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AP sources: MLB, union discuss playing all games in Arizona

They would need to bubble upwards of 10,000 people. Players, families, coaches, support staff. Plus hotel staff and security. It would be a whole town under MLB control.
 
Just when you thought the Commissioiner's Office couldn't get any stupider, now they want to play both the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues instead of the NL and AL, and have them count.

Maybe you read this differently, but from what I see, it's only a proposal being discussed. Likely one of several.
 
Maybe you read this differently, but from what I see, it's only a proposal being discussed. Likely one of several.

I'm for anything that gets live Major League Baseball back on my screen this year. Maybe e-baseball would attract viewers (not in my demo, though) for a while, but not night in, night out, with few days off. I think the Commissioner's Office senses that this is a real opportunity not only to give Americans a welcome escape from the never-ending torrent of grim news and angry politics, but for baseball to attract viewers who'd drifted away from it in recent years. I could even live with the Grapefruit/Cactus arrangement for this one season without precedent.
 
Maybe you read this differently, but from what I see, it's only a proposal being discussed. Likely one of several.

That's what they said, but if CBS Sports is giving out that many details, I'm willing to bet that somebody high up on the MLB food chain is serious about it.
 
Now they want to play both the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues instead of the NL and AL, and have them count.

This plan has several advantages to the "play it all in Arizona" plan.

First, a number of the players/coaches/etc have homes near their spring training facility, so the players with the Mets, Phillies, Marlins, etc probably prefer this plan.
Second, because Florida and Arizona are several thousand miles apart, if, a member of the Phillies traveling party was diagnosed with COVID-19 down the road, the Arizona games could continue or vice-versa.
Third, it alleviates the overload on the stadiums in Arizona. There are only 10 Cactus League stadiums, with several clubs sharing. Scheduling 15 games a day in AZ would in Arizona would either require finding more stadiums, or playing doubleheaders under that Phoenix sun. Splitting it up between the two states allows a single game at each site, and allows all the Arizona games to be played in the evening.
 
Third, it alleviates the overload on the stadiums in Arizona. There are only 10 Cactus League stadiums, with several clubs sharing. Scheduling 15 games a day in AZ would in Arizona would either require finding more stadiums, or playing doubleheaders under that Phoenix sun. Splitting it up between the two states allows a single game at each site, and allows all the Arizona games to be played in the evening.

Theoretically, four games a day could be played in the Diamondbacks' Chase Field, much as college baseball conference tournaments' opening rounds are played. (Nobody wants to be in that 10 a.m. "losers' bracket" game!) In Florida, Marlins Park and Tropicana Field could accommodate eight games a day and spring training/minor league ballparks wouldn't have to be used at all, or could be used for minor league games, which never seem to come up in these discussions -- without at least Class AAA and AA leagues, where will MLB call-ups come from when injuries and poor performance become a problem to the big club?
 
Start on the 4th of July with 81 games (half of 162) or daily doubleheaders. No fans. Live TV coverage on the team's usual sports network(s). I have a hunch that we'll get to watch our pastime this summer. I'm being optimistic. What else can you do. I can't look at everyone's doom and gloom comments anymore about when life will return to normal - "we'll never get out of this," "try May of 2021," "even September seems too unlikely" etc etc.
Take the fans out of the stadiums and as for bars/grills, cap it to half. Leave space at the actual bar. And lots of sanitizing/personal hygiene. We've got this! :)
 
Meanwhile, my latest credit card statement shows I was charged $125 for MLB.TV on March 29. So far, that subscription has gotten me two weeks of exhibition games. If no more games are played this year and the season is scrapped, what happens? The terms of service for MLB.TV have always noted that no refunds, either full or prorated, are given.
 
Meanwhile, my latest credit card statement shows I was charged $125 for MLB.TV on March 29.

That's partly why I always cancel my MLB subscription at the end of every season. Otherwise they automatically charge you full price the next year. But yes you bring up a good point. I'm paying for the sports package on my cable service. I think it's $5 a month. Nothing to lose sleep over.

Several of my friends have season tickets to various teams. What happens there? I haven't seen them (or anyone) to ask. But obviously they already pre-paid for those tickets. It would be nice if the various teams and services contacted their customers to explain their plan (if they have one).

My car insurance company sent me a note telling me they're rebating me 15% on my next renewal since I'm not driving as much. Nice of them to do that.
 
That's partly why I always cancel my MLB subscription at the end of every season. Otherwise they automatically charge you full price the next year.

I misstated the date on my credit card bill: It was FEBRUARY 29, about a week into the abbreviated exhibition season. MLB always emails a notice around the time the exhibition games start (this year, that was Feb. 22) warning you that your subscription will be automatically renewed as of such-and-such a date and tells you what to do if you no longer want the service. I had no reason, based on the coronavirus information we were being fed at the time, to believe anything was going to happen to MLB and all of sports, so I just read the details, noted the slight increase in price from last year, and let it automatically renew. The last games were played on March 12, too late for anyone to cancel without losing the full subscription price.

I'm still hopeful there's some sort of season, but it's probably too much to expect a prorated refund, something MLB has never offered. If there's no season, though, do you think the 2021 season (pending vaccine/cure development -- or revolution, fascist or communist takeover, and the downfall of America!) will be offered free (haha) or at a discount, or will it just be business as usual?

BTW, MLB.TV is still providing access to every game of the past two seasons, but obviously that's not what people are paying $125 for.
 
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