BRADENTON, Fla. — For the first time all spring, almost out of nowhere, the Pirates suddenly have an abundance of time. What they lack is answers, or a plan for how to proceed in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak that has pretty much shut down society, forget about spring training.
Major League Baseball announced a little after 3 p.m. on Thursday that it would delay Opening Day by at least two weeks, a move that will more than likely squash the remaining 13 Grapefruit League games.
When the season will start, nobody knows. Ditto for what to do with the games missed or what the Pirates try to accomplish in the interim.
The only reliable bet at this point involves players and coaches showing up to LECOM Park on Friday afternoon, as they would have for what was supposed to be a night game against the Twins, and constructing a more concrete plan.
“It’s going to be interesting to see what happens,” Joe Musgrove said. “We don’t really know yet.”
Added Josh Bell, “It’s very real for all of us.”
Although the Pirates don’t necessarily know what they’ll do between Friday’s informal workout and whatever comes next, they are certain of a few things. First and foremost, health, and the need for it.
Five of the club’s veterans spoke on Thursday, plus second-year outfielder Bryan Reynolds. All of them echoed the proper concerns.
“This is obviously a serious deal,” Derek Holland said.
“We know it doesn’t affect younger people as much, but we all have parents,” Chris Archer continued. “We come in contact with older people every day. The last thing we want to do is be a carrier and cause something fatal.”
The news trickling out when it did made for an interesting afternoon, as the Pirates lost to the Blue Jays, 7-5.
Reports surfaced shortly after first pitch that this was the route MLB would go — to suspend the season, wait and see, figure out what to do informally or at practice facilities, then try to start the regular season as soon as possible.
Reynolds said there were rumblings in the dugout. Musgrove pitched knowing this might be his last start for a while. Manager Derek Shelton said he saw some tweets but didn’t want to react to anything until an official release was sent.
The league cautioned that it “will announce the effects on the schedule at an appropriate time and will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible.” The Minor League Baseball season was delayed as well.
One lighter moment occurred at 4 p.m., the time when MLB said spring training would shut down.
Instead, that's when Cole Tucker homered to right field, his third dinger of the spring nearly serving as a walkoff homer — in a loss. But the game pressed on, played to its completion.
Thirteen minutes after Tucker's home run, Pirates owner Bob Nutting issued a statement via social media, offering support for the move made by Major League Baseball and its commissioner, Rob Manfred.
"The Pirates are in full agreement with and supportive of the commissioner’s decision," the statement read. "As this situation evolves, so, too will our response. What will not change, however, is how much we care about our fans, players, employees and the well-being of our community.
"Our front office team will continue to meet on a daily basis and will remain in constant communication with our medical expert partners at Allegheny Health Network and Highmark, as well as with Major League Baseball and government officials. We will provide information on any new developments and impacts as they become available. Together we will work through this unprecedented situation as we look forward to the return of baseball as soon as possible."
The situation is at least somewhat reminiscent of the 1995 strike season, when things didn’t start until April 25 and teams played 144 games instead of 162.
Whether that will happen this time around remains to be seen, but these next few weeks should offer plenty of strange sights. There could be intrasquad games, additional practices or simulated games — anything to keep the competitive juices flowing.
At the same time, the Pirates must be mindful of CDC guidelines and not, as Musgrove said, provide “a breeding ground for this stuff to spread.”
“We’re talking about a life-threatening situation here,” Jarrod Dyson said. “That becomes bigger than baseball.
"As bad as everybody wants to see baseball — we’d love to be out there and perform, too — it’s about your health. It’s about the lives you’re impacting with your health. We want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to be on the safe side.”
Which could mean reduced travel, as Derek Holland said COVID-19 concerns might affect his fiancé’s parents flying down this weekend. Bell said his folks are definitely grounded. Musgrove brought up the realistic point that players’ spring training leases might end soon, meaning they could be scrambling for a place to stay.
There’s certainly no shortage of uncertainty surrounding the Pirates or Major League Baseball right now, not the least of which is being in another state, away from home, and having zero clue when the season might start.
That said, the Pirates aren't using this as some sort of excuse. They’re seemingly pressing forward as smartly and rationally as possible.
"It’s not just professional sports or collegiate athletics that are affected by this," Shelton said. "It’s people in everyday lives. You’re talking about kids in school. You’re talking about universities. You’re talking about families. You’re talking about any larger gatherings of whether it’s music concerts or anybody getting together. I think this is much bigger than sports in general.
"[Sports] are an outlet for people, but I think we just have to wait and see and rely on the guidelines that are given to us.”
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: March 12, 2020, 2:38 p.m.
Updated: March 12, 2020, 7:24 p.m.