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Baseball On The Fourth Of July?

According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, baseball could return by July 4, with a 100-game schedule and extended postseason.
MLB is also reportedly leaving it up to teams to issue refunds for tickets.

Apr 28, 2020 | 10:48 pm

UPDATED Apr 29, 2020 | 07:15 pm

Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Baseball could be back by the Fourth of July. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal ran through different Major League Baseball scenarios, including saying “the most realistic time range for Opening Day” is mid-June to July 4. With that start date in mind, it would allow for an 80 to 100-game schedule, with the season running through October. An expanded postseason at neutral sites could follow as well.

Rosenthal said some club officials are optimistic parks could open up to limited fans in August or September in states where the virus is under control.

While Rosenthal’s report notes “those involved at the sport’s highest level are increasingly confident games will be played in 2020,” it also said the league will keep monitoring the situation to avoid making any mistakes by acting too quickly – but the league appears to be willing to do what it takes to get the $10.7 billion industry back off the ground.

With that in mind, MLB will allow teams to work with fans on refunds, according to USA Today. Each club has postponed approximately 20% of its home games because of the coronavirus, and if teams do end up issuing refunds, they’d be the first North American league to do so.