Houston Astros: Time To Cancel The Season

"With a slew of positive tests, reporting issues, and players concerned for their well being MLB should do the right thing and cancel the season."

After another round of positive tests, opt-outs and mystery ailments maybe it’s time for MLB to accept reality and cancel the season. Other than helping the owners lose a little less money there is no real to play out this joke of a schedule. The players clearly are unenthused, and once a few stars either decide it’s not worth it, or test positive and kill a teams season the fans won’t want it either.

Already the Astros Yordan Alvarez is MIA for undisclosed reasons that are “non-injury related.” Will fans be satisfied if Jose Altuve or Justin Verlander miss several weeks of the shortened season and the team fails to make the playoffs? Worse what if there’s an outbreak in the clubhouse and multiple players test positive?

I have no faith in the ability of MLB to actually be able to keep the players safe, and it sounds like at least one team is coming to the same conclusion. They’re going to enforce and maintain all these health protocols, but can’t even get a team it’s test results in a timely fashion?  This whole thing is a disaster waiting to happen.

The season length is also an issue in baseball more than any other sport. The streaks and slumps players go through can take weeks to even out, and 162 games is enough time for that to happen. 60 games? Your going to have guys hit .180 on the season, and others who might hit .400. If a player does hit .450 (unlikely as it may be) is that a new record? With only 60 games being played are there any individual awards? How many at bats qualify you for a batting title?

If these issues seem inconsequential to you I assure you it’s not to the players. There are tens of millions of dollars tied to incentive clauses in player contracts. Do statistics this year count? What about players in the final years of contracts? Are the Dodgers ok with getting Mookie Betts for 60 games? What if he tests positive for the virus? 40 games? That’s about all the package they gave up for him was worth but still..

The only winners during this joke of a season will be the owners who will manage to cut their losses by getting some TV contract money, some money from the gates, and once again showing the players that they call the shots. Baseball is already a dieing sport, but the guys running it can’t seem to stop wrapping their hands around their own necks. Hopefully some teams realize the pointlessness of all of this and pull the plug. If not maybe Alex Bregman can win the triple crown with a line like .422 11 54.