How Optimistic Are You That the 2020 Season Will Be Played?

The exact date of this season’s Opening Day is still unknown, and what with the negotiations between the players and the owners over what to do should there be no baseball played at all this year, it wouldn’t be a surprise if 2020 proved to be a lost season entirely. Given that uncertainty, having our readers guess when the season will begin might be of little utility. And of course, the subtext of guessing when the season will start involves taking a guess at when the COVID-19 pandemic will end, or at least subside sufficiently for us to attempt a return to something resembling normalcy; that’s a tricky, and potentially insensitive, question to contemplate, particularly in service of something as relatively trivial as baseball.

However, it does seem to be of some utility to determine how you, our readers and fellow baseball fans, are feeling about this baseball season. Normally, this time of year is marked by us coming together to share our hopes for individual players and teams. Optimism abounds. But players and teams are at home. So instead, we can share our hope for baseball being played at all. To that end, here is a series of questions meant to gauge your thinking on what this year will look like — or not look like — for baseball.













Thanks for your help. We will report back with your answers.





Craig Edwards can be found on twitter @craigjedwards.

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rhswanzey
4 years ago

Will there be MLB in 2020? – No (32.26%)
How many games will be played? – 0 games (27.22%)

🤦‍♂️

originallyRagsmember
4 years ago
Reply to  rhswanzey

I noted the same. I think the fact that the first question was binary and the next was not could have contributed to that (although, yes, it does offer the choice of “0” to be selected).

I think that second question would produce better results if the zero choice was removed, and instead it were worded as such: “If there *is* a season, how many games do you think will be played.” (If not “better results” then at least more non-zero results, which has some benefit).

It is quite possible that some of the non-zero answers by “No Season Responders” were of that vein (“If there is a season…”)

Anyhow, I don’t meant to be critical. Not my intent. I’m curious about this myself. believe there is about a 50% chance of play. I constantly waver on this +/- 10%. If there is play, I have envisioned a July 4 return to games, but only if on July 4 we are largely returning to something that resembles normalcy.

fjtorres
4 years ago
Reply to  originallyRags

WARNER MEDIA is betting mid-august normality.
They might be optimistic.

originallyRagsmember
4 years ago
Reply to  fjtorres

I had to Google this. I didn’t know what you were referencing.

Warner Media moved its release of “Wonder Woman 1984” to mid-August (from its original June 5).

fjtorres
4 years ago
Reply to  originallyRags

That’a big nine figure bet.

TimeToMakeTheDonuts
4 years ago
Reply to  rhswanzey

As a math teacher, this literally kills me inside.

originallyRagsmember
4 years ago

An english teacher might say you “literally” don’t know what that word means.

Sorry, man, I did get your point. ; – )

I have Asperger’s and therefore I’m a literalist to a fault, so when people use the word “literally” like that — wait for it… it literally causes my nerves to fire panic signals and my receptors become overloaded with information.

[Yes, that’s correct, I’m not a lot of fun at parties.]

I kid. Be well. : – )

sadtrombonemember
4 years ago
Reply to  originallyRags

I always imagine that “literally killing me inside” has something to do with drinking bleach to numb the pain, but realistically that’s a second-order problem and therefore not literally caused by the bad math.

Moatemember
4 years ago
Reply to  originallyRags

Literally literally means figuratively now.

dl80
4 years ago
Reply to  Moate

Exactly! As an English professor, I have to say that words are constantly changing meaning. Just think of the MTV show “Pimp My Ride,” which illustrates the verbing of a previous noun (Pimp) and the nouning of a previous verb (Ride).

Max Power
4 years ago
Reply to  rhswanzey

Maybe Q2 answers were considering the KBO?

Bipmember
4 years ago
Reply to  rhswanzey

I would expect 0 to be higher than “No” since “No” directly implies 0 games played, but someone who says “Yes” might balk and guessing a number of games played.