Elephant Rumblings: Teams could lose $4B if 2020 MLB season canceled

Good morning, Athletics Nation!

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred did an interview on CNN on Thursday, in which he expressed optimism in baseball returning in time for a 2020 season. (Scroll down to the Twitter section of this post to see a few minutes of it.)

Of course, Manfred doesn’t expect there to be fans in the stands, but at least some games could be played. He expressed confidence that the “vast, vast majority” of players will be willing to play when it’s safe, but that the league won’t “force” anyone to do so.

Perhaps the most interesting detail is what happens if a player or other personnel tests positive. Whereas Korea’s KBO will shut down for three weeks over any positive test, MLB plans to merely quarantine that player and continue testing everyone he’s had contact with.

The big takeaway, though? Manfred says that if the season is canceled, the 30 teams will combine to lose upward of $4 billion.

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And now for something completely different.

A couple weeks ago, I did a Today In A’s History post about the first-ever Philadelphia A’s game back in 1901. There wasn’t a box score to work with, so the post was mostly just about the 1901 season overall. However, community member Notcom notched the clutch hit by finding that box score in the old newspaper archives.

I’ve added it to the History post, and you can click here to see the updated version with analysis of the old-timey box score. A few takeaways: Nap Lajoie scored the A’s only run in a 5-1 loss, RBI weren’t a thing yet, and the A’s committed seven errors — en route to a season total of 337, which ranked almost exactly league-average that year. It was a different game back then.

A’s Coverage:

• Kamath: Art Howe describes coronavirus symptoms, ICU stay
• Hickey: Ex-Athletics Manager Art Howe in ICU in Houston Battling Coronavirus
• Hickey: Howard Terminal’s Future Cloudy for Athletics in a Time of Pandemic
• Seamheads podcast: Will the players actually agree to the new proposal? (Apple) | Spotify | Stitcher
• Brazil: How MLB legend Ozzie Smith inspires Tony Kemp in bid for A’s starting job
• Melissa Lockard Q&A: A’s, Giants and the abbreviated MLB Draft ($$$)
• Hall: Former Oakland A’s manager Art Howe in ICU with coronavirus
• Hall: Potential DH candidates for each NL West team

MLB News & Interest:

• Diamond and Radnofsky: Frequent Tests and No Spitting: How Baseball Plans to Keep Players Healthy ($$$)
• Adams (roundup): Latest On MLB’s Proposal For Return To Play
• Todd (roundup): Manfred Expresses Optimism For 2020 Season
• Tolentino: Blake Snell stands by comments, says he’ll stream despite latest viral moment ($$$)
• Rosenthal: Nolan Arenado on talks with MLB, health risks and wanting to play ($$$)
• Jennings: How a 24-year-old Red Sox writer turned a hobby into $60,000 charity fundraiser ($$$)
• Byrne: Is Big Papi A Hall Of Famer?
• Today in Baseball History

Best of Twitter:

Clip of Manfred speaking with CNN.

All the best to Howe from Athletics Nation!

The Masked Pitcher (click here for the full story!)

Well isn’t that interesting! He did grow up in nearby Nevada, after all.

The Marlins’ youth movement may finally have gone too far this time.