MLB cancels spring training, delays season at least two weeks amid coronavirus fears
Major League Baseball took swift action Thursday to combat the spread of coronavirus by canceling spring training and delaying the start of the the 2020 regular season by at least two weeks.
The decisions were made official during afternoon conference call with the 30 MLB team owners. A two-week delay would put Opening Day on April 9.
The Texas Rangers had their only off day of spring training Thursday and were to resume the Cactus League schedule Friday with 10 games remaining before ending camp March 21.
“With the health and safety of our fans, players and employees being top priority, the Texas Rangers unconditionally support Major League Baseball’s decision to suspend spring training games and delay the start of the 2020 regular season,” the club said in a statement. “We thank our fans for their understanding and patience during these unprecedented times.”
Shin-Soo Choo has no issues with the decision.
“I love baseball, this is the last year of my contract, but health is the most important thing,” said Choo, the Rangers’ designated hitter. “More important than money. More important than anything, so I think MLB made the right decision.
“Once one person is infected, it’s easy to infect everybody. We all share the clubhouse together, we shower together, we eat together. The good thing is we don’t have anybody infected right now.”
Choo hadn’t been told what the next steps are, but he is prepared to stay in Arizona to continue training for the season. Clubs are expected to keep their facilities open so that players can work out, but the Rangers had not relayed that information to the players as of lunchtime.
The Rangers were scheduled to play March 23 at Globe Life Field against the St. Louis Cardinals and March 24 in a game featuring minor-leaguers before heading to Seattle for the March 26 season opener.
That series was forced out of Seattle on Wednesday as Washington Gov. Jay Inslee banned all gatherings greater than 250 people. The first regular season game at Globe Life Field was scheduled for March 31 against the Los Angeles Angels.
Choo said that having no games is better than playing in an empty ballpark.
“I don’t think that’s going to hurt anybody,” he said. “We want people coming to the field. We need fans. You don’t want to play in an empty ballpark. I know it’s a tough decision, but it’s the right decision.”
As of the end of the business day Thursday, there’s no definitive timeline for the season to begin, how players will prepare for the season again, or if all 162 games will be played in 2020.
The NBA halted its season Wednesday after Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus.
Earlier Thursday, the Chris Stapleton All-America Road Show that was schedule for Friday at Globe Life Field was also postponed. The Rangers suspended programs at the MLB Youth Academy in West Dallas indefinitely, and any workouts that take place at the Surprise Recreation Campus in the coming days will be closed to the public.
Fans who purchased tickets to spring games at the Surprise Stadium box office, by phone or through authorized Tickets.com outlet will be automatically refunded. Anyone who used cash for tickets can request a refund by filling out a refund request form at surprisestadium.com and by returning the original tickets.
Tickets purchased on the secondary market must check the cancellation policy at the website that brokered the deal.
Anyone holding tickets for the March 23 and March 24 exhibition games as part of regular-season packages will receive a credit that can be used toward a regular-season game or potential playoff tickets or be applied to 2021 season-ticket renewals.
Fans who purchased exhibition tickets online or via phone will receive a credit on their My Rangers Tickets account good for tickets for a 2020 regular-season game. Those who bought tickets for the exhibitions in person at the Rangers ticket office can exchange tickets for a future date.
Information on canceled or postponed regular-season games will be made available once the “regular season is affected.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 1:06 PM.
