Pushed by other sports organizations that are canceling games and seasons, Major League Baseball has canceled the rest of spring training and delayed the start of the 2020 season indefinitely. An April without baseball? Say it ain’t so, Rob!
MLB’s action seems more conformist than considered:
MLB was initially steadfast about continuing both spring training and beginning the season on time. But day by day it became more untenable as the virus spread, other sporting institutions closed shop and local governments discouraged large gatherings of people. For example, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis requested that cities and counties in the state postpone or cancel events that would attract large crowds. In addition, the NBA suspended operations on Wednesday and the NHL on Thursday.
One person briefed on the ongoing dialogue said that the NBA suspension was the game changer, forcing MLB to speed up its decision-making more than any other factor.
But that is how things are going as the coronavirus panic spreads.
