3 hurdles to MLB playing games in spring training parks with no fans

Baseball is reportedly considering playing in a location like Florida or Arizona, but here's why that may not work

4/4/2020, 4:17 PM
Aug 11, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of the MLB logo with Colorado Rockies batting gear on it during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Colorado Rockies won 12-9. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports / Tim Heitman
Aug 11, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of the MLB logo with Colorado Rockies batting gear on it during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Colorado Rockies won 12-9. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports / Tim Heitman

MLB, in addition to other professional sports leagues, is trying to find a safe way to still have a 2020 season -- one of the most common ideas has been to hold games in one location with no fans.

Major league sources told SNY's Andy Martino last month that MLB is determined to salvage some sort of baseball in 2020, and is still figuring out how that will look in the age of the coronavirus pandemic.

Though there haven't been any serious talks yet about baseball being played at netural sites, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes that baseball is entertaining the idea of starting the season in a location where "spring training parks are more concentrated." But, as the story points out, there would be numerous hurdles to overcome.

Here are some of the main issues, as reported by The Athletic...

- Having 30 teams quarantined in one area could be a logistical nightmare, and sources told The Athletic that it would require "local, state and federal government cooperation and resources that might be necessary to fight the coronavirus pandemic."

- Baseball couldn't only quarantine the players and coaches -- it would also have to extend that to umpires, hotel workers, and basically anyone who would come into contact with those involved in the game. "Your margin of error is so small," one baseball official told The Athletic.

- In order for this to start or work properly, MLB would need to conduct wide-ranging testing and be able to isolate and treat anyone who has coronavirus; this entire process could divert resources from the general population. 

The league had announced that the earliest MLB will return is mid-May, but it could be awhile before we see baseball again (especially in person).

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