BEVERLY HILLS, February 04, (THEWILL) –Â In its renewed determination to check the widespread wave of COVID-19 infections ravaging the United States, senior officials of the new Biden administration spoke with the Major League Baseball (MLB), the American professional baseball organisation, last week about a one-month delay for the season to give players time to get vaccinated before opening day.
The league players opted out of the meeting and did not join the MLB to liaise with the administration. Instead, the MLBPA, which is the Major League Baseball Players Association, scheduled their own meeting with the same senior officials of the government at a different, later date so as to avoid undue pressures that might force them to agree with the delay proposals.
Biden’s officials, in their meeting with the MLB, expressed confidence in the government’s ability to vaccinate the players in time for the proposed delayed start date. This was possible with the expected introduction of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is expected within the week after filing for approval from the American Food and Drug Adminstration agency, the FDA.
Yet, the proposal to delay the kickoff of the season by Biden administration comes during a delicate time between MLB and the MLBPA, the bodies representing baseball in the country.
On the one hand, the league proposed a month-long delay to the season on Sunday, which included a 154-game season with full pay, expanded playoffs and the universal designated hitter, but this was not welcomed by the players’ body, which on the other hand rejected the proposal a day later, wanting the season to start in time without delays.
Currently, league players are expected to report for spring training this month and attempt to play the season as usually scheduled, a pattern that will be contrary to the advisement of the MLB and the proposal from the administration.
The government’s promise to quickly vaccinate the squads that will be involved in the season when it starts, which is behind its request for a delay, can still be implemented but the players Union must be carried along with the necessary information that will provide a basis for agreeing to the delay.
Otherwise, the stand-down between organisation and union will only hurt the sport, something both parties must try to avoid, especially in these times of the pandemic, where sports has been very helpful to those dealt a serious blow by the coronavirus and all its attendant hardships.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
