Governor Newsom says sports without fans in California is possible by June

So much of Major League Baseball’s plans to begin its 2020 season are contingent upon being allowed to do so in the cities and states in which their teams play. On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom provided hope for that clearance for what would be five teams.

Newsom said recent coronavirus numbers in the state allowed for a number of California counties to proceed to Stage 2 of his four-stage plan to re-open various businesses.

As it pertains to the Dodgers, Newsom further noted on Monday that we could see sporting events as early as next month, provided the numbers in the state continue to improve.

“We expect if we hold the rate of transmissions, we hold the positivity rate down and we continue to do justice to the hospitalization and ICU numbers that we’ll be making announcements statewide, and not just with regional variances, that would allow for retail not just to be picked up, but in-store retail to be loosened,” Newsom said.

“In addition to that, sporting events, pro sports, in that first week or so of June, without spectators, and modifications and very prescriptive conditions, can also begin to move forward. A number of other sectors of our economy can open up if we continue these trend lines.”

Major League Baseball over the weekend provided an in-progress 67-page protocol guideline for safety and testing once the sport returns, and last week commissioner Rob Manfred told Newsom the sport would comply with state guidelines, per the Los Angeles Times.

Any sort of regular season for baseball, which is contingent upon testing, the safety of everyone involved, and the approval of players, likely wouldn’t start until July. But for California, home to five major league teams, at least providing the inkling that a go-ahead is possible by then, the likelihood of baseball returning to the state increases.