M.L.B. Pushes Back Opening Day Over Coronavirus Concerns

I bought tickets to the Washington Nationals NY Mets spring training game next week. So how do we get refunded. There is no response if you call or send E mails. Is anyone else’s having the same problem.

I was really looking forward to my Chicago White Sox surpassing and transcending the cheating Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox and the spending New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers and the whining Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians.

This overreaction to a health concern is a game changer and sets a precedence for all new disease that comes out of the chute. When reason is supplanted by fear driven by emotion and narcissism, wisdom ceases to exist. “The greatest fear is fear itself”, a quote for all time, and now impacting all aspects of American life to the detriment of common sense. Humanity will be staring at self-inflicted extinction as leadership judgement and its necessary corollary, unchallenged compliance, are suspect but reside in place, due to unmitigated and unnecessary panic. Disease is ever-present, existing from the dawn of time as is coping intelligently, until now with draconian caretakers in change, believing foolishly in permanence.

MLB will likely cancel most of the season like the nba and nhl. Just start the season in July if they get the virus under control, and play a limited schedule till october.

One of the charms of baseball is records.If the season is shortened,in respect to the big picture,so be it.Hopefully for baseball like other sports,they benefit and the fans in the long run.

And yet Disney parks are still operating. $$$$

I look forward to Opening Day every year. It is more important to me than any holiday. I begin looking forward to it right after the final out of the World Series. Thoughts of baseball pull me through the Winter dildrums and I mark the years by the game. Nonetheless, thank you for thinking of public health MLB.

I was going to spend my sixty-fifth birthday watching my Mets play the Braves tomorrow; I was debating whether to go to the park. Thank you MLB for making the decision for me.

For the curious, the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 took the lives of several current/former ballplayers as well as the life as well as that of one of the most well-known umpires of the day. https://baseballhall.org/discover/1918-flu-pandemic-didnt-spare-baseball I believe today's announcement to be the right decision and for one applaud Major League Baseball for taking a stand and having the courage to make such a move. PS - a grandfather (whom I of course never knew) also died in the pandemic. He was one of the workers who built the Kensico Dam, part of the system that provides drinking water to NYC to this day. He had moved on to Ohio by 1918, but I was always told this story by my mom.

No sports and we're all staying at home. So open the door to the room you never use, take a gander at the shelves you installed twenty years ago and pull out a book you never knew you had. In The Time Of Corona - let's read.

Get it over with MLB. The pandemic isn’t dissipating in two weeks. Shut the season down and award the 2020 title to the Dodgers.

Baseball stadium are loaded with bodily fluids from fans constantly eating, drinking, spills, throwing up, etc. The bathrooms? Don’t ask. The seats are squeezed close together. It isn’t pretty and all of this is hazardous under the best circumstances.

And the Houston Astros cheer now that the focus is taken away from them...

Today, the National Lacrosse League suspended its games as well,

National Lacrosse League has suspended its games also https://www.nll.com/news/nll-statement-on-game-play-march-12-2020/ NLL STATEMENT ON GAME PLAY (MARCH 12, 2020) 03.12.2020 “The National Lacrosse League has determined that it is in the best interests of our fans, our players, our coaches and our staff to temporarily suspend play until further notice due to concerns over COVID-19. We will continue to evaluate this situation and remain in constant communication with health, team, business and league officials across North America. Security and safety is our top priority and focus in these challenging and unprecedented times, and we will continue to provide updates on resumption and rescheduling of play as they are determined.”

I am one to be exceptionally cautious concerning my own family's exposure to pathogens, though not necessarily my own, depending on the pathogen. I figure I am 75 yo and good to go sometime. Might as well get out of the way of the youngsters. That said, hmmm..... . We have a public health situation. But, an important part of public health is economic health. We are shutting down everything, and if people don't have money for food, for medicine, and so on, well, they'll die whether they catch a bad cold or not. And that's what we have, a really, really bad cold going around. Roosevelt was right in WWII, too. Though the quality of the game was off because available players were not as good as the regular ones who went off to war, the game went on, and people at home, worried by war, had something to do. Now what? No movies, no concerts, no basketball, no baseball, .... . There will be not just boredom, but eventually fights in the street, as people lack money, entertainment, and simply good judgement. My thoughts.

