Major League Baseball may take its ball home to Arizona for the 2020 season, according to multiple reports.
What’s happening:
- Multiple reports from the last few days suggest that MLB is considering moving the league to Arizona for all of its games for the 2020 seasons. The Athletic reported MLB is “entertaining the idea.”
- The league has talked with the players association, too, The Associated Press reports.
- According to the Arizona Republic, the move to Arizona is “one of many ideas being considered as baseball tries to envision how its post-pandemic schedule could look.”
- One source told The Republic: “They’re talking about everything. There’s nothing they can rule out.”
- Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall also mentioned the idea in a radio broadcast recently.
- He said: “This is going to be a place where hopefully, if we do things right, where we keep that curve flat, where it doesn’t become too much of a problem, where the summer is going to heat up a little bit.”
- Sources told ESPN that the league would likely start in May or June with games taking place in Phoenix.
- “Players, coaching staffs and other essential personnel would be sequestered at local hotels, where they would live in relative isolation and travel only to and from the stadium,” according to ESPN.
Some additional context
MLB’s potential move to Arizona comes amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced a number of sports leagues to shift their schedules. Most notably, the NBA suspended its season temporarily until it can figure out a way forward. The league has discussed moving right into playoffs upon its return. It has stopped short of canceling the entire season, though.
The NHL has considered finishing its season in North Dakota, a move that echoes what the MLB is considering. Such a move would help NHL cut down on any issues with ice during the summer months.
And then there’s the NFL, which has a draft coming in April and games later in August. The league hasn’t been postponed or rescheduled games yet, despite the pandemic.
President Donald Trump spoke to NFL executives recently about what it would take to fill up the leagues’ stadiums in the fall, which falls in line with Trump’s desire to see the country opened up sooner rather than later.
“I want fans back in the arenas,” Trump said at a White House briefing. “I think it’s ... whenever we’re ready. As soon as we can, obviously. And the fans want to be back, too. They want to see basketball and baseball and football and hockey. They want to see their sports. They want to go out onto the golf courses and breathe nice, clean, beautiful fresh air.”