MLB Will have a Different Look

It's great to have Major League Baseball on the calendar again. Players will report to their regular season ballparks on Wednesday, July 1 to begin a second training camp session after the first was cut off in March due to coronavirus. Games will begin July 23 or 24 after the owners and players ironed out the final details this week.

But it will not be like anything we have seen before. Stands will be empty at least to start the season. It's my hope that fans can attend with safe practices in place before the season is over. Can you imagine playoff games with no fans?

The 60-game season is essentially one-third of the normal regular season. With no expansion of the number of teams in the playoffs, it feels like we will be getting to the Magic Number countdowns pretty quickly. The idea of an expanded playoff format died when the players and owners couldn't come to an agreement recently

Minnesota Twins slugger Nelson Cruz told the Star Tribune, "It is going to be the case for everybody. You have to not think about it or complain. You have to go out and do the job. It is going to be difficult for everybody."

Extra innings will start with a runner on second base in an effort to prevent tied games from going late into the evening. The designated hitter will be used in National League ballparks for the first time. The Twins will play 40 games against AL Central Division opponents and 20 games against teams from the NL Central.

Minnesota won the Central Division title last year. Tune to AM 1390 KRFO for coverage of Twins baseball with Cory Provus and Dan Gladden. Hopefully a few training camp broadcasts to lead up to the start of the 2020 season. But who will TC Bear high-five and take selfies with?