Kind of hard to have 'social distancing' in a packed stadium. Games are better on TV anyway. Big issue is it's hard to have 'social distancing' in the dugout, so will players be infecting each other? My nightmare is actually the Formula 1 season-looks like it will be cancelled also!

Many people wanted baseball to stop during World War II, but President Roosevelt insisted in continue, in order to give people something positive to which they could turn. This decision today is simply overkill.

It is always a long time from October to Play Ball but it is just a game. I will miss it of course but we are on uncharted waters and this was a good move. The workers and small businesses are the ones who will pay the largest price and suffer the most. When it does start back up, throwing a little extra tip money their way might be a good idea.

How about allowing the ball players play the scheduled games no fans allowed and broadcast the games to all channels that would show them. It would show solidarity, something lacking right now in this country. And would provide entertainment for the nation at this time of crisis.

My guess is it’s going to be a lot longer than two weeks. Baseball, unlike basketball and hockey can’t be played any time of the year due to weather conditions as late fall approaches in much of the country. I sure hope the MLB will start the season, without fans in the audience, if necessary. For me, and especially in the last few years, baseball is a welcome distraction from the daily madness that we now live in.

The fact is that the Mar 26th Opening Day sked was probably premature and would lead to rain-outs (and cold-outs). Starting in mid-April would not cause too much disruption; you could eliminate some inter-league games, and play a 154-game slate. If the start date slipped to late April/early May we'd probably get a 140- or 144-game schedule. I'd prefer a 154-game sked and shorten the playoffs, but that's not likely to happen.

I bought 2 tickets for Sunday's game March 15th against the Twins and also a parking pass. The game is cancelled-- how do I get my money back?

I watch the Yankees every day and go to twenty games a season. I also love the Giants. I, too, relished the escape from Trump. Love of sports is a vital part of many people’s lives, and it’s not trivial. But this must be done. We went through 9/11, Sandy and other horrors. Remember Mr. November? We will survive, get our priorities in order, plan for better health care and childcare. Take care, fans.

This is a smart move. This is a right move. If the virus continues to play havoc in our country, then the sports world will have to consider shortening its seasons. And in some cases cancel tournaments and professional playoffs. In the sports world, the next thing to watch is The Masters golf tournament. In the real world, let's watch to see if test can be made available as the federal government has shown no leadership in combating the challenge facing the country.

I totally understand this action but I am bummed. I was looking forward to my SF Giants to be my escape from all that is the Trump train wreck. It's nothing compared to the economic impact to working people, though. Let's get this thing contained.

My Dad watches the Blue Jays every game day during the season, he is going to miss them. I’m going to miss them. There is no new normal, there is just upending change. Stay healthy everyone.

May as well cancel the season. Things will likely be worse, not better, by the time the delayed season might start. And, even if you did delay a little longer, where are you going to play those outdoor playoff games once it gets real cold? Or you going to force a ton of double headers while the weather is still warm? Good luck with all those logistics.

Much as how the sign-stealing was handled, MLB has shown lazy leadership slow to act or act fully. They are in a full corner and finally decide to make a decision simply I am sure due to the pressure. In the end it is embarrassing for them to be towards the very back or even at the very back of the pack in major sports leagues to make any real move. I get they have the excuse of a later season start but much of the anxiety for everyone - not only fans but players and employees of teams and venues - is the uncertainty of no decision. The last one I can't understand is corporate giant Disney keeping the park in Anaheim CA open. Everyone is going to have to sacrifice along this road so let's do what is necessary already.