NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo makes wish for MLB's return known to Mets' Jeff Wilpon
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday he’s considering the return of baseball during the COVID-19 crisis and made his wishes known to New York Mets owner Jeff Wilpon.
It would come with the stipulation that there be no fans in attendance, but Cuomo said he might pursue it.
NY Gov. Cuomo might pursue return of MLB
Cuomo was on CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time” on Wednesday evening when his brother, Chris, asked if New Yorkers would get to see the New York Yankees play this summer.
Cuomo gave a “Go Queens” shoutout for the Mets instead and said “nobody knows” but he’d like to pursue the idea of games without fans to at least have baseball on TV for people stuck inside.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo talks about how his life has changed with coronavirus saying he dreams of a day when he never has to hear about social distancing again.
“I want the pain to stop. I want the fear to stop. I want the anxiety to stop…Let’s get back to normal.” pic.twitter.com/Zlwxua2WIw— Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) April 16, 2020
“I said why can’t we talk about a baseball season with nobody in the stands? Why can’t you play the game with the players? I think it would be good for the country. I think it would be good for people to have something to watch and do. To fight cabin fever. I think it’s something I’m going to pursue.
“Apparently Major League Baseball would have to make a deal with the players because if you have no one in the stands, then the numbers are going to change, right? The economics are going to change. But if Major League Baseball and the players could come into an agreement on how to adjust the economics for that reality, I think that would be a good thing. You know we have to start to move to normalcy and people have to see some sort of hope and light.”
MLB floats plans for quarantined season
MLB has reportedly considered plans to play most of the season while staying within federal guidelines during the pandemic and keeping its players safe.
One idea is to play all games at one central location in Florida or Arizona at empty spring training ballparks. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is on board with the idea and said the state is “very open-minded to hosting whatever Major League Baseball would like from the state.”
Plan for isolated sports draws pushback
Dr. Anthony Fauci mentioned a similar plan to bring sports back sooner in an interview late Tuesday night. The nation’s leading infectious diseases doctor has given hope to the idea we could go back to at least watching our favorite teams on TV.
Doing so would require teams to isolate in a hotel together without seeing anyone else, which has prompted concerns from some baseball players.
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout said the plan had “red flags” and posed a major concern from his own life as an example. His first child is due this summer and he won’t miss that, so would he have to quarantine for two weeks afterward?
Some players agree with Trout and others like the plan since it brings baseball back.
More from Yahoo Sports:
