to miss a significant amount of games after members tested positive for COVID-19.
While some believe the long layoffs hurt the integrity of the season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts doesn’t see it that way. “It’s a strange season,” he recently said.
“I still stand by the fact that since we are playing baseball, it’s a win. That’s obviously not including the Cardinals right now. I just think we’ve got to come to terms that whatever messaging, whatever baseball decides on what warrants qualifying for postseason, if it’s winning percentage or whatever, it is what it is.
“I just don’t think we can read too much into it, because again, we’re playing baseball. Fans are excited about it, players are excited. Ultimately, there’s going to be 16 teams playing in the postseason. The best team, the hottest team, should come out and prevail. I really don’t have thoughts on whether it’s 45 or 60 games played by the Cardinals.”
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