MLB aiming to tighten behavior
of recognizing that. It is tough,” says Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, who joined the Rays’ celebration of Kevin Kiermaier’s walk-off triple with his mask under his chin.
“But it’s better to be tough (on it) than have an outbreak. I need to do a better job of holding everyone accountable during those celebrations.”
To say nothing of maintaining distance. While players like the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout and New York Yankees’ Gary Sanchez noted that they have stopped themselves from fraternizing with opponents, the element of distancing has been far less profound among teams.
And therein lies the problem: You may implicitly trust your teammates to do the right thing at the park and away from it, but that doesn’t mean one person running afoul can’t bring down an entire roster.
Most know this. But putting it into practice remains challenging in the moment.
“It’s very difficult because they’re used to doing something,” says Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker, who at 71 falls into a higher risk of baseball personnel. “I’m watching games, I see those guys over there partying. I’m watching the Yankees’ game, and they’re giving high fives.
“It’s also very difficult to enforce. Nobody’s the police around here. But we have to adhere to these protocols if we’re going to make it through this season and be safe. We have no choice. So there are certain things we have to be more conscious of, and then try to help each other realize their consciousness.’’
And certain things that can be controlled. New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo said buses that the team took to Boston’s Fenway Park for their first road trip were lightly populated: no more than five staff members and five players to each bus.
He believes the Mets are doing their best to observe the protocols. And also knows that might not matter when trying to responsibly play a season involving more than 1,000 players.
“It certainly does make you wonder,” he said of how the Marlins’ infections occurred. “It takes all 30 teams doing it the right way. It’s outside of our control. Unfortunately, that’s the way it has to be, but we’re still going to do everything they can until they tell us otherwise.”