Baseball is a huge industry that affects not only the people who work in it but also the millions of spectators around the world. This sense of normalcy and quotidian joy is why it has been so important to get sports up and running again.
“Baseball” by PMillera4 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
However, this experiment has been less than perfect. While we have been able to enjoy many professional baseball games, the dependability has not materialized. Let’s take a look back at how they have tried to ensure success, what has happened, and how fans have adapted to an increasingly uncertain sports world.
The Bubble and Other Measures
Major League Baseball presented an extensive plan in its measures to ensure safety for its players, staff, and fans. Together, these are known as the “bubble.” Many have criticized the bubble for being inevitably penetrable and somewhat difficult emotionally.
And these two points of criticism are connected. Given the nature of COVID-19, as they make the bubble more secure, they must reduce human contact. That is just the biology of it.
The measures in the regular season were minimal. Players undergo regular testing. But when the Playoffs and World Series come through, the measures were more strict. The teams did not travel for games, for example.
In the K-League, no fans are allowed to attend, and players also have strict restrictions. Players in the Korean baseball league are not allowed to shake hands, share water bottles, or talk to each other while on the field.
Baseball leagues around the world have taken lots of measures, but they have not been enough. Any return to activity will imply risk while we are dealing with this highly infectious respiratory illness.
The Schedule
One of the biggest changes to the 2020 regular season in Major League Baseball was the reduced schedule. The idea was to do fewer games but do them well, as a way to actually be able to go through with whatever the plan was to be.
MLB decided to go for a 60-game regular season. This is much shorter than the normal 162 games. The idea is to reduce the number of contacts while still getting an idea of which teams deserve to come out on top and advance to the finals.
The goal was to provide a degree of certainty and dependability. However, this has only been moderately effective. The league has had to postpone 45 games. This also means that several participants have contracted COVID-19. Overall, most games have gone on without a hitch!
“Baseball fans” by Mathew Ingram is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
How Fans Can Handle Uncertainty
Baseball fans that are looking forward to games that get canceled have a few resources at their disposal.
One is to be grateful. While it might be frustrating to have your game canceled, it is nothing compared to the risks the players are going through. This is even more true if there are known coronavirus infections.
If medical professionals detect an outbreak, it becomes urgent to save the health, and thus future games. If we are grateful for the hard work they are doing, this becomes easier to understand and process.
Another road bump can be if you have money on the game. If you use a top trusted sportsbook, they will refund your original risk, so this is no problem. You can rest easy, knowing that your wager is coming back to you.
A last recommended resource is to go out and play baseball. While it is not the same as watching your favorite star, it can still scratch that itch for baseball.
Keep these in mind as the 2021 season will likely be affected by coronavirus as well.
Justin Turner’s Risk
The latest drama in the baseball and coronavirus saga involves third baseman, Justin Turner. After his team, the Los Angeles Dodgers won their long-awaited World Series title, Turner joined his team on the field shortly after learning that he had Coronavirus.
This was a big problem. He hugged and jumped and took off his mask for a group picture. All of this in front of the MLB commissioner and a national audience.
Turner and the MLB have suffered heavy criticism since this public breach of COVID-19 protocols. Luckily they have the entire off-season to work on making this more effective.
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