Cubs viewed as gold standard among MLB teams during COVID-19 pandemic

At least one MLB team cannot be blamed for the league’s failure so far

MLB’s attempt at a 60-game season amid a pandemic — while traveling cross-country as if nothing is happening — is not going according to plan. To be fair, the plan wasn’t all that smart to begin with.

The Marlins, Phillies and Cardinals have all featured positive COVID-19 results, with Miami and St. Louis being hit most harshly. What’s more concerning is the rumors that both of these squads violated the league’s protocol in terms of team activities on road trips, with the Marlins allegedly going to a club in Atlanta, and the Cardinals reportedly hitting up a casino. Proven or not, the amount of distrust in Major League Baseball right now isn’t healthy, but evidently one team is above criticism.

The Cubs have handled MLB’s COVID-19 safety protocol with class

We’re all human, and suggesting the Cubs can keep their record this clean is unrealistic to say the least. However, it’s a good sign that there’s at the very least one team which wants to continue playing the season, and understands the importance of following the rules and maintaining some semblance of safety during these trying times. No person is immune to COVID-19, not even a professional athlete, and if they truly want to give the general public such a distraction, maintaining social distance, staying in the team hotel and wearing a mask in public is vital to making that goal a reality.

Sure, winning a World Series during a shortened season will always come with a grain of salt, but a wasted year heading into a labor dispute isn’t promising for either the owners or the players. Despite Manfred’s insistence that the league is committed to safety and will not cancel the season, the current status quo cannot continue. The Cubs get that.