MLB Discussing Playing All Games In Phoenix, Arizona Amid Coronavirus

Putting all 30 teams in the Phoenix area and playing in empty ballparks was among the ideas discussed Monday by Major League Baseball and the players’ association.

The sides held a telephone call to talk about paths forward for a season delayed by the new coronavirus pandemic, people familiar with the discussion told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because no details were announced.

Ideas are still in the early stage, and the Arizona option would have many obstacles to overcome, the people said.

Putting all 30 teams in the Phoenix area and playing in empty ballparks was among the ideas discussed Monday by Major League Baseball and the players’ association.

Ideas are still in the early stage, and the Arizona option would have many obstacles to overcome, the people said.

Half of the MLB clubs hold spring training in Arizona, the other half in Florida.

Harris accuses Trump allies of trying to ‘rig’ 2026 midterms after Virginia court tosses redistricting measure

Minnesota nonprofit accused of siphoning $6.5M to fund Vegas trips, luxury cars, private liquor store

Alabama mother sentenced to life for hiring hitman to kill her child’s father over custody dispute

Trump warns college sports could be ‘lost forever’ as committee pushes changes, Congress urged to act

Duffys fire back after Pete Buttigieg, husband attack new road trip TV series: ‘Radical, miserable left’

Breathtaking ‘Chandelier UFO’ Video Goes Viral – But Is There a Simple Explanation?

Seth Moulton closing gap on progressive Democrat Ed Markey in Massachusetts Senate primary

Breaking: Bobby Cox, Manager of Braves ‘Teams That Ruled NL,’ Dead at 84

Two police officers shot, suspect ‘actively firing at police’ in Syracuse standoff lasting hours: report

Mob Attacks Indian Pastor and His Family as Villagers Try to Drive Him Away from Home

Virginia mother charged with murder after allegedly drowning her 17-month-old twin boys in bathtub: report

Guess Where Hundreds of Uncounted Ballots Were Just Found in California – Hint: It’s One of Dems’ Favorite Places

Perfect Justice: 17K Leftists Who Want to Dox ICE Were Just Doxxed Themselves Thanks to Famed Trump-Hater’s Boneheaded Mistake Online

Trump responds to reports FDA chief Mark Makary could be fired: ‘Know nothing about it’

Trump Hikes Tariffs on Key European Import to Encourage US Industry

Arizona’s advantage is 10 spring training ballparks plus the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field all within about 50 miles. Florida’s spring training ballparks are spread by as much as 220 miles.

“It allows for immediacy of a schedule, where you might be able to begin it and televise it, provide Major League Baseball to America,” said Scott Boras, baseball’s most prominent agent. “I think players are willing to do what’s necessary because I think they understand the importance of baseball for their own livelihoods and for the interest of our country and providing a necessary product that gives all the people that are isolated enjoyment.”

“It gives them a sense of a return to some normalcy,” Boras added. “You talk to a psychologist about it and they say it’s it’s really good for a culture to have to have sport and to have a focus like that, where for a few hours a day they can take their minds off the difficult reality of the virus.”

Baseball’s season had been set to start March 26 but spring training was halted on March 12. After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended restricting events of more than 50 people for eight weeks, MLB said it would not open until mid-May at the earliest.

Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said MLB is examining different options and he didn’t want to speculate.

“But, obviously, we’d all love to find a way to play, provided we could do safely, and that would be the priority,” he said.

The players’ association would want to survey its members to determine whether they would support such a plan, one of the people said.

“You’re going to be largely separated from your families and you’re going to have to function in a very contained way. It’s not it’s not a normal life, this idea,” Boras said. “You’re going to have an identified group of people. You’re going to have a constantly tested group of people. And you’re going to have a very limited access of those people to the outside world so that you can assure a very uncontaminated league, if you will, to produce a product that is inspirational to our country.”