The good news: A decision has been made regarding a specific, small factor in the 2020 Major League Baseball season. That means, you know, plans still are underway to have a 2020 MLB season.
The bad news?
I'll let WSCR-AM's Bruce Levine take it away:
All MLB announcers( TV and radio) have been told they will be doing all 2020 road games from a local broadcast studio or home ballpark with monitors as their guide.
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) June 4, 2020
The Pirates will be doing road TV and radio broadcasts from the AT&T studio and offices.
Yeah, there's no replacement for announcers being there, in the moment, feeling the energy (or lack thereof) of a given ballpark. Watching the game on monitors, on a slight delay from home or from a "local broadcast studio" won't bring the same pop and appeal. It'll also, of course, eliminate the in-person, post-game interviews that so often generate incredibly fun and/or powerful quotes.
As of today, Thursday, June 4, however, there's still no concrete plan to play baseball in 2020. MLB and the MLB Players Association continue to butt heads, disagreeing over the number of games that'll be played and, thus, the compensation players will receive.
The season won't be 162 games. That's a certainty. MLB also recently rejected the union's proposal for a 114-game season. The offer MLB wants most revolves around a 50-ish-game season, which would give players roughly 30 percent of their usual, full salaries.
The players aren't thrilled about that, but right now, it's looking like they're going to need to find a middle ground in that ballpark.
HUNTER'S VIEW
I get it. This news isn't ideal. It's going to take something away from the game and from the overall experience.
But I'm not nearly as negative as most here. Here are some early replies to Levine's tweet:
— Mickey's Liver (@Mickeys_Liver7) June 4, 2020
Please please please cancel the season! They are turning this into a circus!
— The mystery behind my glass eyes ?? (@DavidSime1) June 4, 2020
Bullcrap cancel it now.what a joke
— bruce race Ⓜ️ (@brucerace) June 4, 2020
See what I mean?
The bigger point here, though, is we're still seeing creative options to have a 2020 MLB season. If keeping announcers and broadcasters at home is what it takes, then that's what it takes. As much as we talk about these unprecedented times (shame on me for repeating the phrase), we all too often seem unwilling to accept unprecedented solutions.
This season isn't normal. At all. It's going to feel weird and wacky and strange.
And that, viewed through the proper lens, might actually make it even more quirky and fun than a typical season.
Quit complaining and instead embrace the fact that, if baseball begins, it's going to provide us all a wholly unique experience and product.
