MLB reportedly has considered the possibility of moving Opening Day for the 2020 season to the Fourth of July. Is this when the Red Sox could return?
The world is facing far greater concerns than the fate of the MLB season amid the COVID-19 pandemic but fans are still anxiously awaiting to find out when the Boston Red Sox will take the field again.
There is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the timeline for when this crisis will pass. Large crowds are banned in most areas of the country, placing the sports world on pause. Social distancing remains part of our everyday vocabulary as people are strongly encouraged to stay home.
MLB is evaluating options for when they can potentially open the season. According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, July 4 has been floated as a potential target for Opening Day.
In MLB circles, July 4 has been one of the options floated for a possible Opening Day. https://t.co/6AV22CdkDB
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) March 31, 2020
How fitting it would be for America’s pastime and our return to normalcy to coincide with Independence Day.
Nothing is set in stone but the Fourth of July is a reasonable target. The CDC has advised against large gatherings into May, with the possibility that the window will be extended. The city of Toronto, home of the Blue Jays and the location where the Red Sox initially planned to open their season, has banned public events until at least June 30. That would make it difficult for the MLB season to begin before that date.
Some creative options are being considered in order to allow MLB to work around the stricter policies of certain cities, including the possibility of playing games in neutral-site locations or in empty stadiums. Those solutions could lead to an earlier start date but it’s hard to imagine anything before June with the best-case scenario for when social distancing might end based on the CDS’s recommendation leaking into May.
Once teams are allowed to regroup, the players will still need several weeks to prepare. Spring training was interrupted in March and over a month of downtime will essentially mean their preparation needs to start over. Pitchers will need at least a few turns through the rotation in order to build up their arms strength.
We all remember how Boston’s plan to limit the workload of their starters in spring training last year backfired. Getting the green light to play ball does not mean players are immediately ready for regular season action.
If spring training Part II can begin in late May or early June, an early July start date is feasible. That wouldn’t leave time for a full 162-game schedule but even half a season would be welcome at this point.
Is this projection too optimistic? Perhaps, considering it’s far from a guarantee that there will be a 2020 MLB season at all. However, the fact that the league office is still discussing potential start dates does provide some hope that the light at the end of the tunnel is approaching.