No spitting, please
Under protocols to deal with the coronavirus handed out by Major League Baseball, showers at ballparks will be discouraged and the traditional exchange of lineup cards would be eliminated, along with spitting and high-fives.
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball will look somewhat like high school ball this year under protocols to deal with the coronavirus, with showers at ballparks discouraged and players possibly arriving in uniform, like they did when they were teenagers.
Team personnel will be banned from eating at restaurants on road trips. Team mascots will be banned from the fields.
The traditional exchange of lineup cards would be eliminated, along with high-fives, fist bumps, and bat boys and girls, according to a 67-page draft of Major League Baseball’s proposed 2020 Operations Manual. A copy was sent to teams Friday and obtained by The Associated Press.
Teams will be allowed to have 50 players each under the plan, with the number active for each game still being negotiated.
Spitting is prohibited along with water jugs and the use of saunas, steam rooms and pools. Hitting in indoor cages is discouraged, batting gloves encouraged. Batting practice pitchers are to wear masks, and dugout telephones disinfected after each use. Players may not touch their face to give signs, and they’re not allowed to lick their fingers.
Seats in the empty stands near the dugout should be used to maintain distance, according to diagrams in the manual, and the next day’s starting pitcher can’t sit in the dugout.
Fielders are “encouraged to retreat several steps away from the baserunner” between pitches. First and third base coaches are not to approach baserunners or umpires, and players should not socialize with opponents.
Managers and coaches must wear masks while in the dugouts. The entire traveling party — including players — must wear personal protective equipment while on buses and flights.
“We emphasize that this is a first draft, and will undergo several rounds of changes as we collect comments and suggestions from the clubs, the players’ association, players, and government officials,” deputy commissioner Dan Halem wrote in an email to owners, team presidents and CEOs, and general managers that accompanied the protocols.
“The document is designed to set minimum standards and identify best practices, but we have attempted to provide clubs with enough flexibility to achieve the desired health and safety objectives in a manner that is tailored to their particular circumstances, including ballpark configuration, location, and the nature of any local governmental regulations or restrictions,” Halem wrote.
Scoreboard video is prohibited but music allowed. While there won’t be fans, at least not at the start, it will provide a familiar background audio for the telecasts critical to MLB’s bottom line.
Throwing the ball around the infield will be discouraged. Personnel who rub baseballs with mud for the umpires must use gloves.
“Individuals must avoid any physical interactions (such as high-fives, fist bumps, or hugs) while at club facilities,” the manual says.
Players must wear masks while in restricted areas “except while on the field or engaging in other strenuous activities” and lockers must have at least 6 feet between them. If needed, temporary clubhouse space will be added, preferably outdoors or areas with better ventilation.
“Showering in club facilities should be discouraged,” the plan says. “To the extent showering occurs, clubs should explore modifications to facilities to allow for physical distancing and hygiene” such as installing partitions and limiting the number of players using the showers at the same time.
Only medical personnel will be allowed near injured players.