MLB is Considering Starting Baseball Season in May in Phoenix, but how does Arizona Feel About it?

by Kara Machowski

It’s springtime in Arizona and if you’re familiar with the state you know that means endless hiking, sprouting flora along trails and most importantly, baseball. Baseball starts early for Arizonans with Spring Training, a series of games and exhibitions before the start of the regular season. Many MLB fans flock to Phoenix to watch their favorite team compete in spring training, get a grip on how their favorite players will be performing this year and cheap, cheap tickets. Roadways are crowded, satiable women lean provocatively over fences to catch the eye of their favorite buff ball player and landlords look forward to renting out their properties to fans, but especially the baseball players. Hot dogs, warm nuts and cold beers are on the forefront of everyone’s mind in springtime, but this year, that’s the last thought for most Arizonians. With coronavirus postponing all sport’s seasons, the 2020 Olympics, and basically making meeting with friends reckless, baseball season was not on the forefront, until Associated Press announced that MLB was considering to ramp up baseball season next month in Phoenix.

Taking care of the nations original inhabitants should come on the forefront before introducing any sort of sport to the nation during the midst of a national emergency

Arizona is still struggling with social distancing as golf courses remain open, many parks are packed, tennis courts racketing, nail and hair salons were only considered non-essential as of last week and still we’re definitely no where near out of he clear as far as our apex. Our Covid-19 cases have begun to skyrocket, testing along with transparency still lags in Arizona. Navajo nations are facing a very difficult time as cases are on the rise amongst the Navajo’s, most of Arizona's deaths from Covid are from the Navajo Nation and already they struggle with healthcare and proper hospitals. Taking care of the nations original inhabitants should be on the forefront before introducing any sort of sport to the nation during the midst of a national emergency. We can’t turn our heads and pretend that people aren’t dying because of ill managed medical facilities and most importantly, a pandemic that may kill more people than anything current Americans have faced. While watching a ball game could help some relax, kick back and perhaps soothe their mind from all of the understandable stress and interruption of normal life, at what cost would that come at?

Players would also be separated from their families at the time and wouldn’t be allowed to interact with them

Baseball players would have to stay in hotels in the Phoenix metro area, during which time they would have to follow strict guidelines to ensure that no player became infected during their off time. Players would also be separated from their families at the time and wouldn’t be allowed to interact with them. Hotel staff would be needed while the players were in the hotels and they could easily infect a player without proper medical precautions and protection, a commodity that still lacks around the nation and in the state of Arizona. Also, would hotel staff be allowed to go home to their families, or would they be required to stay on site to keep the possibility of spread as low as possible? While MLB hasn’t confirmed any sort of event, they are considering it, and Phoenix would be the best option for the season, but we are still ill prepared to treat the sick, let alone try and protect MLB players. This statement that was released by Major League Baseball was; “MLB has been actively considering numerous contingency plans that would allow play to commence once the public health has improved to the point of us doing so. While we have discussed the idea of staging games at one location as one potential option, we have not settled on that option or developed a detailed plan. While we continue to interact regularly with governmental and public health officials, we have not sought or received approval of any plan from federal, state and local officials or the Player Association.”

Local Fox 10 News' Kari Lake weighed in on Twitter begging for MLB to start in Phoenix vs. other considerations like Florida, while New York Times best selling author, Alexandra Bracken responded to MLB's announcement by questioning if separating players from their families and forcing them to play in 90 degree + is really in consideration.

Being a former Chicagoan, still a Cubs fan, and current Arizonian, I am spoiled when it comes to MLB. Plus I grew up in Florida and attended the 1997 World Series where the Marlins soared. Although not a great “sports fan”, I really look forward to my cold beers and hot dogs and my stomach even growls as I type this early in the morning thinking about it, but no way would I want to risk my favorite team player (Bryant and Rizzo of course) or fellow neighbor to be able to sit on my couch, fry up a hot dog and down a good lager, I would much rather hold off until I can attend a game in Arizona's perfect spring weather and know that there is no possibility of someone becoming very ill or dying for my sport.