News on MLB returning is grim, so what do you think: Will we see baseball this summer?

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If you were looking for some encouraging news on the return of baseball from the COVID-19 crisis, the last few days have been rough. You can measure how complicated it’s become in the number of pages in the documents, the owners and the Player Association have been exchanging.

You had the 67-page report on what baseball would have to do to return safely. The document, first reported by The Athletic, outlines a plan that included a ban on spitting, high-fives and showering at the stadium facilities.  As complicated and detailed as it was, it seemed doable – or at least easily negotiated.

You had the 12-page paper on the economic impact that an 82-game season without fans. The report, obtained the Associated Press, said under the prorated salaries agreed to the March, there would be an average loss of $640,000 per game.

The details of the health report are the kind of stuff Dr. Anthony Fauci talks about. The 12-page treatise? It’s written for CPAs.

But the key thing about the economic report is the players don’t believe the dire picture the owners are presenting, and it’s doubtful that they’ll re-negotiate the prorated salary deal they agreed to.

So the bottom line is this: Even if baseball can figure out a way to returning safely – and that’s a large if – there’s no guarantee that we’ll have baseball this summer because of the money issues.

I wrote before that you can see the point of the owners and the players. But letting economics keep baseball from happening this summer is folly. The lasting damage will go beyond the short-term economic impact for both sides.

So what do you think? Will we see baseball this summer? And, if we don’t, would that affect how whether you continue to be a fan, i.e., buy tickets?

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