Twitter rips MLB’s plan to play season entirely quarantined in Arizona
MLB is reportedly considering a plan that would see the season played with teams isolated and all games played in Arizona. It has not been received well by fans, media or players online.
On Monday night reports from the AP and ESPN surfaced an MLB plan to begin the 2020 season and play all the games in Arizona with players and team personnel living in quarantine.
The plan is ridiculous for a number of reasons: from the idea of isolating more than a thousand people to playing seven-inning doubleheaders in the Arizona heat and beyond.
It was an obvious trial balloon floated by the league about a preliminary plan. While the first wave of reaction to MLB’s reported plan was some excitement at the simple prospect of seeing live baseball again, for the most part, Twitter did not take kindly to the logistics of the idea or its feasibility.
ROB MANFRED: I may not be liked by everyone, but at the very least I’m sure everyone will get behind my plan to bring baseball back in May. Now to take a big sip of coffee and open up Twitter
— Tipping Pitches (@tipping_pitches) April 7, 2020
Rob Manfred is declaring that all games will be played on the moon in 2020. “Just call me Rob Moonfred, ha ha” he says while frantically texting an assistant to confirm that daily interlunar travel is affordable and realistic.
— Grant Brisbee (@GrantBrisbee) April 7, 2020
They just discovered this virus can be transmitted to cats, but, yeah, sure, they'll be playing baseball in May
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) April 7, 2020
did anyone take care of the part where men famous for spitting a lot throw a ball back and forth with their bare hands https://t.co/3fS9sispOs
— BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL (@edsbs) April 7, 2020
My favorite part of the plan is having players sit 6 feet apart in the stands instead of using the dugout for a game where the participants stand next to each other and touch each other constantly. At least it's funny window dressing.
— Michael Baumann (@MichaelBaumann) April 7, 2020
Rob Manfred: LEEEEEEEEEEEEEROY JENKINS! https://t.co/amtCY0ubDj
— hbohei ohtani (@jessespector) April 7, 2020
That floated plan to restart baseball sounds like a total pipe dream and something no one should actually want to see happen, as much as we might want to see baseball. Just wait until it's safe. That's the best choice.
— Kurt Mensching (@KurtJustKurt) April 7, 2020
Could they figure this out? Maybe. Will they do it? I don't know. Might there be some good that comes of it if they do? Sure.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) April 7, 2020
But it seems profoundly incongruous to what's happening in the real world. And profoundly misguided.
Someone in the government thinks that as long as baseball players don’t high five the coronavirus can’t spread among hundreds of people living and working together.
— Hannah Keyser (@HannahRKeyser) April 7, 2020
MLB players past and present – along with their family members – joined in on the criticism, though some did share that of course they want to play as soon as possible if there’s a way to get games going.
There's no such thing as a bad idea in brainstorming but there sure as shit are bad ideas in whatever the next step after brainstorming is. https://t.co/1aqiOyBZWO
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) April 7, 2020
they're all coming to play a full season in my cul-de-sac using whiffle balls. It's very exciting for us back here
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) April 7, 2020
It begins and ends right here https://t.co/TzyQvLq0bc pic.twitter.com/OAkDcl3JWY
— Brett Anderson (@_BAnderson30_) April 7, 2020
https://twitter.com/aybaybader/status/1247525485694730241
https://twitter.com/aybaybader/status/1247527518669639685?s=20
Y’all asking them to stay at their current salaries but also stay locked inside Baseball Biodome for an indefinite amount of time away from their families during a GD pandemic? This is a reckless and irresponsible kernel of an idea. Shut it down.
— Eireann Dolan (@EireannDolan) April 7, 2020
**let me clarify that I really want baseball back. But not if it’s not done safely, not if it requires sacrifices like this from people who make minimum wage, and not if it means redirecting badly needed medical and testing supplies away from the public and to a sports league.
— Eireann Dolan (@EireannDolan) April 7, 2020
Just my humble opinion but all sports, not just baseball should be very wary of the “anything is better than nothing” mentality. As much as we all love sports and miss it, sometimes it’s better to take the L and focus on what’s next....you don’t want to compromise a great thing
— F.P. Santangelo (@FightinHydrant) April 7, 2020
MLB players with small kids thinking about being isolated in a motel without their family in AZ for 4 months: pic.twitter.com/hx8IFC873T
— Coach Trev (@trevorplouffe) April 7, 2020
Only thing @MLB cares about https://t.co/1FMwnZNjwi pic.twitter.com/yjUmIPkwWF
— Jake Diekman (@JakeDiekman) April 7, 2020
On Tuesday, MLB issued a statement responding to the reports. While confirming that a single-location plan had been considered, MLB was sure to say that it is far from settled on a solution.
Major League Baseball issued the following statement in response to the ESPN report that MLB and its players are increasingly focused on a plan that could allow them to start the season as early as May and has the support of high-ranking federal public health officials. pic.twitter.com/RRYF5rCTIU
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 7, 2020
Next. There’s no way MLB’s plan to play quarantined season in Arizona would work. dark