Maybe Baseball Can Help....

What a perfect metaphor for 2020.

Lightening, thunder and unrelenting rain to ruin, and prematurely bring an end to,  a joyless game.  

But I noticed something else, as well.

Baseball might just be demonstrating to the country the proper way to deal with this pandemic.

Players are tested every day and, if they test positive...even with no symptoms....they are properly isolated from others, and all their recent contacts are " traced," tested and similarly quarantined if they test positive. 

Despite the importance of the player.... e.g. Washington learned at 9:00 am the day of the opening game that their star outfielder had tested positive..... the same actions will be taken. There are no exceptions.

Specifically, that player will be quarantined for a proscribed number of days, and may not return to the team until he has twice tested positive, at medically recommended intervals.  The team and the game take precedence over individual desires, and yet the health of the ill person remains paramount.

In other words, staying home when you may be sick ( asymptomatic ) is the right thing for everyone. Of course, frequent, accurate and immediately available results from testing are required.  America has pretty much dropped the ball on this so far. 

In addition, masks are required whenever practicable, and social distancing gets the same treatment. Bench players, for example, were not in the dugout...but in the stands wearing masks, several rows separating them.

It may not be perfect, but it is allowing them to safely return to a workplace which has high risk factors....closeness, hard breathing due to exertion, shouting, perspiring,
common ball touchings ( couldn't resist) etc.

They have thought this scientifically-derived process through, and it might just work.

There will not be any fans because fans cannot yet be regulated like that ( inadequate testing), and have shown that they will not co-operate anyway ( mis-guided, self indulgent attitudes ).  

But if they watch their fairy tale idols adhering to a medically derived protocol, and all accepting it as part of the new normal...maybe they will catch on. 

If I am right, baseball will actually matter this year.