The Cardinals are the Cubs’ rivals. They’re also human beings. Stop believing unsubstantiated rumors

This weekend’s Cubs/Cardinals series in St. Louis was postponed due to additional positive COVID-19 tests among Cardinals players and staff.

Earlier, Cardinals games scheduled against the Brewers in Milwaukee and Tigers in Detroit had to be postponed due to other positive COVID-19 tests. There were unsubstantiated rumors that Cardinals players had gone out, somewhere, to a casino.

These rumors were definitively debunked by Cardinals management:

“I have no factual reason to believe that is true and I have not seen any proof of that,” said John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations, when asked directly by the Post-Dispatch about the casino report. “If they were at a casino though, that would be disappointing.”

Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said Wednesday that the team has traced the genesis of the outbreak back to an outside individual who was asymptomatic when he had contact with a member of the club. “Brought it into our clubhouse,” Shildt said. From there, the virus spread through practices that the Cardinals have also internally addressed.

While the Cardinals are the Cubs’ biggest rival on the field and we all want the Cubs to win every game they play against them, I implore you to remember, especially during this pandemic, that they are human beings. With families and other people they care about. COVID-19 has disrupted just about every aspect of life in this country and many people have died. Others might have permanent health problems — including Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, who might have a heart issue for the rest of his life. Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy had COVID-19 and took all the necessary precautions:

“I got crushed,” Hottovy, 38, said of symptoms that included six consecutive days of 100-plus temperatures and breathing difficulties that reached serious enough levels he was hospitalized 12 days into the ordeal.

He said he lost 18 pounds during that month and that even now, 45 days later, “just the lung capacity, the shortness of breath, the cardiovascular [fitness], I’m nowhere near [normal].”

Hottovy said he’s not sure where he contracted the virus, that he “masked up” and took precautions when leaving the house and that those he has been in close contact with regularly have all tested negative — including his wife and kids, “by the grace of God,” he said.

“By the grace of God.” It would be nice, I think, if we all treated others with grace during this extremely difficult time for all humanity. That includes our baseball rivals. That’s what I am going to do my best to do, both here on this site and in life in general. So I don’t want to hear any further unsubstantiated rumors regarding COVID-19 and where it might have been contracted posted here and I won’t post them myself.

To the Cardinals players and staff who have contracted the virus, I wish them well, a speedy recovery and no lasting health issues — and yes, the same to any Cardinals fans who have COVID-19. They’re human beings, too. When and where, or even if, this weekend’s postponed games are made up has to take a back seat to the real dangers we all face.

Thanks for doing your part to help make this a kinder world.