Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans were unable to attend games during the 2020 MLB season. However, this might change during later stages of the playoffs, according to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.

Speaking at a recent virtual event, Manfred said that the league hopes to have fans at stadiums in some capacity during League Championship Games and World Series.

“I think it’s important for us to start back down the road,” said Manfred. “Obviously, it’ll be limited numbers, socially distanced, protection provided for the fans in terms of temperature checks and the like. Kind of the pods like you saw in some of the NFL games. We’ll probably use that same theory. But I do think it’s important as we look forward to 2021 to get back to the idea that live sports, they’re generally outdoors, at least our games. And it’s something that we can get back to.”

Some leagues, like NFL, started opening their stadiums to fans, but MLB decided to see out the regular season in front of empty stands. Still, the league is reportedly leaving the possibility to change their policy at some point during the postseason.

Having fans at parks will mostly depend on MLB’s plan to stage the playoffs in a bubble setting. According to reports, the league plans to play the first round at the park of the higher-seeded team, while Divisional Series, League Championship Series, and World Series would take place at four stadiums: Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, San Diego’s Petco Park, Houston’s Minute Maid Park and Globe Life Field in Arlington.

The post MLB Hopes to Have Fans at Games During Later Stages of Playoffs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Colorado Rockies are getting a big reinforcement ahead of their final stretch of games in the 2020 MLB regular season. The team confirmed on Wednesday that they have activated All-Star outfielder David Dahl from the Injured List and expect him to return to the starting lineup soon.

Dahl spent the previous three weeks on IL, having dealt with back issues that limited him to 19 games in 2020. He struggled in the first part of the season and currently has a batting average of .189 with zero home runs and seven RBIs.

“We’re going to take it day by day,” Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters. “We have 18 games left, and David has been down for a while. Hopefully, he can make a contribution in some way.”

The Rockies hope that the time off helped David Dahl rediscover his form and that he’ll be able to give his contribution to the team’s postseason bid. Dahl was one of Colorado’s best players in 2019, batting .302 and earning an All-Star selection. He also had 15 homers and 61 RBIs.

The Rockies are currently out of the playoff picture with a 20-23 record but can get in if they are able to string together series of good results. They are currently 1.5 games behind Miami Marlins, who hold the last playoff spot in National League, while the seventh-seeded San Francisco Giants are also not so far ahead.

The post Rockies Activate All-Star David Dahl, Expect Him to Play Soon appeared first on SportzBonanza.

One of the major rule changes made for the 2020 MLB season was the addition of a runner on second base at the beginning of each extra inning frame.

Commissioner Rob Manfred argued that this rule would help eliminate marathon extra-inning games in the interest of player health in the condensed 2020 season.

While Manfred may have had his logic in implementing this new quirk, some players and managers were not so thrilled about the new rule. After he was asked about the new rule on Wednesday, you can add star Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw to the list.

Kershaw was asked about the new rule after a 6-4 extra-innings win against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, which saw the extra runner score to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead.

Kershaw said, “it’s not real baseball, but it’s fine for this year, and I hope we never do it again.” Thankfully for Kershaw, while no decision has been made on the new rule in regular seasons going forward, it will not be included in this year’s postseason.

Interestingly, the Dodgers have come out on the right end of most of their extra innings matchups this season, going 5-1 in said games.

The Dodgers currently have baseball’s best record at a blistering 32-12, and look to be a lock for their eighth consecutive NL West pennant.

The post Dodgers SP Clayton Kershaw Criticizes MLB Extra Inning Rule appeared first on SportzBonanza.

We could have expanded playoffs in the 2020 MLB season after all. According to ESPN, the league and the MLB Players’ Association are currently talking about increasing the number of postseason spots from 10 to 16 for this year.

The two sides had a similar discussion last month while trying to work out a plan for baseball return in 2020. However, as two sides couldn’t agree on several other terms and abandoned negotiations, this idea was shelved.

Now, MLB is trying to have another go at the expanded playoffs before the start of the regular season and is reportedly optimistic that the union would be open to the proposal.

Having six more teams in the playoffs would likely benefit both sides. MLB would get more games in a shorted season while getting more money from TV rights, which account for the majority of league’s revenues this year as the coronavirus pandemic removed the fans from stands.

Players, on the other hand, will get playoff bonuses and have their earnings increased in a year when they are set to earn just around 40 percent of their usual salaries.

In case that the league and MLBPA come to an agreement, the first round of the playoffs will most likely be best-of-three due to an already packed schedule. The rest of the postseason is expected to follow the standard format. 

The post MLB and Union Discuss Expanding Playoffs to 16 Teams appeared first on SportzBonanza.

MLB will try to recreate the feeling of packed stadiums for the 2020 MLB season, despite the fact that fans won’t be able to attend games this year.

The league announced on Thursday that each ballpark will play crowd noises during games in order to replicate the in-game experience. The noise will be taken from official game MLB The Show and sound engineers will have 75 different sound bites to chose from.

The crowd audio for MLB The Show has been captured over the years from real-life games.

“There was some reticence when you first talk about crowd noise in an empty ballpark because you don’t want to do something that is distracting,” said MLB’s executive vice president for strategy, technology, and innovation. “It is heard in a way that is natural with the play of the game and on-field. The sounds do match what is happening.”

The league already tested the feature during training camp scrimmage games and will also use it in the upcoming exhibition games ahead of the 2020 season start.

Soccer competitions previously used the same trick in order to provide more authentic feel to games in front of empty stands. England’s Premier League and Spain’s La Liga turned to EA Games for samples and played crowd noise from FIFA video games.

Reportedly, the NBA is planning to do the same during the games in Orlando.

The post MLB to Play Crowd Noise from Video Games on Stadiums appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Los Angeles Angels dual-threat phenom Shohei Ohtani took the mound in an intrasquad scrimmage at Angel Stadium on Tuesday, marking the first time he had pitched competitively since 2018 following Tommy John surgery.

Ohtani, who pitched in 10 games in his debut season before being shut down due to arm troubles, spent last season only playing as a designated hitter, batting .286 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI for Los Angeles.

In his limited time on the mound in 2018, the native of Japan impressed with a 4-2 record and a 3.31 ERA, striking out 63 batters in only 51.2 innings pitched.

Ohtani was a bit rusty on the mound on Tuesday, as he walked eight batters in only 50 pitches thrown. He also reportedly uncorked a pair of wild pitches.

The two-way star seemed unconcerned about his shaky performance, stating, “I was able to throw all my pitches today, so I’m just going to try to build on that.”

While Ohtani has been valuable at the Angels for the plate since coming over from Japan, if he is able to return to the Angels’ roster and contribute as a force on the mound, his worth to the team will increase exponentially.

The post Angels P Shohei Ohtani Returns to the Mound After Tommy John Surgery appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The San Francisco Giants came up with an original plan to address the absence of an audience at the stadiums this season. The team announced on Thursday that they plan to place cutout images of fans on the stands during their home games.

The team sent a letter to their season-ticket holders, asking them to provide an image which would then be made into a cutout and placed “as close as possible” to their original seats. All the displays will be made out of waterproof material and come free of charge.

In the letter, the organization said that the Giants Fan Cutout Program, as it was named, will give fans an opportunity to “be at Oracle Park even when you’re home watching the game.” Those who don’t have a season-ticket will be able to be part of the program as well for a price of $99.

MLB previously announced that the 2020 season will consist of 60 games, with the scheduled Opening Day in late July. As of now, the fans won’t be permitted at the stadium, but the league might change its decision depending on the situation concerning the coronavirus pandemic. 

The post San Francisco Giants Will Display Cutout Images of Fans in the Stands appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After a long process of failed negotiations, rows between owners and players, and rejected proposals between the league and its union, Major League Baseball announced on Monday night that it is going to unilaterally implement a plan for baseball to return in July.

After the players rejected the league’s final proposal over the weekend, it asked commissioner Rob Manfred to unilaterally implement a plan for the regular season and playoffs per a March agreement that allowed this sort of move as a last resort.

Manfred’s decision was then to proceed with the season per his own terms, including a 60-game regular season and a playoff format which would be unchanged, involving ten teams.

Players are set to receive full pro-rated compensation for these 60 games along with the playoffs, and the theoretical Opening Day is set to be on July 24th.

In order for the plan to be put in motion and become “official,” the MLBPA will be asked to confirm to the league that it will be able to have its players report to MLB stadiums by July 1st in order to begin a training period. In addition, it will be asked to comply with and agree to a set of safety protocols.

These final two details are widely expected to be accepted by the union, which means that the baseball season could finally be set to take place after months of drama and uncertainty.

The post MLB Set to Begin a 60-Game Season on July 24th appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Major League Baseball, its owners, and its players appear to be closer than ever to coming to an agreement to play the 2020 season, but a significant stumbling block remains that must be solved before the league’s return finally comes.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and MLB Players Association president Tony Clark were said to have had a productive meeting on Tuesday in which they were able to come to an agreement on several key points related to the 2020 season.

However, players are still reportedly unhappy with the proposed regular season of 60 games that the league is offering, despite its assurances that it will pay players their full pro-rated salary for those games.

The postponement of the beginning of the 2020 season, which began as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and has morphed into a labor dispute, could have theoretically already happened. However, the league and its owners and the players have had multiple disagreements about how and the compensation that will be given to the participating players.

Many of the league’s top stars, such as Angels OF Mike Trout and Yankees SP Gerrit Cole, published a simple message on Twitter this week reiterating their desire for an agreement and a return to action.

If the 2020 season is to take place, time is running out for the players and the league to reach a satisfactory agreement that will allow them to return to the field.

The post MLB Makes Progress on the 2020 Season, But Disagreement Remains appeared first on SportzBonanza.

In yet another disappointing stumbling block as Major League Baseball, its owners, and its players attempt to reach a deal to begin the 2020 season, the MLB Players Association has once again rejected the league’s proposal for the currently-suspended season.

The back-and-forth between the players and the league and its owners has still failed to reach a point of agreement, as players feel that the league and its owners are trying to short-change them financially.

The latest proposal from MLB included a 72-game regular-season schedule with 70% pro-rated pay. This, in effect, was no different financially from their previously-rejected offer which included full pay for a schedule around 50 games.

MLB Players Association president Tony Clark said that “our sport deserves the fullest 2020 season possible,” calling both the number of games offered up in the league’s latest proposal as well as its financial offer to players insufficient.

The MLBPA declined to counter-offer the latest proposal from the league, instead asking MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to step in and unilaterally impose a schedule for the 2020 season in order to allow the competition to begin.

It remains unclear what Manfred’s next move will be, but this saga is moving closer and closer towards MLB’s first official work stoppage since the strike-shortened 1994 season.

The post MLB Players Reject the League’s Latest 2020 Season Proposal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans were unable to attend games during the 2020 MLB season. However, this might change during later stages of the playoffs, according to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.

Speaking at a recent virtual event, Manfred said that the league hopes to have fans at stadiums in some capacity during League Championship Games and World Series.

“I think it’s important for us to start back down the road,” said Manfred. “Obviously, it’ll be limited numbers, socially distanced, protection provided for the fans in terms of temperature checks and the like. Kind of the pods like you saw in some of the NFL games. We’ll probably use that same theory. But I do think it’s important as we look forward to 2021 to get back to the idea that live sports, they’re generally outdoors, at least our games. And it’s something that we can get back to.”

Some leagues, like NFL, started opening their stadiums to fans, but MLB decided to see out the regular season in front of empty stands. Still, the league is reportedly leaving the possibility to change their policy at some point during the postseason.

Having fans at parks will mostly depend on MLB’s plan to stage the playoffs in a bubble setting. According to reports, the league plans to play the first round at the park of the higher-seeded team, while Divisional Series, League Championship Series, and World Series would take place at four stadiums: Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, San Diego’s Petco Park, Houston’s Minute Maid Park and Globe Life Field in Arlington.

The post MLB Hopes to Have Fans at Games During Later Stages of Playoffs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Colorado Rockies are getting a big reinforcement ahead of their final stretch of games in the 2020 MLB regular season. The team confirmed on Wednesday that they have activated All-Star outfielder David Dahl from the Injured List and expect him to return to the starting lineup soon.

Dahl spent the previous three weeks on IL, having dealt with back issues that limited him to 19 games in 2020. He struggled in the first part of the season and currently has a batting average of .189 with zero home runs and seven RBIs.

“We’re going to take it day by day,” Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters. “We have 18 games left, and David has been down for a while. Hopefully, he can make a contribution in some way.”

The Rockies hope that the time off helped David Dahl rediscover his form and that he’ll be able to give his contribution to the team’s postseason bid. Dahl was one of Colorado’s best players in 2019, batting .302 and earning an All-Star selection. He also had 15 homers and 61 RBIs.

The Rockies are currently out of the playoff picture with a 20-23 record but can get in if they are able to string together series of good results. They are currently 1.5 games behind Miami Marlins, who hold the last playoff spot in National League, while the seventh-seeded San Francisco Giants are also not so far ahead.

