In Arizona, ask to delay spring start THE NUMBER

Keeping an eye on the world of sports during the pandemic:

The Cactus League and community leaders in Arizona have asked Major League Baseball to delay the start of spring training due to coronavirus concerns just over three weeks before pitchers and catchers are to report.

The Cactus League made the request in a letter to Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred obtained by The AP on Monday. The letter was co-signed by the mayors of Mesa, Scottsdale, Surprise, Glendale, Goodyear and Peoria, as well as representatives from Phoenix and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

MLB said in a statement that it “will continue to consult with public health authorities, medical experts, and the Players Association whether any schedule modifications to the announced start of Spring Training and the Championship Season should be made in light of the current COVID19 environment to ensure the safety of the players, coaches, umpires, MLB employees and other game day personnel in a sport that plays every day.”

Arizona is averaging just under 7,000 new coronavirus cases per day, but the Cactus League cited data in its letter from the University of Washington’s Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation projecting a sharp decline in infections by mid-March, down to as few as 3,072 daily. Spring camps are set to open the week of Feb. 15, with the regular season to start April 1.

Despite the roiling case numbers, the NHL’s Coyotes are hosting 3,450 fans for home games in Glendale, while the NBA’s Suns are playing without fans. High school sports are also still operating. The Cactus League hosts 15 MLB clubs.

Any changes to the major league schedule are subject to agreement with the players’ association per terms of their collective bargaining agreement. MLB reportedly asked the union in November about moving back opening day a month to create a safer playing environment, possibly spurred by the availability of vaccines.

The union asked if the postseason could be moved back to make up the 30 or so missed games, or if the league would pay players for the missed games if they weren’t made up. The league declined. Talks stalled there.

The union turned down a December offer from the league that included a permanent adoption of an expanded postseason and the universal designated hitter — changes instituted temporarily in 2020.

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Southern Hills Country Club has hosted seven major championships and will add to that total with next year’s PGA Championship. The Tulsa, Oklahoma, course replaces Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey. The PGA of America recently cut ties with former President Donald Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.