No shortage of questions entering NBA’s shutdown
MESA, ARIZ. >> The A’s shut down their spring training facility to fans and media on Friday. That shutdown could extend indefinitely as the team, along with the rest of baseball, tries to plan ahead.
A harsh reality that pales in comparison to the global health implications: the 2020 season was supposed to be the A’s year. Perfectly coalesced talent hoisted the team’s biggest window for success. Now, we must grapple with realities that go beyond the baseball diamond. Here are five questions as the sporting world heads into uncharted waters.
WHEN WILL BASEBALL START AGAIN? HOW MIGHT THE SEASON LOOK? >> This all depends on how the Coronavirus is managed. Baseball will start again when it’s deemed safe to gather in large groups again.
Let’s put the pandemic in context: the virus is highly contagious, spread by human-to-human close contact through “respiratory droplets.” Suspending sporting events with large groups of people sitting arm-to-arm, touching the same railings and seats and sharing the same air, is paramount to help prevent the virus’ exponential growth.
The MLB’s statement said that the regular season will be delayed by two weeks, at least through April 9. Given how quickly this virus spread and worsened, there’s reason to believe that players won’t be trotting out on the diamond in front of fans in four weeks. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that baseball may not be played until May.
More questions stem from this reality. Will the league insist on a 162game season despite the truncated year? There is a chance the season extend into winter (which might not be possible, weather wise, in most parts of the country). There may be fewer games, the season be squeezed into the months allotted. Could the extra months-worth of games be squeezed into a series of nightmarish doubleheaders and zero-off-day games? There will be some key divisional games missed during the suspension that could determine key postseason positioning, those games might need to be squeezed into the truncated year.
How might that impact the postseason and, further, how might a 2020 World Series championship team be viewed in history?
That all seems trivial, at this point. But those questions are in the pike and should be dealt with on a rolling basis as the league deals with this unprecedented event.
WILL THE PLAYERS BE READY? HOW
MIGHT THIS IMPACT INJURED PLAYERS? >> Spring training provides players the opportunity to find their rhythm at the plate. It affords starters the chance to get stretched out for the season. Up until this past week of mayhem, the A’s biggest issue at hand was managing a second base race between two high prospects in Jorge Mateo and Franklin Barreto, both without minor league options.
It’s likely that the players will continue their typical routines in closeddoor workouts out of the context of competition in order to be ready within weeks.
This could provide some cushion for A.J. Puk, Stephen Piscotty and Daniel Mengden to recover in time for the beginning of the season, which could alter the projected opening day roster. Puk was initially a long-shot to start the season in the rotation after incurring a strain on his throwing shoulder. He began throwing again this past Tuesday, projected to come out of the bullpen, possibly, this season. An extra month could allow him to step back into the rotational mix and push Chris Bassitt back into the swingman role.
Piscotty has been in a “perpetual cycle of hurt” over the last year, spraining his right ankle and right knee playing last year and injuring his ribs this offseason. It looked like his spot on the roster could open up space for a Seth Brown, or out-of-options reliever J.B. Wendelken, or perhaps both Mateo and Barreto. But this time could provide Piscotty the space to recover and claim his spot back.
Mengden, too, is schedule to start throwing again on Friday. Manager Bob Melvin said he could return midseason, but the altered schedule could bring him back sooner.
HOW MIGHT THIS IMPACT THE ORGANIZATION BEYOND THE PLAYERS? >> Let’s not forget that every league, every team has hundreds of employees — full- and part-time — that are dependent on the game’s operation to make a living. Concerns surrounding part-time employees at stadiums, parks and arenas first arose when the NBA suspended its season. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban vowed to put in place a system to pay hourly workers. But, can, and will, every team follow suit? This is a conversation to be had once teams can set forth a plan of action. Right now, the teams, including the A’s, don’t have any information to pass down on how they plan to proceed with daily operation.
Fewer games played at the Coliseum this year could put vendors, security guards and ushers (to name a few) out of daily work serving fans. But, this epidemic is expected to cause a massive economic ripple effect as business — in sports and out of it — dwindles significantly. All jobs in baseball and out of it may be in danger as revenues are expected to pivot south.
A month without sports takes away an escape for the masses, but the implications of the suspension should be put in perspective.
ARE PLAYERS AND STAFF WORRIED
ABOUT TRAVEL? HOW MIGHT THEY
MOVE THEIR FAMILIES BACK HOME? >> For now, the A’s are still in Arizona. It’s unclear if the team is expected to disperse before March 21, which was the final day of spring training before the suspension came down.
Plans for the players and staff should become clear as the organization comes to grips with the situation and sets forth a plan. But travel with families and young kids could be a concern.
“I’m not worried too much about myself or some of the guys in the clubhouse contracting it,” Liam Hendriks said last Tuesday. “It’s more of who we can pass it onto, the guys with lower immune systems, older, young, or don’t have the immune system built up that. Right now, this doesn’t have a treatment plan. This is a straight precaution that makes sure nothing goes awry. Not just with us but our families.” WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE LAST
TIME THE SPORTING WORLD SHUT DOWN? >> Sports went on hiatus last after the September 11, 2001 attacks. A nation reeling suspended games as its people recovered and regrouped slowly.
After Loma Prieta shook the Bay Bridge World Series and the Bay Area in 1989, baseball was suspended for 10 days. The A’s, back then, went into recovery overdrive to get the series back in action.
Recovery from earthquakes and other localized incidents and horrific tragedy were, at least, more controllable. It’s difficult to properly assess how the sporting world and the MLB can plan for a virus public officials have yet to properly set forth a plan for.
“In this circumstance, maybe it will be three weeks, maybe it’ll three months maybe it’ll be no season,” Dolich said.