Another week, another plan that’s flawed

The conflicting back-and-forth between local, state and national political leaders during the time of the coronavirus?

The public and private battle to proudly reopen, sternly remain closed or slowly unlock the front door with safety and caution?

Major League Baseball appears to be struggling with the same confusing issues that our country is.

All 30 teams inside a quarantine bubble in Arizona.

Half of MLB in Florida and the other half in Arizona, replicating spring training’s Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues.

Texas, Florida and Arizona

serving as the host states for the 2020 season.

And now the latest reported potential experiment: 30 teams in just three divisions, with the Astros repositioned as division rivals with the team they beat in the 2017 World Series. Wouldn’t that be fun? Or would you much rather prefer the normal divisions — West, Central and East in the American and National Leagues — and hope that MLB can figure out some way to play an abbreviated season that doesn’t drastically alter the annual competitive spirit of a 162-game campaign?

When it comes to America

with real MLB games in 2020 and America without, I’ll reuse a line I’ve relied upon multiple times during the last 50 days. Something, obviously, is better than nothing.

But MLB’s reported ideas have been conflicting and confusing from the start, the league has officially said little and there’s still no clarity as May approaches.

The NBA abruptly suspended its 82-game season and became one of the first major dominoes to fall. Adam Silver's league also has remained at the forefront of the sports-related coronavirus discussion and is now set to reopen some team practice facilities no earlier than May 8.

MLB still hasn’t played an official game in 2020 —

the Astros’ opening day was initially scheduled for March 26 at Minute Maid Park — and baseball has alternated between radio silence and oddly leaked return-to-play proposals since spring training was unevenly paused.

Commissioner Rob Manfred must have been too busy figuring out how to not punish the Boston Red Sox for cheating again.

I loathed the reported regular season Grapefruit and Cactus League idea.

I’m not overly fond of cramming 30 clubs into just three divisions, then expanding the playoffs, as USA Today reported Tuesday. Why insist on expanding the postseason after an abbreviated, cheapened regular season? Is Bud Selig secretly offering advice?

But, again, something is better than nothing.

The problem with all the proposals is the admission inherent in their unprecedented changes. What MLB seems to be saying right now is, even if games are played, the 2020 season will immediately become a historical aberration and essentially receive an asterisk in future decades.

* — Regular season, playoffs, divisions and on-field competition drastically altered because of coronavirus.

The three-division thing feels gimmicky and video game-ish. The same for confining MLB to Arizona, Florida and Texas.

But if MLB ultimately insists there is no other way, then there will only be one way. Take it or leave it.

I’ve already mentally adjusted to the idea of playing NBA, NFL, MLB and college football games without fans in the stands. “This is just how things have to be right now,” I sadly tell myself.

I’m not sure I’ll be as convinced when it’s the eighth or 38th game of a 100-game MLB season, the Astros are playing the Arizona Diamondbacks in the “West Division” and the only way fans can watch the afternoon contest is via the cold distance of TV.

Empty, weird and Ziploc-esque. But also something to help get us through the coronavirus blues.

Thankfully, the NBA isn't constantly being linked to Frankenstein divisions. The NFL keeps insisting that the 2020 season will be played as normally as possible.

MLB appears to be throwing everything possible against a wall and hoping that something will stick for 4-5 months.

My hope: Baseball is privately perfecting a stateof-the-art plan and MLB will end up on the same platform as the NBA, helping the country reopen and bringing daily joy back to our mask-filled lives.

Every time you doubt MLB, baseball comes roaring back.

Maybe there’s a way to safely get Jose Altuve, Mike Trout and Mookie Betts back between the lines, and still keep the grand ol’ game the same ol’ game.