LOS ANGELES _ It took three months of public negotiations over millions of dollars during a global pandemic, but Major League Baseball intends on staging a 2020 season. Starting it, let alone completing it, remains a colossal challenge as COVID-19 cases rise around the country.
To avoid a stoppage and rendering the terrible optics of the negotiations for naught, the sides agreed on substantial protocols to ensure health and safety. The details were jammed into a 101-page Operations Manual. Below, is an outline featuring the most noteworthy and eyebrow-raising parts.
First, the basics.
Spring _ or is it summer? _ training is scheduled to start July 1. The Dodgers and Angels, like most other teams, will train at their home ballparks. There will be three phases. First will come individual and small workouts for pitchers and catchers, followed by larger and full-team workouts with intrasquad games, followed by a handful of exhibition games against other teams.
The 60-game regular season, during which players will receive full prorated salaries, is scheduled to start July 23 or 24 and end in late September before a standard postseason is played. The usual six divisions will remain intact and interleague play will be limited to the corresponding geographical division in the other league (i.e. NL West vs. AL West). So, yes, that means the Dodgers will face the Houston Astros.
Now, on to the more granular details ... .
