Major League Baseball is currently postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There are questions about when the league will return or if the 2020 season will even happen. If games do take place in the coming months, former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez believes that MLB should incorporate a Home Run Derby to determine tie games.
Rodriguez appeared on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday and weighed in on the discussion. Los Angeles Dodgers star Justin Turner previously said that he wanted tie games to be determined by sluggers. If the game was tied after 10 innings, Turner would want to see each team’s three best hitters come out and compete for the most home runs. However, this opinion was met with some criticism by many. Rodriguez was not among this group, and he even said that they should “Let it fly!”
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“In 2020, I love everything,” A-Rod said. “The one thing we have to signal to the world is, if you’re a traditionalist, Major League Baseball is not for you. If you have any naughty, disruptive, crazy idea, make it happen this year. Try everything. Pilot everything.”
Rodriguez also provided other ideas to make MLB more entertaining for fans. He said that he would like to see teams open up their batting cages and mic up players daily. Several teams, such as the Texas Rangers, have mic’d up their stars during spring training games, but Rodriguez would like to see this idea expanded further.
It’s unclear if the plan will be implemented as Rodriguez hopes, but the answer could be provided in the near future. ESPN reported on Tuesday that MLB could restart the season as early as May. Although these games would not be played in stadiums around the country. Instead, all 30 teams would head down to Arizona for games without fans in attendance.
According to the report, some of the games would be played in the general Phoenix area while some would be played at Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. In addition, some of the other games would be played at 10 spring training facilities and nearby fields. The players, coaching staff, and other personnel would have to follow self-quarantine protocols and would be isolated in hotels. They would only be able to travel only to and from the stadium.
While there are concerns about whether or not this plan would be successful, it has been met with some support. Federal officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the National Institutes of Health, have expressed support. If MLB can get all of the details figured out, baseball could be the first sport to return to action amid the coronavirus outbreak.
