Reports: Teams can start ticket refund process

Move comes as MLB mulls starting 2020 season in June or July

There’s still no telling if Major League Baseball will have a 2020 season or what that would even look like, but at least now fans will be able to start recouping some of the money they had plunked down for games that had been scheduled for April.

In a reversal of policy, MLB announced Tuesday that fans will soon be able to get refunds for tickets already purchased but went unused because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Teams are expected to announce their individual policies beginning today.

MLB, which wasn’t providing refunds for games since they were postponed and not canceled, told teams on a conference call Tuesday morning they can begin the refund process, multiple news outlets reported. Ticket refunds typically required games to be canceled before repayment options are available.

Baseball’s decision comes a week after MLB and each of its 30 teams were named in a lawsuit over the failure to give refunds for the 446 scheduled games already called off as of Tuesday. The classaction lawsuit, which also named StubHub, baseball’s official ticket partner as a defendant, was filed in Los Angeles by two fans. ESPN reported several state attorney general offices across the U.S. heard complaints about baseball’s no-refund policy.

Although refunds will soon be available, MLB officials are still discussing plans to have some sort of a season.

According to a report Tuesday by Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic, there has been talk that the regular season could make its anticipated start sometime between mid-June and July 4.

League officials reportedly are optimistic that they can schedule an 80- to 100-game regular season

that crawls into late October with a postseason stretching into late November or early December.

That some states — Colorado, Georgia and Minnesota, for example — are lifting stay-at-home orders infused optimism into an otherwise plainly uncertain timeline for the sport’s resumption. A plan to play all the games in Arizona reportedly raised a number of red flags for some players, mostly due to the required long-term isolation from family and friends and logistical impracticality.

But lifted state restrictions could allow baseball to be played in more locations across the country. If the reopening trend continues, the games could be played in up to 20 home ballparks, Rosenthal reports.

“Or it could start in Florida, Texas and Arizona, then take a break after say, five weeks, to reassess the viability of moving to other locations. Even states hit hardest by the virus — New York, Michigan, California — might welcome the return of baseball in empty parks, citing it as an example of life returning to normal,” Rosenthal wrote.

One thread that remains is that the season will start in some capacity without fans in attendance. New York Yankees team president Randy Levine said in a Fox Business segment that an entire made-for-television season simple isn’t feasible.

“How can we get into our parks as soon as we can with all the appropriate mitigation — social distancing, taking temperature checks, wearing masks, wearing gloves,” Levine said to host Maria Bartiromo. “I think it’s all doable because I think that, to have games just on TV for the whole season for many, many reasons is not practical.”

At this rate, a limited number of fans could be allowed in ballparks located in states where COVID-19 is under control come August or September, Rosenthal

says — though, nothing is certain. Fans entering ballparks may need to wear masks and gloves. They may also need to be subjected to temperature checks when they enter and exit the ballpark.

Another report suggested a plan has been discussed in which the 30 teams could be split into three regional divisions.

Among the formats is one is which teams could be restricted to playing within their region. That plan, if used, would break up the traditional alignments of the American and National Leagues. It also would cut travel during the coronavirus pandemic.

MLB also has looked at configurations for all-Arizona, Arizona-and-Florida and Arizona-plus-Texas-plus Florida. The latest plan was first reported by USA Today.

MLB also has looked into starting the season in Arizona, Texas and Florida, playing in empty ballparks. Teams could switch later to their regular-season stadiums if the health situation allows. And if conditions improve later in the year, they possibly could start playing before fans with only a percentage of seats sold.

Opening Day had been scheduled for March 26.

Any plan would be subject to medical approval plus consent of federal, state and local authorities. Any schedule with games at neutral sites or without fans would require an agreement between MLB and the players’ association.

Baseball also is considering expanding the playoffs beyond the current 10-team format. Officials have discussed extending the playoffs into November or possibly even December, using domed ballparks and warmweather cities.

Any plan would be contingent on baseball gaining access to test about 3,000 people on a regular basis: about 1,200 players plus staff and broadcast personnel. Players most likely would need three to four weeks of workouts before opening day.