Atlanta Braves season at risk as both sides dig in
On Locations and Venues
On Tuesday (May 12), this bombshell was released by a Los Angeles County official:
"Los Angeles County’s stay-at-home orders will “with all certainty” be extended for the next three months, county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer acknowledged during a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday. Ferrer later added that even if the orders remain in place through the summer, restrictions will be “gradually relaxed” under a five-step plan."
“The next three months” puts us into August, a date that seems simultaneously unfathomable and yet possible.
So think we’ll see baseball at either Dodger Stadium or Angels Stadium any time soon? Not very likely. And that’s not considering the problems in New York City or Toronto (thanks to a 14-day Canadian quarantine order).
So that bit about playing your home games in your own home parks? At least 5 venues are out of the question for now, and perhaps those in the rest of California as well (San Diego and San Francisco).
However, there’s at least one volunteer to take up the slack: Florida…
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has opened the state to any pro sport team. "What I would tell commissioners of leagues is if you have a team in an area where they just won't let 'em operate, we'll find a place for your here in the state of Florida...we know it can be done safely."
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 13, 2020
Is this a political trick? An empty gesture? Probably ‘yes’ on the first question, but ‘no’ on the second one. The offer not only appears to be genuine but also comes from a state that’s well-equipped to handle any nomadic team wanting a home-away-from-home.
Sure: it would be a shrewd economic move for the state, but it’s also an interesting and viable alternative for some clubs… though would the Dodgers really want to play regular-season home games 3000 miles away?