Whereas making an attempt to make clear feedback he made a day earlier that brought on a little bit of a stir, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Thursday admitted the league will “be fortunate” to play a full 60-game abbreviated season.
Throughout an interview on the “Dan Patrick Present” on Wednesday, Manfred stated, “The fact is, we weren’t going to play greater than 60 video games irrespective of how the negotiations with the gamers went or some other issue.”
Many noticed that remark as doubtlessly one thing the MLB Gamers Affiliation might use towards MLB ought to the union file a grievance alleging homeowners didn’t negotiate in good religion.
Talking with USA In the present day on Thursday, nonetheless, Manfred tried to qualify these feedback.
“If we had began an 82-game season (starting July 1), we might have had folks in Arizona and Florida the time the second spike hit,” Manfred informed the outlet.
“My level was that it doesn’t matter what occurred with the union, the way in which issues unfolded with the second spike, we might have ended up with solely time for 60 video games, anyway,” Manfred added. “As time went on, it turned clearer and clearer that the course of the virus was going to dictate what number of video games we might play.”
“We simply weren’t going to have the ability to play greater than 60 video games at that time with every little thing being shut down,” Manfred continued, earlier than admitting that even now, “the truth is that we’re going to be fortunate if we get 60 video games now given the course of the virus.”
Opening Day was scheduled for March 26 earlier than the coronavirus pandemic shut down sports activities.
The league has but to verify the official 2020 schedule of 60 video games, however Opening Day is predicted to be July 23 or July 24.
Gamers proposed an extended season, however Manfred stated homeowners have been by no means going to log out on greater than 60 video games for well being causes.