MLB could start at new Texas Rangers’ ballpark
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down, and professional sports leagues are still learning how to adapt and adjust. Major League Baseball never was able to get its regular season off the ground prior to the outbreak, but spring training was well underway with the campaign scheduled to start on March 26th.
However, the league remains optimistic that they can return to play games this year and that the 2020 MLB season is not doomed yet.
The idea of having certain cities used as a hub to host several teams has been bandied about within a few different leagues and MLB is no exception. Earlier this week, reports began to emerge that the new Rangers ballpark could be used to play games with North Texas looking like an attractive option for the league. It could be used as a mid-American hub that would host multiple clubs.
“Depending upon a variety of the other factors, it makes a lot of sense,” said Rangers general Jon Daniels. “Just given the nature of the market, the proximity of a lot of the facilities, the quality of the facilities, the quality of not just baseball facilities, but the hotels in the area and other things that you’d need.”
The league needs to look at a variety of factors, not just the weather or quality of the stadium and field. There will need to be a large quantity of sports facilities and complexes that can be made available for teams to use, as well as, lodging and places for players and personnel to stay.
The Rangers’ new ballpark – Globe Life Field – has yet to see a game played inside of it yet due to the season being halted, but Daniels did confirm that some players have returned to working out and are using the stadium to do so.
There is a weight room and new batting cages that can allow players to make the most of the time off if they so choose, but they are being scheduled in small groups to respect physical distancing rules and guidelines. The new $1.2bn facility is a state-of-the-art in the league’s first new ballpark since 2017 and has a retractable roof to avoid rainouts.
“What we’re doing has been in response to the players’ requests largely,” he said. “The league’s not necessarily dictating anything other than the fact that they want us to be very cautious. It’s nothing mandatory, nothing formal, nothing real organized outside of a guy throwing batting practice in a cage.”
North Texas isn’t the only location being discussed at the moment as the league is exploring all the possibilities. Florida and Arizona also remain strong candidates to host games as well should the league return to action. Both states are ideal options for the league as there are a variety of spring training facilities. The Phoenix-area alone has 10 spring training facilities.
The concept of re-arranging divisions and changing the schedule based on where teams’ spring training facilities are located has also been discussed. This would make the process of playing games again much easier, but nothing has been confirmed or finalized yet.
