Coronavirus (sports-related only)

[zambonir]

I'm definitely expecting artists/musicians to have some problems separately from all that, but since none of them probably need to come here for the rest of 2020 it shouldn't matter. I would think all the baseball and hockey players already have their visas even if it was an issue.

Definitely one thing I always wondered about Herrera. If he got waived and didn't catch on with another MLB team, would he lose his visa? Technically he'd still be drawing a salary (and certainly has enough money to say he's not a drain on the country's resources).

[andyb]

No idea if the number of organizational visas have changed, but it used to be that organizations each got a finite number of visas. This was a factor in whether kids from the DSL got brought over. Some were ready for GCL but stayed in the DSL an extra year or two because of the visa limit.

I imagine it is up to the Phillies whether Herrera gets a visa or not. Likely he is not asked back this season anyway as I can't imagine it is worth giving him one of the extra 10 slots beyond the 40-man roster if there is a 50-player limit. Those will go to Bohm, Howard, an extra catcher, a utility bat or two and a bunch of extra relievers.

[zambonir]

I certainly don't expect Herrera to be one of the 50 players, or in a major league spring training game (just as he was not in March). But they are still going to do something with another batch of minor leaguers (whether on the practice fields or in Allentown or Florida).

The pandemic has actually worked out well for the Phillies as far as Herrera goes, they're saving a lot of actual cash, and the luxury tax space he takes up is unlikely to matter (possibly not next year either now that free agents are likely to cost less too). I guess it could become an issue if the Phillies find themselves contending at whatever constitutes a trade deadline and wanted to add a seriously high-paid player. But if that's the case hopefully they just pay the tax, arguably it would be even more worth it given the uncertain future and all the money the team claims to be losing: a playoff run is still the best marketing.

It has not worked out for Herrera, however. I would think he'd be desperate for release at this point, just to get some ABs if possible (independent league maybe). Addison Russell already went to Korea.

[zambonir]

Not included in the Phillies’ tally: an unknown number of family members (adults and children) who also tested positive and were sick.

Phillies announce four more positive tests in Clearwater COVID-19 outbreak

[Lawman]

A team or league can have great protocols in place, and still this is out of their control:

Baseball may take precautions, but Phillies outbreak shows...

The Phillies’ case offers a reminder that even with rules in place, there are no guarantees when it comes to the coronavirus. After one person reported mild symptoms last week, the Phillies tested 48 players and staff at their Florida complex, and 11 were COVID-19 positive. One of the COVID-19 positive tests, according to two sources, came from a person who never failed the temperature checks.

“As far as I can tell, all the guidelines MLB set were met within the complex,” one Phillies player said on condition of anonymity. “I was there every day until it was shut down, and I tested negative. So it’s hard to say exactly how it spread.”

That is the callous reality: It’s impossible to eliminate the risk in this situation. The league and its players understand there is risk, and they have accepted that risk. How much can they tolerate?

There will be positive tests.

[zambonir]

In some ways sports will be the guinea pig. Heck, the NFL should probably be signing up for the vaccine trials.

It seems inevitable that 30% or even 50% of MLB will eventually test positive for the virus, the question is will any of them get seriouslly ill, and will they endanger others? A hotel or stadium worker who is at-risk (or has family at-risk) can't just quit their job (or get unemployment now that things are opening up), and they are being asked to take something greater than the risk an Amazon or supermarket employee or bus drive is taking, since baseball maybe be a business, but it's not essential.

We might never know the details but they should be contact tracing the Phillies people. Who were the players who went to a bar? Who was hanging out with the Toronto player? Did all the others still get it from them at the complex in spite of protocols, or via community spread in other ways?

[Lawman]

From Corey Brock, via his twitter feed
@CoreyBrockMLB

Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto said the team has had more than one player test positive for COVID-19. They were asymptomatic. They won't take part in workouts next week at T-Mobile Park.

[bkox]

several teams plan to have fans in the stands...

https://sports.yahoo.com/astros-owner-jim-crane-wants-to-sell-tickets-merchandise-cold-beer-as-covid-19-spikes-in-texas-232615483.html

[Lawman]

If the Phillies opened up the stadium to fans at 33% capacity, would you go? I would.

[flyers19rw]

Pass. Distancing for seating and masks aren't a problem. However there are bottlenecks going into and out of the park. Lines for concessions could be problematic. Then there is the bathroom issue.

[Lawman]

Fair enough. No wrong answer.

[California_Dreamin]

I'd go.

[BostonRoss]

Not me

[zambonir]

Our wood bat league is talking about having fans when they start playing games (all loosely assembled local squads instead of the usual league schedule) July 11. They say they are going to have players from:

Oregon State, Oregon, Portland, Michigan, Stanford, Washington, Washington State, UNLV, Wofford, St Mary’s, Toledo, Cal State Northridge, Fresno State

I wonder if the caliber of player will be higher this year for lack of anything else to do.

https://www.portlandpicklesbaseball.com/wwwl-schedule?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_wild_wild_west_league_kicks_off_july_11th&utm_term=2020-06-25

[LoneStarPhan]

So 8 out of the first 16 and 4 out of the next 32, that is good I guess. Kind of incredible to me that so many people were coming in and out of there.

Privacy issues aside, one would think it will become pretty obvious which Phillies players (and coaches, if any) tested positive if they don't report to spring training on time.

I was wondering if players put on the COVID IL will be separately identified as being on that list or just listed as on "the" IL. Seems like having a COVID IL would (could) violate medical privacy laws.

[Purduke]

From a purely HIPA standpoint, why would it be different from putting somebody on the DL and announcing they were having Tommy John surgery? Have to think the standard MLB contract has governing language that would cover that, but I understand the reason for the question.

[zambonir]

Interesting question. Technically MLB players consent to have their medical information released all the time (details of injury, surgery) and it may be necessary here as well. No matter how they try to do it logistically it's still gonna be pretty obvious.

[andyb]

The pessimistic side of whether we should have team sports now:

The First Pro League to Restart Is the First to Show Why It’s Still Too Early

Leagues probably need to think of moving away from Florida (this league is doing a Utah tournament but lots of the positive cases are from FL). The state was begging all these sports to come there but that was when they had a below average number of cases.

[zambonir]

The NWSL news being the thing that prompted me to start this thread. I think there's a good chance they'll be okay in Utah. But Orlando could go very wrong for MLS and NBA. So could any number of baseball spring training attempts. I'm sure these outbreaks have been a wake-up call in terms of the teams and athletes realizing they have to be very strict about their behavior, but there's still so many other people involved who won't be quarantined.

Also, how are the baseball players going to eat? I was gonna say that at least they don't have to worry about groceries or restaurants, but there aren't going to be the usual team meals (maybe they'll all get individually served portions?)

[julio]

2 posts were merged into an existing topic: Coronavirus (Sports-Related and General)