Baseball All Star Game Cancelled; More Players Opting Out of 2020 Season

We didn’t know it was still on, but baseball has officially cancelled the 2020 All Star Game, which had been set for Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Instead, the Dodgers will host the game in 2022. The 2021 game will be in Atlanta. It’s the first baseball All Star Game cancellation since 1945

Players are in summer camp now, gearing up for the abbreviated 60 game regular season, but Covid-19 is going to be the major factor in whatever season there is. A small number of personnel, both players and team staff, have tested positive for the virus, including Braves’ first baseman Freddy Freeman. Other players have decided to opt out of the season, per the players agreement with the owners. Dodgers’ starting pitcher David Price, acquired in a trade with the Red Sox in the off season, has decided to opt out and will make his L.A. debut in 2021. Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross, Arizona’s MIke Leake, Colorado’s Ian Desmond, and long time Seattle ace Felix Hernandez, who has a minor league deal with Atlanta, have also decided to sit out the season. All Universe outfielder Mike Trout is looking seriously at following suit, as is Giants’ catcher Buster Posey. At this point, with Covid-19 surging, we would not be surprised if the season is called off entirely, with the same possibility for the resumed NBA and the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.

Here’s some highlights from the 2019 All Star Game: