Arlington and Houston included in MLB bubble plan
ARLINGTON, Texas — It has been a strange but exciting season for Major League Baseball. And at this point, we are close enough to the finish line to believe that the 2020 season will be completed. It has the potential to be one of the most thrilling finishes in MLB history.
However, as we look ahead to the playoffs, it’s apparent that the regular season approach to playing games will not be a viable option. We’ve seen a handful of teams halt play due to positive COVID-19 tests during the regular season. The St. Louis Cardinals were inactive from July 30-Aug. 14. If this were to happen in the middle of the playoffs, it could threaten the entire postseason.
With this as the primary concern, MLB has finalized its plan for a postseason bubble. With the MLBPA approval, this plan certifies that no team will play the divisional or championship series in their home ballpark.
https://twitter.com/lindseyadler/status/1305928213730918400
The 16-team playoffs will start with a three-game Wild Card Series all taking place at the higher seed’s ballpark. Once those games are completed, the remaining teams would travel to their respective bubbles. The National League teams would travel to Texas. One series will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and the other will be played at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Arlington is also the host of the National League Championship Series and the World Series. It will be the first time since 1944 that the World Series is played entirely at one site.
The remaining American League teams will be heading to California. The Division Series will be played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and San Diego’s Petco Park. Petco Park is also the host of the American League Championship Series.
Executive Director Tony Clark today issued the following statement about the agreement reached with MLB regarding health & safety protocols for the postseason: pic.twitter.com/lKAG7dLq7t
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) September 15, 2020
It’s a great sign to see that MLB has agreed to a plan like this. With the success of the NBA and the NHL bubbles, it was only a matter of time before baseball adopted this idea. A few months ago, playing baseball seemed like a pipe dream. Now we are just a few weeks away from playoff action.