The post Rockies Activate All-Star David Dahl, Expect Him to Play Soon appeared first on SportzBonanza.

One of the major rule changes made for the 2020 MLB season was the addition of a runner on second base at the beginning of each extra inning frame.

Commissioner Rob Manfred argued that this rule would help eliminate marathon extra-inning games in the interest of player health in the condensed 2020 season.

While Manfred may have had his logic in implementing this new quirk, some players and managers were not so thrilled about the new rule. After he was asked about the new rule on Wednesday, you can add star Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw to the list.

Kershaw was asked about the new rule after a 6-4 extra-innings win against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, which saw the extra runner score to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead.

Kershaw said, “it’s not real baseball, but it’s fine for this year, and I hope we never do it again.” Thankfully for Kershaw, while no decision has been made on the new rule in regular seasons going forward, it will not be included in this year’s postseason.

Interestingly, the Dodgers have come out on the right end of most of their extra innings matchups this season, going 5-1 in said games.

The Dodgers currently have baseball’s best record at a blistering 32-12, and look to be a lock for their eighth consecutive NL West pennant.

The post Dodgers SP Clayton Kershaw Criticizes MLB Extra Inning Rule appeared first on SportzBonanza.

We could have expanded playoffs in the 2020 MLB season after all. According to ESPN, the league and the MLB Players’ Association are currently talking about increasing the number of postseason spots from 10 to 16 for this year.

The two sides had a similar discussion last month while trying to work out a plan for baseball return in 2020. However, as two sides couldn’t agree on several other terms and abandoned negotiations, this idea was shelved.

Now, MLB is trying to have another go at the expanded playoffs before the start of the regular season and is reportedly optimistic that the union would be open to the proposal.

Having six more teams in the playoffs would likely benefit both sides. MLB would get more games in a shorted season while getting more money from TV rights, which account for the majority of league’s revenues this year as the coronavirus pandemic removed the fans from stands.

Players, on the other hand, will get playoff bonuses and have their earnings increased in a year when they are set to earn just around 40 percent of their usual salaries.

In case that the league and MLBPA come to an agreement, the first round of the playoffs will most likely be best-of-three due to an already packed schedule. The rest of the postseason is expected to follow the standard format. 

The post MLB and Union Discuss Expanding Playoffs to 16 Teams appeared first on SportzBonanza.

MLB will try to recreate the feeling of packed stadiums for the 2020 MLB season, despite the fact that fans won’t be able to attend games this year.

The league announced on Thursday that each ballpark will play crowd noises during games in order to replicate the in-game experience. The noise will be taken from official game MLB The Show and sound engineers will have 75 different sound bites to chose from.

The crowd audio for MLB The Show has been captured over the years from real-life games.

“There was some reticence when you first talk about crowd noise in an empty ballpark because you don’t want to do something that is distracting,” said MLB’s executive vice president for strategy, technology, and innovation. “It is heard in a way that is natural with the play of the game and on-field. The sounds do match what is happening.”

The league already tested the feature during training camp scrimmage games and will also use it in the upcoming exhibition games ahead of the 2020 season start.

Soccer competitions previously used the same trick in order to provide more authentic feel to games in front of empty stands. England’s Premier League and Spain’s La Liga turned to EA Games for samples and played crowd noise from FIFA video games.

Reportedly, the NBA is planning to do the same during the games in Orlando.

The post MLB to Play Crowd Noise from Video Games on Stadiums appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Los Angeles Angels dual-threat phenom Shohei Ohtani took the mound in an intrasquad scrimmage at Angel Stadium on Tuesday, marking the first time he had pitched competitively since 2018 following Tommy John surgery.

Ohtani, who pitched in 10 games in his debut season before being shut down due to arm troubles, spent last season only playing as a designated hitter, batting .286 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI for Los Angeles.

In his limited time on the mound in 2018, the native of Japan impressed with a 4-2 record and a 3.31 ERA, striking out 63 batters in only 51.2 innings pitched.

Ohtani was a bit rusty on the mound on Tuesday, as he walked eight batters in only 50 pitches thrown. He also reportedly uncorked a pair of wild pitches.

The two-way star seemed unconcerned about his shaky performance, stating, “I was able to throw all my pitches today, so I’m just going to try to build on that.”

