There is more and more talk about MLB playing an 82 game schedule this year. Of course, C-19 has halted the baseball season everywhere and that's sad. Baseball is played in every single city in America, every single night in some way or fashion every spring, summer and fall. But not this year. I have seen on Social Media many local leagues closed for the summer and I feel badly for those kids. But MLB is still thinking about making a go of it.
Have you seen or heard about the temporary changes? It's quite something. It's sad to see in print.
NO SPITTING! NO High Five NO fist bumps NO Hugging
Shower at home only Arrive at stadium in uniform like little leaguers
Can't touch your face Can't be too close to the base runner
Baseballs tossed out after touched by multiple players
NO water jugs NO mascots NO saunas, NO steam rooms
Road Trips NO eating at restaurants, NO Uber
NO animated scoreboards
And of course, NO Fans!
And these are just the beginning! There are tons more and I could list them for hours.
I don't know how to feel about it. I am a 20-game season ticket holder of the Tribe, but I'm not worried about that right now. They will make it good next year, but this year there is peril. Baseball is one of the great unifiers we have. Baseball many times "brings us back" from a dark place, because of what it is. We all feel better going to a game, and witnessing an American spectacle in person, or on TV. We are subliminally reminded of its history, and we soak up a great game with everything we have. In some respects when you attend a game, you are attending every game ever played, because of the deep steep into our collective hearts.
But beyond sadly, for this year, that is not the reality if baseball returns. I love Major League Baseball, but those are three key words. MLB! I suppose I would watch a game that was a dank black and white shell of it's usually immensely colorful self. But I am not sold today, as of this writing that it would "bring us back." My fear would be it would remind many of just how different things are right now - nine innings at a time. And that things are not what they should be, which is baseball's wheelhouse. It showcases all that is good.
Baseball gives of the glimmer that things are OK, and all is right with the world, that is what it does better than any other sport by far. With all that said and with all the trepidation, with its 150 year tradition and incredible track record it would not surprise me if baseball had one more trick up its uniform sleeve to help us ease to peace, and bring us back to normal. Here's to that hope.
