MLB Releases 2020 Schedule

After all the back-and-forth between Major League Baseball and the Players Union, we've finally got a 2020 season. It may be just sixty games, a sprint rather than a marathon, but it's better than nothing, right?

Yesterday, MLB released the full schedule, and it's kicking off with a bang.

I am a huge baseball fan, so I've been jonesing for baseball to come back. While I'm not exactly the biggest fan of a sixty-game season, I can admit I don't know if I could have come up with something better. I long for the days when we thought the season would just be delayed two weeks. As every day passed, the number of games had to be cut, and this is what we are left with.

I still think the biggest concern is what will happen if an outbreak hits a certain team. A number of players have tested positive, and while teams are doing what they can to maintain social distance, there's only so much you can actually do during a game. If a catcher has COVID and remains asymptomatic, he will still be right there behind the batter. A baserunner can only step so far from the first baseman, you'll still have tag plays on the base paths and collisions at the plate.

It's great that teams will have expanded rosters and a greater pool of players to choose from if replacements are needed, but what happens if Chicago experiences a spike in cases, and half the White Sox roster tests positive? MLB has a plan to move games to neutral sites if a city gets hit hard, but what would the plan be for a specific team? Replace the entire roster with the B-team? I know it's a worst-case scenario, but it's still the sort of thing that could slam the brakes on this season, and make you wonder why MLB tried at all.

Despite all my concerns, I will admit I'll be there in front of my TV on Opening Night, cheering on my Yankees.