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Ann Killion: It took only two days before Major League Baseball dropped the ball over the most important issue for starting its season — testing.
That didn’t take long. Two days into the restart of Major League Baseball’s “season,” the system was already breaking down.
Teams had to cancel or postpone workouts. Confusion reigned. Players were angry. General managers’ and managers’ heads were about to explode.
The issue? Testing for the coronavirus. In other words, the most important issue.
Anyone with a modicum of expertise has said for nearly four months, ever since the sports world shut down, that the only way to get it restarted was through rigorous, methodical, efficient testing.
Testing, testing, testing. That’s been the mantra.
But baseball’s testing isn’t working right from the opening bell. The tests for A’s position players from Friday were still sitting in Oakland on Sunday night, waiting to be shipped to Utah. That meant no results would be completed until Monday afternoon at the earliest. Which meant the A’s
had yet to complete a full team workout. The A’s finally got results back and were able to take the field Monday evening.
A’s general manager David Forst had sent a text message to team employees detailing the breakdown and describing himself as “frustrated and pissed.” Later Monday evening, with his team able to assemble, he described himself as optimistic that things would improve.
However, it’s a pretty big bungle from the start. Apparently, MLB forgot to make accommodations for weekends and holidays when it comes to getting all tests to the central laboratory.
The A’s weren’t the only ones dealing with this delay. The Nationals and Astros both had to cancel workouts. The Cardinals also canceled.
After canceling a team workout, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo also expressed frustration, saying, “We cannot have our players and staff work at risk . ... We will not sacrifice the health and safety of our players, staff and their family.”
The 113page MLB Operations Manual calls for players and onfield personnel to be tested every other day. But players around the league were saying they hadn’t received results from the first tests, while undergoing second tests. Which means that the next batch also likely will be delayed.
How will this work when players are supposed to be on the road, in and out of hotels, getting tested and trying to be cleared in time for games? Will players who are potentially positive have to wait four or five days for results, while they are around their teammates? The intake tests should be the easiest part.
None of this is making anyone feel sure that this season is going to take place. If the most basic starting point — initial testing — is botched, how can anyone feel confident about taking the field?
A’s pitcher Jake Diekman, who has an autoimmune condition that puts him atrisk, excoriated the process in a conversation with The Chronicle’s Susan Slusser.
“I honestly feel like this is just going to get shut down in a week, or everyone is going to opt out,” Diekman said.
Players were already feeling uncomfortable about baseball’s plan, even before the testing breakdowns. All of the leadup was marred by a complete lack of trust between the two sides. The season now feels rushed, and health issues often have felt like the last priority. The Angels’ Mike Trout said he isn’t really comfortable playing. The Giants’ Buster Posey said he has reservations and left open the option of opting out of the season.
On Friday, Major League Baseball patted itself on the back, announcing testing results with only 1.2% positives. But the tests were incomplete, as we now know. They issued another news release Monday, downplaying the problems as just a few “unforeseen delays.”
But more and more players are testing positive every day. And more players are speaking out. The Cubs’ Kris Bryant said Monday, “I wanted to play this year because I felt that it would be safe, and I would be comfortable. Honestly, I don’t really feel that way . ... If we can’t nail the easy part, which is right now and just our players, we’ve got a big hill to climb.”
The playing field is already uneven, with some teams already having held intrasquad games and others — like the A’s — yet to have a full team workout.
This wouldn’t be a huge deal in a regular spring training, but the clock is already ticking on this sprint of a season. All of this embarrassing — and potentially dangerous — news was erupting on the day that baseball had scheduled a primetime show, complete with corporate sponsorship, to announce the schedule. The first game is scheduled to be played in a little more than two weeks. Yet, the preparation varies wildly between teams.
For many players, it simply doesn’t make sense. Not while a pandemic is raging out of control in the United States. Not while basic issues like testing are so challenging.
“We haven’t done any of the things that other countries have done to bring sports back,” said Washington reliever Sean Doolittle, who spent parts of six seasons with the A’s. “Sports are like the reward of a functioning society.”
And we don’t appear ready for that reward.