The Boston Red Sox home schedule may be in Limbo until early September over a Mayoral directive. What are the possible options?
Boston has canceled all outdoor events of significance through the summer with the proposed resumption date of September 2. How does this impact the Red Sox?
Mayor Walsh was in full mixed messages and evasive political mode. Based on that, one has to make assumptions since the Boston Pops has been bleached the natural progression is the Red Sox also will be scuttled. What are the options?
"“It comes down to metrics, it comes down to data and I think that’s probably what Major League Baseball is looking at”- Mayor Walsh"
Major league baseball has several tentative proposals put forward unofficially with a resumption date beginning July 1. Just how the games will be configured is still in some type of decision making limbo by MLB. Will there be empty stadiums? Maybe the Red Sox will play at an empty Fenway Park? How many games? Will the games be played in spring training sites? But, again, what about Boston?
"Gov. Charlie Baker said he understood the mayor’s decision but made no move to pull the plug on summer statewide. – Boston Herald"
Esteemed fictional financier Gordon Gekko stated “Greed is good” and that applies to MLB owners and players. The idea is to generate income and locally that leaves just one specific site that had access, seating, and infrastructure – Gillette Stadium. Foxboro is not Boston and a partially full Gillette is fiscally better than an empty Fenway Park as I now drift into a full facetious mode.
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Baseball went through a dismal period of multi-use stadiums of which most have thankfully been demolished. Having baseball in a football-only stadium is an act of pure desperation. The Dodgers tried it with great amusement when the Los Angeles Coliseum was configured for baseball. It can be done and baseball would have to have some unique ground rules to take into consideration what type of witches brew is constructed. What other possibilities exist?
One possible solution is the Red Sox play a top-heavy road schedule and that may apply to other cities facing a virus crunch such as New York. Boston could then get a full schedule of September and early October home games once the team returns from the ultimate road trip.
Another possibility is simply moving home games to a neutral site or a non-MLB site. Nothing like a Yankees – Red Sox series being played at a Triple-A ballpark or better yet Toronto. That would at least generate revenue, especially in the more cavernous parks if anyone shows up.
The Red Sox could even use soon to be idle McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket for home games or a limited amount of home games. The entire team could take a tour of their minor league facilities some of which are faux Fenway Parks. Somehow Greenville filling the seats would not quite be able to have the Red Sox meet payroll.
Baseball has discussed expansion and this may also present an opportunity to test out other baseball hotbeds that are absent from MLB status. Mexico City has hosted games and this is a possibility. Maybe David Ortiz can set up something in the Dominican? And get Alex Cora to do penance by getting a series scheduled in Puerto Rico. Or ship them to Japan or Korea for an extended series. All games with Baltimore being played in Japan. A delightful adventure for all.
The more information I absorb from possible MLB solutions or mulling around my own ideas it becomes a situation of a series of bad ideas. That leaves one with picking the most favorable bad idea. Faulty reasoning at its best. You get to play and is it even worth it?
Baseball in 1994 had no playoffs as the warring factions – owners and players – reached loggerheads regarding labor issues. In 1972, they created an unbalanced schedule over – guess what? – a labor dispute! In both instances, baseball suffered and whatever is developed to address 2020 will have similar consequences.