The Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) season is in jeopardy due to the coronavirus.
The opening of the Japanese baseball season is in doubt because of the outbreak of the new virus, officials said Monday, as the nation’s baseball and soccer leagues tapped three medical experts as advisers.
Baseball commissioner Atsushi Saito said protecting fans, players and coaches was critical. Preseason games are being played in empty stadiums, with a hope the regular season can begin as scheduled on March 20.
But Saito acknowledged assessing whether the regular season can open — and with or without fans — is a delicate decision, noting the virus outbreak wasn’t expected to subside soon.
FoxSports.com
I could see keeping domed stadiums empty, where you need to recirculate the air. Of course, one of the problems with this virus is that it is contagious before symptoms appear, so even if sick people stay home, it can still spread.
14% of those with influenza are asymptomatic snd infections. Those who recover can be infectious for 2 weeks after symptoms resolve. Nothing new here. Outside if China and Iran, both of whom have suspect numbers, mortality rate is 0.1%, same as flu.
I am worried about the dumb virus that seems to be spreading, an awful lot of that going around. Baseball has always been a safe haven from that, less so recently, but hopefully it stays that way. If we could play baseball during world wars and a true pandemic (spanish flu), we can do so with this virus.
That said, with attendance revenue a smaller fraction of the total, games without fans is not an impossible situation, so long as they watch at home. Maybe make games available for ticket holders on a special restricted channel with special cameras to enhance the view (camera on umps head for example, audio to listen in on coaches conversations with players, maybe a 30 second tape delay). Give Ticket holders free pizza delivery during game (Papa Johns or Dominos)