MLB and NHL’suspend seasons | Daily Mail Online

Major League Baseball is delaying the start of its season by at least two weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak and suspended the rest of its spring training game schedule while the NHL followed the NBA and Major League Soccer in suspending its season indefinitely. 

The NFL, meanwhile, has no current plan to delay the start of its 2020 campaign.

Baseball’s opening day had been scheduled for March 26.

MLB had continued to play into Thursday and the announcement came while some exhibitions were still going on. But baseball changed course after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he strongly recommended to local authorities and organizers that they limit all mass gatherings.

‘MLB and the clubs have been preparing a variety of contingency plans regarding the 2020 regular season schedule,’ the commissioner’s office said in a statement. ‘MLB will announce the effects on the schedule at an appropriate time and will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible.’

MLB has not had a mass postponement of openers since 1995, when the season was shortened from 162 games to 144 following a 7 1/2-month strike that also wiped out the 1994 World Series. Opening day was pushed back from April 2 to April 26.

Also, the ATP called off all men’s professional tennis tournaments for six weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a WTA spokeswoman told The Associated Press on Thursday that the women’s tour was not immediately prepared to do the same. 

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced Thursday it is pausing its season, one day after the NBA suspended play after a player tested positive Wednesday for COVID-19.

The Capital One Arena, home of the Washington Capitals NHL hockey club, sits empty Thursday, March 12, 2020, in Washington. The NHL is following the NBA’s lead and suspending its season amid the coronavirus outbreak, the league announced Thursday

A usher, wearing protective gloves, helps a fan find their seat prior to a Grapefruit League spring training game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees at FITTEAM Ballpark of The Palm Beaches on March 12

Water covers an empty Cleveland Indians dugout during a rain delay prior to a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals at Goodyear Ballpark on March 11, 2020 in Arizona

‘In light of ongoing developments resulting from the coronavirus, and after consulting with medical experts and convening a conference call of the Board of Governors, the National Hockey League is announcing today that it will pause the 2019-20 season beginning with tonight’s games,’ Bettman said in a statement. 

‘The NHL has been attempting to follow the mandates of health experts and local authorities, while preparing for any possible developments without taking premature or unnecessary measures. However, following last night’s news that an NBA player has tested positive for coronavirus – and given that our leagues share so many facilities and locker rooms and it now seems likely that some member of the NHL community would test positive at some point – it is no longer appropriate to try to continue to play games at this time.’

The NHL is halting play with 189 games left in the season and uncertainty about how many more – if any – could be played before the playoffs. A handful of European hockey leagues have already called off the remainder of their seasons.

‘We will continue to monitor all the appropriate medical advice, and we will encourage our players and other members of the NHL community to take all reasonable precautions – including by self-quarantine, where appropriate,’ Bettman said. ‘Our goal is to resume play as soon as it is appropriate and prudent, so that we will be able to complete the season and award the Stanley Cup.’

It’s unclear what this move means for the rest of the regular season or playoffs.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber on Thursday: ‘Our clubs were united today in the decision to temporarily suspend our season – based on the advice and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Agency of Canada and other public health authorities’

The Stanley Cup has been awarded every year since 1893 with two exceptions: in 1919 when the final was canceled after five games because of the Spanish flu outbreak and in 2005 when the season was called off because of a lockout.

In anticipation of the season being suspended, numerous teams set to play road games were already finalizing plans to return home in the afternoon. The NHL preceded it’s decision to suspend the season by having all 31 teams cancel practices and pre-game skates. There were 10 games scheduled for Thursday night.

Several NFL teams have suspended travel ahead of next month’s NFL Draft, but the league has not announced any plans to delay the 2020 season or the beginning of free agency, which starts Wednesday.

‘Due to health and travel concerns surrounding COVID-19, we have informed all of our scouts and coaches that they must return to their home bases and travel will be suspended until further notice,’ Redskins owner Dan Snyder said in a statement. ‘The health and safety of our staff and players is our number one priority and we feel that these are the necessary precautions given the current circumstances.’ 

