Philadelphia Phillies and MLB 2020 season days lost to the COVID-19 pandemic: 15.
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Nick Piecoro at the Arizona Republic interviewed health experts regarding the announcement that MLB may consider opening in the Phoenix area during the late-May or early-June periods:
“When I first saw the headline, my first initial reaction was, ‘Eh, that’s a bad idea,’” said Kristen Pogreba-Brown, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Arizona. “But I understand why people are not totally writing the idea off. At the same time, I think there are definitely a lot of considerations that need to be made, and you need to decide whether or not it’s worth the risk.”
Jayson Stark at The Athletic wrote on the difference between the baseball stoppage nearly two decades ago now due to 9/11, and the possibility of opening in front of empty ballparks with no fans this time around:
“But can it do that in a vacuum? Can it do that in silence? Can it do that in the emptiness of fan-free ballparks? It’s worth asking: Can it possibly do that without the roar of the crowd?”
Jesse Rogers at ESPN believes that Minor League Baseball will face even more challenges in trying to hold a 2020 season at this point than will their MLB counter-part:
“Either all levels — including Class A, Double-A and Triple-A, as well as short-season teams — begin play by midsummer, in front of packed stadiums, or there’s likely to not be a minor league season at all, at least according to people around the game.”
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic joined “The Lead” podcast to discuss the possibility of Major League Baseball opening the 2020 regular season in Arizona.
Sean Keeler at The Denver Post wrote on umpire Paul Emmel, who underwent off-season surgery and would have been out until this July had the season begun on time:
“Emmel’s extended offseason gives him more time for his passions: UMPS CARE charities, the nonprofit for which he serves as secretary; and Manna Care, a service provided by Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, where Emmel spends any Tuesday he can helping to distribute food and sundries for more than 1,200 folks per month.”
Now for the latest Philadelphia Phillies news from local and national resources:
Todd Zolecki at MLB.com wrote on the Phillies retirement of Roy Halladay‘s uniform number 34 and whether Dick Allen might also receive the honor:
“Allen’s name needs to appear on 12 of 16 Golden Days ballots for enshrinement. If he gets 12, it should answer a question that Phillies fans have pondered for the past few years: Who is the next player to have his number retired by the team?”
Meghan Montemurro at The Athletic wrote on former Phillies pitcher Vance Worley and his hopes of returning to Major League Baseball:
“Worley’s career has taken him all over the country. The 32-year-old right-hander has pitched for eight MLB organizations since debuting with the Phillies in 2010. Philadelphia is where he experienced his greatest success. A third-round pick in 2008, Worley’s first extended opportunity came in 2011 on what would become the winningest team in franchise history.”
Jim Salisbury at NBC Sports Philadelphia wrote on the experiences since the shutdown of Phil Gosselin, who was trying to make the Phillies Opening Day roster out of spring training:
“The third base umpire told me, ‘This is it, we’re done after this,‘” Gosselin said. “We still had a few innings to go so I knew I had to lock in and concentrate. But it was tough to do knowing it was the last game of spring training.”
Glen Macnow for Metro Philly wrote on how we are all missing sports here in the area:
“April is the best month of the calendar. The NBA and NHL start their postseasons, baseball opens up, college basketball crowns its champions, and the world’s top golfers converge on Augusta. Not this year. A pandemic has stranded us at home. So watching sports is limited to tuning into throwback events where you already know the outcome.”
CBS3 Philadelphia sportscaster Don Bell was interviewed by Katie Johnston at Yahoo Sports and believes that a shortened 2020 MLB season could help the Phillies.
Philadelphia area coronavirus updates continue to be provided via The Inquirer live news ticker on the pandemic. Also, the City of Philadelphia is currently under a Business Activity and Stay at Home Order. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the NIH (National Institutes of Health have tremendous resources on updates and the national response.
You can view the archives for these Lunch Bell reports at any time. They are released every day all year-round barring some unusual circumstance. Each report highlights important updates on the Phillies and MLB, including articles curated from around the web, social media posts, and video. During the pandemic we will include any relevant updates in that regard as well.
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FINAL NOTE: This date in Phillies history marked the club-record 13th and final Opening Day start for Wall of Famer and Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton:
MATT VEASEY 