Top News:
Blue Jays News:
Beginning of 2020 season to be delayed — Following a call with the 30 clubs, and after consultation with the Major League Baseball Players Association, Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. today announced that MLB has decided to suspend Spring Training games and to delay the start …
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Lynn Worthy / Kansas City Star:
MLB suspends spring training, start of Royals season delayed at least two weeks — Note: The Kansas City Star and McClatchy have lifted the paywall on this developing story, providing critical information to readers. To support vital reporting such as this, please consider a digital subscription.
Discussion:
Royals Review
Scott Powers / The Athletic:
Gov. Pritzker recommending no sporting events in Illinois until May — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker recommended the owners of Chicago's professional teams that statewide major sporting events should be shut down, or played without spectators, until possibly May 1.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue, MLB Baseball News …, Bleacher Nation, ProFootballTalk and Sports Illustrated
Matt Loede / Sports Illustrated:
Report: MLB Players Being Allowed to Leave Spring Training Facilities After Announced Delay to Season — After Thursday's decision by Major League Baseball to make moves in line with the rest of the North American pro sports leagues, Friday more decisions came down pertaining to players …
Discussion:
NBCSports.com and Halos Heaven
ESPN:
MLB suspends spring training, delays Opening Day at least two weeks — Major League Baseball is delaying the start of the 2020 regular season by at least two weeks in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the league announced Thursday. — MLB also said in a statement that spring training games …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Pinstripe Alley, Seattle Mariners on Yahoo! … and Twinkie Town
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
California order on gatherings of 250-plus could affect MLB games — California on Wednesday recommended a statewide limit on large gatherings through at least the remainder of March, according to a memo from the state's department of public health, bringing into question the home openers …
Discussion:
McCovey Chronicles, Washington Post, Bleed Cubbie Blue and Bleacher Nation
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Sources: MLB hopeful, but bracing for disruptions to early-season games — Major League Baseball teams are preparing for local governments seeking to limit the spread of the coronavirus to implement policies that could disrupt the beginning of the season and cause the league to move …
Discussion:
AZ Snake Pit, Twinkie Town, MLB Daily Dish, NBCSports.com, MLB Baseball News …, Purple Row and MLB Trade Rumors
USA Today:
'Have to do what's right for our home city': Mariners face uncertainty as opening games moved from Seattle
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated
Ken Rosenthal / The Athletic:
Baseball faces many questions as it deals with coronavirus
Discussion:
NBCSports.com, MLB Baseball News …, DRaysBay, Yahoo! Sports, FanGraphs Baseball, Beyond the Box Score and MLB Trade Rumors
Elizabeth Swinton / Sports Illustrated:
Report: Mariners Will Not Play First Two Series at Home
Discussion:
Seattle Mariners on Yahoo! … and Twinkie Town
Jared Diamond / Wall Street Journal:
MLB Wants Alternate Sites, Not Empty Stadiums, If Coronavirus Disrupts Season
Discussion:
New York Post and Bleed Cubbie Blue
ESPN:
MLB allowing players to go home after canceling spring training — MESA, Ariz. — Major League Baseball is allowing players to go home, announcing its decision a day after canceling the rest of the spring training schedule and postponing Opening Day by at least two weeks amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Tigers Ownership Announces Fund For Part-Time Workers — Ilitch Holdings, the entity that owns the Tigers and a host of other sports and entertainment ventures, has announced the creation of a $1MM fund to assist part-time employees, as Tony Paul of the Detroit News first reported.
Discussion:
Detroit News
RADIO.COM:
Astros Manager Dusty Baker, Jon Heyman's Insider Nuggets And MLB Off Season Recap — Former Major Leaguer Tony Gwynn Jr and MLB Insider Jon Heyman are BACK for the Big Time Baseball Podcast! — In their first episode of 2020, they recap the biggest storylines from the off season …
Discussion:
Apple Podcasts, MLB Trade Rumors, Phillies Nation and NBCSports.com
Mark Polishuk / MLB Trade Rumors:
Trey Mancini Undergoes Surgery To Remove Malignant Tumor — Trey Mancini left the Orioles' spring camp last week in preparation for an undisclosed medical procedure that wasn't related to baseball. Today, details have emerged on the nature of Mancini's issue, as the Orioles issued …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
NCAA.org:
Statement from the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel on NCAA events — The NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel recognizes the fluidity of COVID-19 and its impact on hosting events in a public space. COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the United States, and behavioral risk mitigation strategies …
