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Earlier today I posted this long article suggesting MLB consider shutting down the 2020 season.
They haven’t done that, not yet — but one team is not going to be playing for a while:
The Miami Marlins 2020 season at least temporarily, has been paused. This will allow the team to continue to monitor health and safety of players.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) July 28, 2020
There’s no indication, yet, as to how long this “pause” will be — and they’re not the only ones:
#Phillies also may be stopped from playing for a few days but not as long as the #Marlins. Plan would be then for the #Yankees, who were supposed to play at home v. #Phllies Wed/Thurs, to instead play at #Orioles, who were supposed to play Marlins
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 28, 2020
One scenario under discussion, according to source with direct knowledge: Marlins, Phillies would quarantine for undetermined period. Yankees would travel to Baltimore and play Orioles on Wednesday and Thursday. Marlins, Phillies would try to make up postponed games later.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 28, 2020
With only 60 or so days remaining in this shortened season, the thought of trying to “make up postponed games later” doesn’t seem too viable. Also, having the Yankees play the Orioles two more times than the 10 already on their schedule doesn’t seem fair from a competitive standpoint. Further, what happens if teams wind up with an unequal number of games at the end of the 60-game season (if we even get that far)?
Heard MLB would like to get 60-game season in for all teams, but not wedded to it. If some teams play 58, 56, 55, etc, winning pct would determine playoff spots.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 28, 2020
That worked really well in the American League in the strike-shortened season of 1972:
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The games cancelled by the strike were not made up — but some teams lost more games to the strike than others, and so the Red Sox lost the division title by half a game. You can hear the screaming from Yankees executives if this happens to them this year.
So for now, the Marlins and Orioles will be at least four games short of everyone else. Those teams weren’t expected to contend, even in the shortened season — but these teams are:
Phillies-Yankees postponed in New York, too. Phils will resume as road team at home against Toronto Friday night.
— Bob Brookover (@brookob) July 28, 2020
Just unpack that last RT from Ken. A team that may have been exposed to COVID-19 by another team that has lost half its roster to COVID-19 will isolate, then play another team who was barred from playing in its own country because the gov't was concerned about MLB’s plan to play https://t.co/WnThl8o6vu
— Kaitlyn McGrath (@kaitlyncmcgrath) July 28, 2020
Oh. Right. The Blue Jays’ temporary location in Buffalo won’t be ready this week, so they have to be the “home” team in someone else’s park until they can finally play a “home” game in Buffalo, which now won’t happen until August 11.
If this thing is even still going by August 11. Right now, that doesn’t seem very likely.