MLB season pushed back further by coronavirus. How late could Opening Day be?
When April 9 was targeted as the 2020 MLB season start date after the initial delay in response to the coronavirus pandemic, it seemed like a long shot.
As it turns out, it was.
MLB has pushed back the start of the regular season indefinitely Monday, in compliance with the CDC recommendation that public gatherings of larger than 50 people be banned for eight weeks. “The opening of the 2020 regular season will be pushed back in accordance with that guidance,” MLB said in a statement.
That would make the best-case scenario a mid-May Opening Day, though some teams are bracing to start the season as late as July 1.
“MLB will keep fans updated on decisions regarding plans for the 2020 schedule in the days and weeks ahead. The clubs remain committed to playing as many games as possible when the season begins,” the statement continued.
The hope is that all 162 games are played. Scheduling scenarios are among the many items MLB and the MLB Players Association are attempting to tackle in the coming days, along with player compensation and compensation for seasonal employees.
In unprecedented times, perhaps two of the most significant delays will serve as precedent.
MLB players went on strike during the 1981 season, from June 12 to July 31, and the season was split into halves. The second half started after the All-Star Game, which was played on August 9, the latest date the Midsummer Classic was ever played. Only 108 games were played that season.
The lockout that ended the 1994 season early and canceled the postseason stretched into 1995. Once an agreement was reached on a new collective bargaining agreement, a spring training was conducted but the season didn’t start until April 25. A 144-game schedule was played in 1995.
To guess now, though, seems like an exercise in futility.
“We will continue to monitor ongoing events and undertake the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts, and urge all baseball fans to follow suit,” MLB said.
The Texas Rangers and the other 29 MLB teams were scheduled to open the season March 26. The first game at Globe Life Field was scheduled for March 31.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 3:08 PM.
