The Dodgers Aren't Refunding Anyone's Tickets and Fans Should Revolt

This is the time of year in which MLB fans make that customary first trek of the season to their favorite team's ballpark to catch all the sights and sounds springtime regular season baseball. This year, however, the coronavirus had other plans, as the 2020 campaign is on hold until medical experts are able to approve a safe return to action. Given this difficult reality, legions of fans who purchased tickets for this first month of games obviously won't be able to go; unfortunately, not every team is stepping up and giving folks their money back.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and StubHub -- the MLB's official ticket resale distributor -- are refusing to grant automatic refunds on tickets for games that could not take place, in keeping with the guidance of Major League Baseball itself.

The LA Angels are likewise not handing out refunds.

California law states that StubHub has to grant ticket refunds for any fan that demands one. When fans contacted the Dodgers' ticket office for refunds, however, the team cited the league's position that the games have been postponed rather than cancelled, therefore making the purchases ineligible for refund. In fact, the league is effectively treating these games as rainouts, with fans needing to stand by about future announcements of a new date.

Even though it appears increasingly unlikely that MLB will be able to play a normal 162-game schedule, the league is adamant in playing as many contests as possible. As things stand, fans just aren't happy about the sheer uncertainty.

Dodgers fans in particular should be furious about this loophole that the MLB and Commissioner Rob Manfred are utilizing here. There are plenty of folks out there who are now out of work due to the spread of COVID-19, and are still awaiting public assistance in order to make ends meet. Fans could really use the money they spent on baseball tickets right about now, but the league has directed its teams to hold onto those payments as they weigh whether to start the regular season in Arizona or even Japan.

Unfortunately for those ticket-buyers, they won't get an answer for at least the next month. The league is effectively holding huge sums of money hostage until further notice. As a result, Dodger fans need to descend on Chavez Ravine -- while observing six-foot social distancing buffers, of course -- and demand the refunds they deserve. This is the wrong time to hide behind league regulations.