Bubble ball? MLB considers creating one for playoffs and World Series
The major leagues might yet play bubble ball this year.
In the wake of coronavirus outbreaks that have interrupted the season for three teams, Major League Baseball is considering whether to move the postseason into a bubble, according to a person briefed on the matter.
The person said the league is preparing “contingency plans for the postseason” but cautioned that none of those plans is guaranteed to happen, with the possibility teams could continue to play in home ballparks. The contingency plans could include a postseason bubble or moving some or all of the postseason to neutral sites with warm weather and relatively low spread of the virus.
California was floated as a hub with teams able to play games in Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Diego and San Francisco, ESPN reported. Chicago and New York are also under consideration, but weather concerns in October could complicate making either city a primary focus.
The option for neutral sites could be complicated by two factors: one, a comparatively safe zone for the virus in September could turn into a hot spot in October; and, two, the onset of flu season adds another risk factor.
“Flu season starts in October,” said Dr. Dena Grayson, a Florida-based pandemic specialist. “Good luck with that.”
Said Grayson: “The least unsafe way would be to somehow have a bubble.”
The Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies were sidelined for a week by an outbreak on the Marlins, with the Phillies sitting out to ensure the outbreak had not spread to their team. The St. Louis Cardinals will be sidelined for at least two weeks, with no return date set.
“I think whether you get all the way to 60 or not, that’s difficult at this point,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told the St. Louis PostDispatch on Monday. “I think it’s possible for them to play enough games to be credible, to be a credible competitor in this season.”
MLB has not determined how it would proceed if a team were hit by an outbreak in the postseason, but shutting down the postseason for a week might not be tenable for the other teams in the playoff field or for the league’s television partners. On the other hand, a team advancing in the playoffs simply because its opponent was disqualified because of an outbreak might not be satisfactory.
The league had explored a bubble scenario for the entire season, with options to play only in Arizona, in Arizona and Texas and in Arizona, Texas and Florida. A postseason bubble would last for no more than one month, with players free to leave as soon as their teams were eliminated.
A bubble cannot eliminate the risk of a player contracting the virus, but it can reduce it. Dr. Zach Binney, an epidemiologist at Emory University, said he would recommend that teams quarantine for three days before entering the bubble.