Ken Rosenthal is Out Here Giving Baseball Fans Hope That a 2020 MLB Season Will Actually Happen

Unlike cheery basketball and hockey fans, baseball diehards are absolutely miserable right now. With the NBA and NHL slated to return later this summer with an actual roadmap in place, Major League Baseball and its players association are really nowhere near reaching an agreement to start up their season. But while ESPN's Tim Kurkjian said he "believes more than ever" the 2020 campaign will be cancelled, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is giving fans some hope.

During an appearance on FOX Sports on Friday, Rosenthal says that while a proposed July 4 return-to-play plan is now out the window, he's confident that baseball will be played in 2020.

The league and the MLBPA remain in deep disagreement over the financial terms by which a season would be played out in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The players proposed a 114-game season that would have started in late June and concluded on October 31; days later, owners sent a counteroffer of a 50-game campaign that would have paid players far less, a plan so unpopular that some are reportedly contemplating sitting out the season.

As Rosenthal notes, a July 4 return would have been perfect for MLB. They'd have nearly a full month of being the sole American sports league playing actual games, and would thus increase their popularity, Instead, both sides have blown that opportunity, and are on the verge of turning off their entire fan base.

We hope that Rosenthal is right in his assessment, but we'd still categorize this as wishful thinking.