Rob Manfred remains optimistic about the return of baseball this year:
“Look, my optimistic outlook is that at some point in May, we’ll be gearing back up,” he added. “We’ll have to make a determination, depending what the precise date is, as to how much of a preparation period we need, whether that preparation period is going to be done in the clubs’ home cities or back in Florida and Arizona. Again, I think the goal would be to get as many regular-season games as possible and think creatively about how we can accomplish that goal.”
…
“Nothing’s off the table for us right now,” Manfred said. “I think we are open, and we’ve had some really positive conversations with our players’ association about relaxing some of the rules that govern our schedule. They’re very focused on returning to play and playing as many games as possible. And when you have that kind of positive dialogue, it creates an opportunity to do things that are a little different. You’re not committed to them over the long term because this year is a unique circumstance. But there’s a lot of ideas out there, and we really are open to all of them.”
ESPN.com
There are people who don’t like the way Manfred tinkers with the game, but I like the way he is open about his thoughts and the ideas that are out there. Batters and pitchers adjust all the time to stay successful, and the league should also. If the season does start at some point, maybe some positive change comes out of the short season.
Will be interesting – assuming they end up playing a compressed season with less total games, but a more intense schedule, fewer off days, and more doubleheaders – to see whether there’s any benefit to being a young team vs. an older team. First thought would be that a younger team would benefit just because they’re younger, more energy, quicker recovery. Teams relying on older players who benefit from being rested more regularly might be hurt by a more intense schedule.
On the other hand, older players may be better at pacing themselves and hold up better over the long haul.
Or – will there be more ‘streakiness’; if a team hits a 2 week slump, that might cover 16 games rather than 12.
It will certainly be different and I would expect that managers who excel at managing workload will be more valuable than in a normal season.