My friend @godgoogler sent in a guest post…
….
With the rise of COVID-19 MLB continues to delude themselves into thinking that they can play this season. A lot of smart players have decided to take a step back and re-evaluate their lives vis-a-vis the choice of playing amid the health risks.
Some say their risks are minimal given their physical health and their age, but who knows what the long term effects of catching the virus at any age will be? I remain firmly on the side of saying that there will be no season and 2021 spring training begins in February and we’ll see you then. Keep everyone safe and just lose a season. God knows we’ve survived losing a season before for much stupider reasons.
But now ten MLB umpires have decided to sit out as well They will be replaced by AAA umpires, who often come up and replace them when they go on vacation. That said, this creates an additional question about the validity of the season.
If just one of these guys makes a bad call, we’re going to live through the replacement ref scandal that the NFL endured.
Meanwhile, Umpire Joe West who might be the most at risk, has stated that he’s working and he’s not wearing a mask.
From the WaPo story above:
“West, 67, was deemed to be at high risk by MLB officials and was offered the chance to opt out, which he declined. He worked a Tampa Bay Rays intrasquad game on Monday, wearing gloves but not a medical-type mask. On-field personnel are not required to wear masks, though they are encouraged to do so.”
Which is completely insane on his part. West also denies that the virus has killed as many people as reports have said, a comment that the league distanced itself from quickly.
So let’s just add this up:
A 60 game schedule where someone could presumably win their division going 32-28.
Where some of the games best players are not going to play.
Where some of the best umpires aren’t working.
Where players have already contracted the virus and compromised their health.
Where nobody makes a gate because there are no fans.
And where there’s a high probability of more players contracting COVID-19 which could lead to compromised health and quite possibly death, especially with regards to coaches and umpires.
Nah, everything’s fine. What could go wrong? And absolutely no statistics will be compromised, never mind what else might be compromised.
