Diamondbacks’ Hall hopes MLB can ‘follow the leader’ back on field,
A return to action for baseball leagues in Asia adds to a growing sense of optimism that major league baseball will eventually return this year, Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall said in a radio interview on Thursday.
“I think it’s encouraging and there’s light at the end of the tunnel, seeing that so many countries are now trying it,” Hall told “Doug & Wolf” on KMVP-FM (98.7). He added, “Hopefully, it’s a case of follow the leader.”
Taiwan began its pro baseball season last month, playing in stadiums filled with cardboard cutouts and mannequins It plans to let 1,000 fans into games later this week. South Korea’s season began this week without fans.
Both of those countries, however, mitigated the coronavirus pandemic far more successfully than the United States. Taiwan, which has a population of 23 million, has reported 439 cases and just six deaths. South Korea, with a population of 51.5 million, has had 10,810 cases and 256 deaths.
The U.S., with a population of 328 million, has had more than 1.2 million cases and more than 75,000 deaths. The number of new cases per day has yet to slow considerably.
Still, MLB continues to push forward with plans to return, with ESPN reporting the league is expected to present the players’ association with a return-toplay proposal that includes a potential Opening Day in early July.
The report said clubs have started suggesting to players that they ramp up activity in advance of workouts that could begin next month, something Hall seemed to confirm in his radio interview. That said, Hall said the league remains more in an “idea” stage than a “planning” one.
Hall did not downplay the obstacles that remain before baseball can return. He acknowledged the country “arguably” remains “in middle of a pandemic,” and he said baseball would only be able to utilize the kind of rigorous testing necessary if widespread testing also were available to the general public. He also noted the potential for the virus to ramp back up in the fall even if the country gets it under control in the summer.
“It’s not just us,” Hall said. “It’s really every sport that is so antsy to get back out there. And we all have the same concerns. We all have the same health concerns. The gathering of crowds – when we can do that? How safely we can do it? How we can be tested and what happens if there is an outbreak? We all have the same issues.”