The question for Major League Baseball has recently turned from ‘when can they start the season,’ to ‘how can they start a season?’
Everyone is eager for sports to return from its COVID-19 caused hiatus, and fans are seemingly ready to take games any way they can get them. Without fans in the seats, with fake crowd noise, without traditional divisions, with the DH in both leagues – various scenarios have been discussed.
Last week, MLB offered their proposal to the players union which included financial givebacks and specific guidelines of how to keep everyone safe. During his Sunday morning show on WFAN, iconic radio host Mike Francesa reacted to some of those “absurd guidelines.”
“You’ve always wanted to get close to the players if you’re a fan, well maybe not anymore,” Francesa said. “Because players will be discouraged from showering at the stadium after games.”
Francesa, a noted stock trader, also offered fans some advice regarding Uber and Lyft, because according to the recently proposed plan by MLB, players won’t be allowed to use taxis or ride-sharing services.
“If you own Uber or Lyft stock – sell it,” Francesa said. “Because the players aren’t using it, they’re being discouraged from using ride-sharing. So on Monday, check Uber, see how it does because this could be a major hit for them because no taxis and no ride-sharing apps are to be used on the road.” Major League Baseball has discussed increasing team roster sizes to 50 players for the unusual season, which would mean 1,500 less Uber and Lyft customers.
Francesa touched on more of the proposed guidelines, including MLB encouraging fielders and baserunners to practice social distancing during games.
“How absurd is this, this almost makes you wanna close it down. Fielders would be encouraged to retreat several steps away from baserunners between pitches. Really,” Francesa said with disgust. “The guy takes a lead from second, instead of the second baseman cheating toward the bag to make sure he’s holding the runner on you want him to run away from the player? That sounds like a good strategy.”
Francesa also commented on the league mandating multiple temperature screenings for each player daily. Mike took the idea one step further, suggesting they post the players temperatures on the scoreboard and selling sponsorships for it. “You’re not only posting their batting average, OBP, RBIs and homeruns, you post their temperature at game time. ‘Game time temperature 98.6.’ You know Trout will have a 98.6 anyway, you don’t have to worry about it, he’s the perfect player,” added Francesa.
“How utterly ridiculous has this whole thing gotten,” he later said.
While Francesa does not appear to be a fan of the guidelines that Major League Baseball deems necessary for the sport to safely return to action, he’s also been notably outspoken against President Trump’s handling of COVID-19.
His late March tirade about the president garnered close to three million views before Francesa had it removed from social media.
