MLB season postponement extended to mid-May

Major League Baseball pushed back opening day until mid-May at the earliest on Monday (16 March) because of the new coronavirus after the U.S. federal government recommended restricting events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement following a conference call with executives of the 30 teams.

“The clubs remain committed to playing as many games as possible when the season begins,” the commissioner's office said in a statement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Sunday that gatherings of 50 people or more be canceled or postponed across the country for the next eight weeks.

“The opening of the 2020 regular season will be pushed back in accordance with that guidance,” Manfred .

MLB had 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 players’ strike that also wiped out the 1994 World Series. Opening day was pushed back from 2 April to 26 April and player salaries were reduced by 11.1 percent because the games were lost due to a strike.

Should the league re-start without fans in attendance, it would not be unprecedented: unrest in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray in 2015 forced the Orioles and Chicago White Sox to play in an empty Camden Yards, a first in MLB regular-season history.