Philadelphia Phillies and MLB 2020 season days lost to the COVID-19 pandemic: 21.
Bob Nightengale at USA Today wrote on MLBPA union chief Tony Clark‘s belief that some type of 2020 MLB season will be played:
“Clark, who has constant dialogue with medical experts, along with executives from sports unions across the world, is cautiously optimistic there will be baseball in 2020. How long of a season, how it looks and what infrastructure changes will be made is anyone’s guess.”
Aaron Portzline at The Athletic wrote on what should be required before professional sports can return:
“As of Wednesday, less than 1 percent of the U.S. population (about 330 million) has been tested for the COVID-19 virus. A hiccup in the supply chain for kits and nasal swabs has slowed testing by hospitals and labs across the country. Put another way: We have no idea how many people have the virus.”
Tom Verducci with Sports Illustrated wrote on how a 2020 Major League Baseball season could look should one actually get underway:
“If we ever get around to playing any kind of baseball this year, I don’t want hear any complaints about schedule inequities. I’ll take any baseball. I’ll take a 30-team bracket tournament. We’ll be in scramble mode. Anything goes.”
Elizabeth Swinton at Sports Illustrated wrote on Mike Trout‘s concerns about a possible opening amidst the coronavirus pandemic:
“One of Trout’s greatest concerns with the reported proposal is its impact on the players’ families. Trout and his wife Jessica are expecting their first child in August.”
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola and spring training NRI infielder Neil Walker are among a few dozen Major League Baseball players involved in the Home Plate Project.
The project has so far raised roughly $1 million as part of an effort to provide meals for some 20 million kids who normally have relied upon their schools to provide them with meals during the day.
Now for the latest Philadelphia Phillies news from local and national resources:
The Inquirer writers Matt Breen, Scott Lauber, and Bob Brooker held a discussion and printed a joint article on the possibility of the Phillies playing the 2020 season as part of a revamped Grapefruit League. In the piece, Brookover states:
“…the green light from Anthony Fauci to play the games behind closed doors, probably does open up the Florida idea. Weather, however, is going to be a serious problem in both Florida and Arizona. In the desert, of course, it’s going to be 100-plus degrees at game time every night, and in Florida it’s going to be hot, humid, and probably raining.”
Bill Baer at NBC Sports reported on the National Transportation Safety Board releasing its findings on Roy Halladay‘s November 2017 plane crash:
“According to the report, Halladay’s amphetamine levels were 10 times the recommended therapeutic level. Halladay was also doing high-pitch climbs and steep turns, and came within five feet of touching the water.”
In response, the Phillies organization released the following statement on behalf of Doc’s widow, Brandy Halladay, and their family:
W.G. Ramirez at Gaming Today reported on Phillies infield prospect Bryson Stott staying busy during the shutdown:
“Stott, who was drafted 14th overall by the Phillies in 2019, said he’s doing the best he can to stay prepared in the event the baseball season begins. “They (Phillies) send us workouts through an app that we can do with no weights or anything, a lot of conditioning,” he said. “I also spend extra time throwing groundballs off a wall to myself.””
Jim Salisbury at NBC Sports Philadelphia reported on Game 2 of the Strat-O-Matic showdown between the 1980 and 2008 Phillies World Series championship teams, in which the ’80 squad tied the series up:
“The ’08 team, with Cole Hamels starring on the mound and at the plate, rallied with some timely hitting to beat 1980 Cy Young winner Steve Carlton, 4-2, in Game 1 of the series. But the ’08 bats were arctic in Game 2. The ’08ers had just two hits, a double by catcher Carlos Ruiz in the bottom of the third inning and a single from reliever Clay Condrey in the bottom of the sixth.”
I was a guest on the “Phillies Talk” podcast with host Rich Baxter on Wednesday, April 15. We discussed the potential return of baseball at some point this summer, Jackie Robinson Day, and much more. Enjoy the episode at the link earlier in this paragraph.
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.
Be sure to follow The Bell all across social media at our @philliesbell handle: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and TikTok. Also, visit our Phillies Bell YouTube channel for a growing selection of video clips.
FINAL NOTE: It was on this date in 1957 that the Phillies dedicated a statue to legendary Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack across the street from the stadium that bore his name.
MATT VEASEY 