While Ohtani has been valuable at the Angels for the plate since coming over from Japan, if he is able to return to the Angels’ roster and contribute as a force on the mound, his worth to the team will increase exponentially.

The post Angels P Shohei Ohtani Returns to the Mound After Tommy John Surgery appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The San Francisco Giants came up with an original plan to address the absence of an audience at the stadiums this season. The team announced on Thursday that they plan to place cutout images of fans on the stands during their home games.

The team sent a letter to their season-ticket holders, asking them to provide an image which would then be made into a cutout and placed “as close as possible” to their original seats. All the displays will be made out of waterproof material and come free of charge.

In the letter, the organization said that the Giants Fan Cutout Program, as it was named, will give fans an opportunity to “be at Oracle Park even when you’re home watching the game.” Those who don’t have a season-ticket will be able to be part of the program as well for a price of $99.

MLB previously announced that the 2020 season will consist of 60 games, with the scheduled Opening Day in late July. As of now, the fans won’t be permitted at the stadium, but the league might change its decision depending on the situation concerning the coronavirus pandemic. 

The post San Francisco Giants Will Display Cutout Images of Fans in the Stands appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After a long process of failed negotiations, rows between owners and players, and rejected proposals between the league and its union, Major League Baseball announced on Monday night that it is going to unilaterally implement a plan for baseball to return in July.

After the players rejected the league’s final proposal over the weekend, it asked commissioner Rob Manfred to unilaterally implement a plan for the regular season and playoffs per a March agreement that allowed this sort of move as a last resort.

Manfred’s decision was then to proceed with the season per his own terms, including a 60-game regular season and a playoff format which would be unchanged, involving ten teams.

Players are set to receive full pro-rated compensation for these 60 games along with the playoffs, and the theoretical Opening Day is set to be on July 24th.

In order for the plan to be put in motion and become “official,” the MLBPA will be asked to confirm to the league that it will be able to have its players report to MLB stadiums by July 1st in order to begin a training period. In addition, it will be asked to comply with and agree to a set of safety protocols.

These final two details are widely expected to be accepted by the union, which means that the baseball season could finally be set to take place after months of drama and uncertainty.

The post MLB Set to Begin a 60-Game Season on July 24th appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Major League Baseball, its owners, and its players appear to be closer than ever to coming to an agreement to play the 2020 season, but a significant stumbling block remains that must be solved before the league’s return finally comes.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and MLB Players Association president Tony Clark were said to have had a productive meeting on Tuesday in which they were able to come to an agreement on several key points related to the 2020 season.

However, players are still reportedly unhappy with the proposed regular season of 60 games that the league is offering, despite its assurances that it will pay players their full pro-rated salary for those games.

The postponement of the beginning of the 2020 season, which began as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and has morphed into a labor dispute, could have theoretically already happened. However, the league and its owners and the players have had multiple disagreements about how and the compensation that will be given to the participating players.

Many of the league’s top stars, such as Angels OF Mike Trout and Yankees SP Gerrit Cole, published a simple message on Twitter this week reiterating their desire for an agreement and a return to action.

If the 2020 season is to take place, time is running out for the players and the league to reach a satisfactory agreement that will allow them to return to the field.

The post MLB Makes Progress on the 2020 Season, But Disagreement Remains appeared first on SportzBonanza.

In yet another disappointing stumbling block as Major League Baseball, its owners, and its players attempt to reach a deal to begin the 2020 season, the MLB Players Association has once again rejected the league’s proposal for the currently-suspended season.

The back-and-forth between the players and the league and its owners has still failed to reach a point of agreement, as players feel that the league and its owners are trying to short-change them financially.

The latest proposal from MLB included a 72-game regular-season schedule with 70% pro-rated pay. This, in effect, was no different financially from their previously-rejected offer which included full pay for a schedule around 50 games.

MLB Players Association president Tony Clark said that “our sport deserves the fullest 2020 season possible,” calling both the number of games offered up in the league’s latest proposal as well as its financial offer to players insufficient.

The MLBPA declined to counter-offer the latest proposal from the league, instead asking MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to step in and unilaterally impose a schedule for the 2020 season in order to allow the competition to begin.

It remains unclear what Manfred’s next move will be, but this saga is moving closer and closer towards MLB’s first official work stoppage since the strike-shortened 1994 season.

The post MLB Players Reject the League’s Latest 2020 Season Proposal appeared first on SportzBonanza.