MLB Umpire Angel Hernandez's Final Message Before Leaving Spring Training Should Worry Every Baseball Fan
By Jerry Trotta
The persistent evolution of the coronavirus across the last 24 hours has forced most professional sports leagues go into a temporary postponement.
In the United States, all of the NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS have announced indefinite suspensions as the world at large continues to realize the sheer severity of COVID-19. Elsewhere, the NCAA Tournament was terminated on Thursday.
In terms of the MLB, which cancelled Spring Training and delayed Opening Day, veteran umpire Angel Hernandez offered up a worrying parting message prior to departing West Palm Beach.
Hopefully Angel Hernandez was wrong about the time frame for MLB to return from the hiatus that started Thursday due to the coronavirus. "See you guys in June'' the umpire said to a group of baseball writers outside the Yankees' clubhouse on Thursday in West Palm Beach.
— George A. King III (@GeorgeAKingIII) March 12, 2020
No baseball until June? According to Hernandez, it's a real possibility.
It's worth noting that we're not sure what Hernandez knows. For all intents and purposes, he may have been joking. He even may have been exaggerating in an attempt to be sincere. However, when you take into account the countless dominos that have fallen in the last 24 hours, you really can't help but take the 58-year-old's comments seriously.
BREAKING: Major League Baseball has officially suspended spring-training games and will delay the start of the regular season by at least two weeks.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 12, 2020
We're not advising MLB diehards to prepare for the worst. It's right to be realistically optimistic during a time like this. Just keep in mind that the world may be without baseball for a while as this mess sorts itself out.