Playing Socially Distant Baseball

There is considerable dissension when it comes the topic of pro sports returning in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has shut down just about everything.

I don’t feel shallow or even shame when I say I hope it’s sooner than later because I miss it and yes like during other times of peril in our nation sports can provide a badly-needed distraction from the everyday reality.

Of course there needs to be a way to try and insure safety.  I said “try” because in many sports there is never a guarantee that one won’t suffer not only a career-ending injury but one that could threaten their life.

Yes I realize COVID-19 is quite different but my point is many athletes are aware that what they compete in can be dangerous.  They are by nature a different breed motivated by success and in many cases will do anything to achieve that.

It would appear that if sports returns in the next couple of months the participants will likely be taking some risk when it comes to contracting the virus and I guess they will have to determine as individuals or through their unions if they’ll take it.

Some will say that the risk they would take to resume employment is no greater than what millions of Americans are doing each day during this crisis and there’s some truth to that.

Most of us likely assume that if a season does not resume or even start it’s no big deal because we are talking about million dollar owners and million dollar athletes.

However those owners have had to lay off regular employees and in the case of athletes not all of them earn seven figure salaries.  Plus remember their playing careers are relatively short and many simply can’t afford a season without a pay check.

I think it’s obvious that when sports returns there won’t be fans in the stands and they will essentially be made-for-TV events.  I’m okay with that if it means on a warm June evening I can watch the Mets pound the Phillies…even if they’re playing in Phoenix, Arizona.

Stay healthy my friends!