Whether you’re a diehard who checks the box scores every day or just a casual fan, there’s one thing we can all agree on — everyone is missing the national pastime, baseball.
You must be a member to read this story.
Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.
Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here
Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
To Our Valued Readers –
Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.
For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.
Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.
Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.
Whether you’re a diehard who checks the box scores every day or just a casual fan, there’s one thing we can all agree on — everyone is missing the national pastime, baseball.
Like all other sports, Major League Baseball was basically ground to a halt last month amid the coronavirus outbreak across the globe. Spring training was in full swing, with games going both here in Arizona and in Florida loaded with baseball fans in the stands cheering on their favorite clubs. Many make it an annual trip to head to spring training but this year, those trips were cut short. Dealing with COVID-19 became the new normal and everyone was introduced to a new term — social distancing.
“It’s tough, but we’ve just got to be patient,” said John Wardlow, a Diamondbacks fan. “I just want to see some live baseball. I understand there won’t be fans in the stands but we can still enjoy it on television.”
Like other major sports that are basically on pause around the world, MLB is discussing just how players might be able to get safely back on the field. The regular season was originally set to begin in late March before the coronavirus took hold.
One scenario that interested many Arizonans was a plan to play MLB games entirely in our state with clubs utilizing spring training venues and the Diamondbacks’ Chase Field.
“I liked the idea at first,” admitted Bob Windsor, out walking his dog this past week. “But it seems like there’s a ton of logistical planning involved. At this point, I’m just hoping there is a season — no matter how many games they play.”
If Arizona was the destination for all 30 teams, even though spring training sites could be used, the heat of the Valley summer would likely have required teams to play games late at night. With a month burned since the season was supposed to begin, league officials confirmed there’s no way to play a full 162-game campaign at this point.
Local fans, including Mr. Windsor, were excited with the offseason moves made by the Diamondbacks, including bringing in pitcher Madison Bumgarner and outfielder Starling Marte to bolster a roster that is constantly competing with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
“They got better — at least on paper,” he said. “I’m anxious to see what the new guys can contribute.”
MLB’s latest proposal under consideration includes teams playing in just three states, Arizona included.
In this scenario, the league would have teams stationed in one of three hubs — Arizona, Florida or Texas. The clubs would then make use of the local major- and minor-league (or spring training) facilities and play regular season games behind closed doors without fans.
“It’s certainly better than nothing,” Mr. Wardlow said.
Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, the new Globe Life Field in Arlington and Chase Field in downtown Phoenix each have roofs that would safeguard against rainouts and other extreme weather, allowing for multiple games to be hosted at those sites each day under the latest proposal. MLB could also ask teams stationed in Florida and Texas to drive a few hours to other MLB venues (Houston’s Minute Maid Park and Miami’s Marlins Park) if necessary.
Another pressing question is how teams would be assigned to each area. The league could send 10 clubs each to one of the three hubs (perhaps a West, Central and East division based on geography) or use an unbalanced division format.
Dodgers’ hurler Ross Stripling told CBS Sports this week that he believes the three-state plan could work.
“I think it’s doable. You know, you talk about indoor stadiums, and all those states, all of them are pretty good weather states,” Mr. Stripling stated. “Not going to have a lot of rainouts, especially since most of the stadiums are indoor anyways. And we’re still spread out a little bit.”
The biggest potential problem could be players being away for their families for so long.
“You’re gonna be away from your family for possibly months — guys are going to struggle with that,” the pitcher noted. “But at the end of day, that’s what we have to do to play baseball. I’m sure most guys would get on board with it.”
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said last week different options are still on the table. MLB will take an enormous financial hit if a season doesn’t take place so it’s brainstorming many different ideas hoping to avoid a worst-case scenario.
“From our perspective, we don’t have a plan, we have lots of ideas,” Mr. Manfred told Fox Business. “What ideas come to fruition depends on what the restrictions are, what the public health situation is, but we are intent on the idea of making baseball a part of the economic recovery and sort of a milestone on the return to normalcy.”
Regardless of which plan eventually comes to fruition, players will need an ample amount of time to get ready. You might call it spring training 2.0. Pitchers especially need time to get their arms prepared for the rigors of throwing in live games.
Experts have speculated the additional training could take three weeks to a month at minimum.
But that’s not a problem for fans who are anxiously awaiting the players’ return to real game action and a (somewhat) return to normalcy.
“I don’t care where they play as long as they play,” Mr. Windsor said. “I miss live baseball.”
Matt Loeschman Editor | Daily Independent @MattLoeschman
I have edited and written about almost everything in my 20-year journalism career, but I have a strong passion for sports since my father was a teacher and coach when I was young.
My job has allowed me to meet many influential people, including Hillary Clinton, Al Gore (I have a brief, on-camera part in his second movie), George Strait, Matthew McConaughey and several world-class athletes.
I have worked for Independent Newsmedia on two separate occasions – 2000-09 and 2018-present – after studying journalism at the University of Texas at Austin.
By 
