MLB could resume by July 4 with minimum 80-game schedule: report
Possibility growing that games may occur in home parks likely without fans
Major League Baseball could hold a rescheduled opening day between mid-June and July 4 and play at least 80 games this season, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday.
The regular season could consist of as many as 100 games and run well into November. The post-season could be played at neutral sites, with the World Series ending in late November or early December, Rosenthal said.
The season had been scheduled to start March 26 but was delayed indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic.
While MLB officials originally had discussed all 30 teams hunkering down in Arizona or in a limited number of locations, the possibility is growing that play could occur in home parks across the country this season, likely without fans or a limited number in some locales.
"The league could open in 10 to 12 states, or in as many as 20 home parks, sources say. 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.
Also, he said, television networks could be on board with a late end to the season if the college football season schedule is altered in any way, creating more opportunities to air baseball games.
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