Here’s hoping MLB’s ambitious schedule succeeds
It will be a Major League Baseball season like no other.
Then again, with the pandemic showing no signs of easing up, and early glitches in the COVID-19 testing process, there may be a better chance of someone pitching a no-hitter on opening day than actually having one.
The Washington Nationals and Houston Astros canceled their workouts Monday when their test results from Friday never arrived. The Toronto Blue Jays took a chartered flight Sunday night to Toronto but had to leave 12 players behind at their spring-training complex in Dunedin, Florida, when one of their players tested positive and the others were in direct contact with him. And the Oakland A’s had still not had their first full-squad workout by Monday afternoon.
Also on Monday, veteran outfielder Nick Markakis of the Atlanta Braves was the latest player to opt out, slugger Joey Gallo of the Texas Rangers was the latest star to test positive and Nationals GM Mike Rizzo was the latest executive to express his frustration with the testing process.
Yet, with MLB acknowledging there have been “unforeseen difficulties,’’ with players such as Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs openly wondering if it’s actually possible to keep everyone safe, a season still awaits. So, ready or not, here we come.
The updated 2020 MLB schedule was released Monday night, and the season will begin Thursday, July 23, with the defending World Series champion Washington Nationals playing host to the New York Yankees at 7:08 p.m. ET in a nationally televised game on ESPN.
It will be the first time the Nats can hoist the World Series flag at Nationals Park, albeit with their fans having to resort to cheering in front of their TV sets with no fans being permitted inside the stadium.
The storied rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants wastes no time with the first meeting at 10:08 p.m. ET as the second game of the nationally televised doubleheader.
The most unique game of the season will be Aug. 8 between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox, who will play in Dyersville, Iowa, where “Field of Dreams’’ was filmed. The 8,000-seat stadium is finished, but it’s unknown whether tickets will be sold.
The Yankees originally were supposed to play against the White Sox, but the 60-game schedule has teams playing 40 games in their own division and 20 interleague games against teams in their geographical division. The schedule is designed to greatly reduce travel, but the consequence is that it creates disparity.
Teams will play 10 games against each division opponent, but with only three series, the home-road split will not be equal. Some teams will play three home games against an opponent and seven on the road. The Giants will play seven games against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium and only three games against them in San Francisco. The Chicago Cubs, who had the thirdworst road record a year ago, at 33-48, play seven times against the Reds in Cincinnati but only three times at Wrigley Field.
Gentlemen, start your complaints.
The interleague games will create more fairness. Teams will play 10 games at home and 10 on the road in interleague play.
Each team plays six games against their natural interleague rival, and four apiece against the other teams in the opposite league.
The revised schedule provides six off-days for all but the four teams who play July 23 –who will have seven off-days. On the final day of the season, Sept. 27, all 30 teams will start their games at the same time, 3 p.m ET.
Jackie Robinson Day, which traditionally has been held on April 15, now will be Aug. 28, the anniversary of the March on Washington along with the date Robinson first met with Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey to discuss playing in the big leagues.
MLB will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues on Aug. 16, while Roberto Clemente Day will be Sept. 9.
The first nationally televised games on Fox will be July 25 with the Milwaukee Brewers and Cubs, Giants and Dodgers, and Yankees and Nationals. The first ESPN Sunday Night Game will be a doubleheader July 26 with the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees at 7:08 p.m. ET and the Giants and Dodgers at 10:08 p.m. ET.