The NFL also cancelled its annual meeting, scheduled to begin at the end of March. 

‘NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell notified the clubs today that after careful consideration and consultation with medical experts, the NFL’s annual meeting scheduled for March 29-April 1 has been canceled,’ read a league statement. 

‘There will be full consideration and votes on any open football issues, including playing rules, bylaws, and resolutions, as well as other business matters that were on the agenda for the Annual Meeting, at the Spring meeting scheduled for May 19-20. Most of the first day will be dedicated to football-related issues. Head coaches and general managers will participate in the meeting.

‘This decision was made consistent with the league’s primary concern to protect the health of club and league employees and the public while enabling the league to continue with its essential business operations. ​

‘We will continue to closely monitor developments, consult with leading experts, and be prepared to make any changes necessary as circumstances warrant.’ 

National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman, left, speaks to members of the media

Meanwhile in golf, commissioner Jay Monahan announced the PGA Tour will proceed but without fans through to the Valero Texas Open in April.

‘I’ve spoken to President Trump this morning, and I spoke to (Florida state) Governor Ron DeSantis a few hours ago as well,’ Monahan said.

After the NBA suspended its season indefinitely on Wednesday night, the MLS followed by announcing a 30-day hiatus on Thursday.

‘Our clubs were united today in the decision to temporarily suspend our season – based on the advice and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Agency of Canada and other public health authorities,’ MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement Thursday.

Inter Miami, co-owned by Beckham and Jorge Mas, had been scheduled to play its home opener Saturday. MLS started its season on Feb. 29 and each of the 26 teams has played two league matches.

In addition, the U.S. Soccer Federation canceled exhibitions in March and April for its men’s and women’s national teams. The men had been scheduled to play the Netherlands in Eindhoven on March 26 and Wales four days later in Cardiff, preparation for the scheduled start of World Cup qualifying in September. The women had been slated to face Australia at Sandy, Utah, on April 10 and Brazil four days later at San Jose, California.

Mas told Inter Miami players and coaches of the MLS suspension late Thursday morning, then held a news conference at the team’s temporary stadium.

‘We think it is a prudent decision by the league, because obviously we want to protect our players and protect our fans as much as is possible for us to undertake,’ Mas said. ‘We look with optimism that we can continue building here in South Florida.’

Mas says he expects the full 34-match season to be played. He was on the league’s board of governors call on Thursday when when the decision was made, and said it was not a difficult choice.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

A crew works on a banner featuring Seattle Sounders MLS soccer players outside of CenturyLink Field. In efforts to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee announced a ban on large public gatherings in three counties in the metro Seattle area. That decision impacts the Seattle Mariners, Seattle Sounders, and the XFL’s Seattle Dragons home games

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.

Inter Miami’s stadium is located in Broward County, where seven COVID-19 cases have been confirmed as of Thursday morning. Cases have also been confirmed in Palm Beach County, on Broward’s north border, and Miami-Dade County on Broward’s south border.

‘We were 48 hours from kickoff with a tremendous amount of excitement in our community and having a full house here on Saturday,’ Mas said. ‘That does not change. It’ll just be a different date.’

Inter Miami sporting director Paul McDonough said calls would be held later Thursday to determine exactly how the team will spend the time off. Saturday would have been the first time an MLS match was played in South Florida since 2001, and Beckham’s group has been working toward getting a team back in the area for about six years.

Mas said this is just another challenge along that road.

‘We’ll deal with it the best way,’ Mas said.

Also Thursday, CONCACAF suspended matches in the CONCACAF Champions League, which is in the first leg of its quarterfinal stage. 

In this Friday, Feb. 28, 2020, file photo, a tennis fan wearing a facemask waits for the start of the semifinal matches of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The ATP called off all men’s professional tennis tournaments for six weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a WTA spokeswoman told The Associated Press on Thursday

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