Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle shared his reaction to the news that Major League Baseball owners will make a proposal to the players’ association Tuesday about when and how to start the 2020 season that’s been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The No. 1 thing on Doolittle’s mind: how players, staff and other essential workers will be protected from catching or spreading COVID-19, and what will be done for those who might contract the virus.
In a Twitter thread Monday afternoon, Doolittle wondered if MLB would increase players’ health care benefits “to mitigate the unknown risks of putting on a baseball season during a pandemic.”
“Hopefully these concerns will be addressed in MLB’s proposal, first and foremost: 1) what’s the plan to ethically acquire enough tests? 2) what’s the protocol if a player, staff member, or worker contracts the virus?” he tweeted. “We want to play. And we want everyone to stay safe.”
He pointed out that his concern wasn’t just about the players’ safety, but also the other employees needed to put on a baseball season, from umpires and field crew to the people working planes and buses transporting MLB teams to different cities.
“We need to consider what level of risk we’re willing to assume,” Doolittle tweeted. “80% of cases are considered mild, but what if a player, a staff member, an auxiliary worker, or a family member gets a case that’s in the 20% and they develop severe symptoms or chronic issues? 1 feels like too many?”
In his final tweet, Doolittle emphasized that he wasn’t mad:
Oh, pic.twitter.com/hjPeXJP4su
— Obi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle (@whatwouldDOOdo) May 11, 2020
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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