MLB in May – The Arizona Plan – Would Be a Disaster
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, before America’s suburban sprawl, the “job creators” in certain industries had a problem. Coal mines, railroad lines, and lumber camps were so far removed from population centers that there weren’t enough workers nearby. The solution was the development of company towns, in which the company built entire villages, complete with homes, stores, churches, and schools- all owned by the company, of course.
Mostly, these were humanitarian disasters, essentially reinventing indentured servitude. The company could charge absurd prices for goods since they controlled wages and owned the only general store around for miles. Workers and their families would frequently become indebted to the company as a result, and couldn’t quit until they paid off their balance, which was nearly impossible. They often imposed puritanical rules on employees/residents, even keeping them trapped behind fences in some cases, unable to leave or exercise free will.
MLB’s Arizona plan to kickstart the baseball season in May, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, would resurrect many of the concepts behind company towns- most of them bad. In a vacuum, we’d all love to see MLB resume as soon as possible, but not at the expense of the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of the players and support staff. The proposal shows flagrant disregard for the working conditions of MLB employees- including not only players and coaches but security, maintenance staff, grounds crews, and more- as well as a poor grasp on the logistical realities of running 30 baseball organizations. Here are some of the holes in the plan large enough for an 18-wheeler to pass through.
What happens if there’s a positive test?
The Arizona plan to sequester a few thousand people with as little in-person contact as possible with the outside world. From what we know about COVID-19, symptoms could remain dormant for two weeks, and 16 states have instituted some variation of 14-day quarantine rules. Obviously, this virus can spread quickly, and someone might be unaware that they’re a carrier for a few weeks.
Odds are decent that someone in the MLB bubble will bring the virus with them. It’s important to note that, while the players are young and healthy, this doesn’t mean the disease wouldn’t be catastrophic. First of all, there are many people beyond players who will be part of the insular community of varying ages and levels of fitness and even some players with immunocompromisation. Secondly, even though young athletes aren’t the most high risk for severe complications, they can still occur.
If there is a positive test in camp, how would MLB isolate not only that person but everyone who’s been in contact with them over the past 14 days? That would likely be the entire operation, an entire team at the very least. Everything would have to shut down once again, risking injuries to pitchers, especially those who aren’t used to these interruptions in throwing routines. Far more importantly, medical personnel will have to be called in to manage a contained-yet-encompassing spread. This will pull already-scarce resources away from the general public.
Then, there are the legal and contractual ramifications. MLB will have failed to keep their employees safe. More than that, they will have forced them to live in a dangerous environment. Unless they’re completely asleep at the wheel, the MLB Players Association should never agree to this Arizona plan that puts their members in harm’s way, but most of the people involved won’t be unionized at all, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to their employers. It’s highly unlikely that MLB will provide the safe workspace these people deserve.
All of this doesn’t even compare to the biggest consequence of all: someone might die. It doesn’t matter if that person is a player, a trainer, a camera operator, or a custodian. The very real possibility of death should be enough to make MLB reconsider this Arizona plan.
Would that many people really sequester themselves for their job?
We each have our own priority totem pole. For some of us, our job might rank #1, but for most people, it’s a little further down. The same goes for baseball players, not to mention everyone else necessary to run the MLB camp. They are, after all, human beings with families and friends.
During last year’s NLDS, Nationals reliever Daniel Hudson stepped away from the team to attend the birth of his child. This was absolutely his right, as collectively bargained by the union, and he chose to be present for this beautiful, imperative family moment. (As a father of two, I can say there is nothing in the world that should make you miss the birth of a child, let alone a job.) Under a sequester, this would be nearly impossible. How many people would choose to work at the MLB test tube with a pregnant partner at home? How could MLB reasonably ask this of their employees?
Worse yet, someone’s family member will become infected. How can you tell them to stay in Arizona when their family needs them? Even outside of COVID-19, emergencies happen all the time, inevitably and unpredictably. Who could be expected to stand in a third base coaching box or drag an infield while their loved ones suffer?
If- when- someone does leave the facility, would they have to stay in complete confinement for two weeks? Human beings are social animals; we don’t do well in isolation. Is it even legal for an employer to require complete quarantine of its employees? Would they be allowed to come back at all? Would someone land on the 60-day IL because they went out for a burger?
Speaking of food, MLB and its affiliates don’t have a great track record of taking great care of their workers. While the major league players and coaches would certainly be well cared for, what kind of life will everyone else have? Will all the security guards have to squabble over one loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter like the minor leaguers do? MLB and MiLB don’t even take care of their employees during normal circumstances. If they want to build a company town, we can’t trust they will provide any better than the coal mining companies of a century ago.
Would this Arizona plan even work?
Apart from the human rights disquietudes implicit in this proposal, there are several logistical hurdles. Passan’s article doesn’t mention minor leaguers at all. Are they invited? It would be pretty difficult to envision MLB without teams able to call players up and send them down. Most likely, they will need some portion of the minor leagues to operate as well, which will at least double the size of the entire endeavor. In addition to increasing risk, this will greatly add to the challenges of feeding, housing, and finding adequate baseball facilities.
The game itself would also be drastically altered. How does a manager run a team with players sitting six feet apart in the stands? They would have to practically shout to get their players’ attention, and in an empty stadium, the element of surprise is lost. The alternative would be electronic communication, but they probably don’t want to go down that road. Could you imagine them handing the Astros a bunch of smartwatches? There will be a robotic strike zone as well because the home plate umpire can’t get too close to the catcher. Doesn’t this mostly defeat the purpose of having a home plate ump? More importantly, a robo-ump carries its own set of problems.
In fact, this all seems a little too convenient. Two of MLB’s most controversial ideas in recent years have been the reduction of the minor leagues and a robotic strike zone. Now, they’re saying the only way we can play baseball in 2020 is with this Arizona plan that… reduces the minor leagues and institutes a robotic strike zone. It seems more like MLB is using the cover of the pandemic to push their penny-pinching agenda. They’ve already dramatically reduced the draft. (It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, but the NFL kept their draft unaltered except for the in-person event). It would only be a matter of time before MLB owners cry poverty at the loss of gate revenue, jettisoning their most financially vulnerable employees.
There are simply too many risks, too many unanswered questions in this half-baked proposal to carry it forward. We all want to see MLB resume as soon as possible, but not a moment sooner. It’s just not possible yet. No one should be forced to live and work in an MLB company town. Safety has to remain the first priority right now, and MLB can’t reasonably pull this off without a high chance of disaster.
-Daniel R. Epstein
