Buster Posey participated yesterday in the training of the summer camp of the Giants. However, he was reluctant to commit to playing the entire 2020 season on a conference call with journalists, including Andrew Baggarly of Athletic.
“Yes, definitely, I think there are still some reservations from me.“Posey said, presumably in response to Mike Trout expressing some concern about playing the season amid increasing coronavirus cases in most of the United States.
“I want to see how things progress here during the next couple weeksPosey continued (via Baggarly). “That It would be a bit naive or foolish not to assess what is happening around you, and not just around here, but to pay attention to what is happening in different parts of the country. Obviously it is an unprecedented moment right now. I’ve definitely thought about it and talked to my wife a little bit about it. ”
To be clear, Posey’s comments do not suggest that he is about to walk away. As the virus continues, the situation surely remains fluid for even the most optimistic gamers. As Posey later pointed out, the unpredictability of the virus makes it virtually impossible for anyone to unequivocally commit to ending the season.
National reliever Sean Doolittle He echoed those thoughts in a conference call with reporters (including Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post) this afternoon. The left-hander indicated that he is inclined to play this season, but in no way is he committing himself to the entire campaign. “At any moment, if I start to feel insecure, if it starts to affect my mental health, with all the things we have to think about and this cloud of uncertainty that hangs over everything, then I will choose to leave.Doolittle said.
The Posey and Doolittle comments are the latest reminder that all players (and non-playing staff) have much greater personal and family concerns outside of baseball. We have seen a handful of players and coaches, especially David Price, decide to stay out this season. Even players who have already informed their respective teams could (and needless to say they have every right to) reverse course and choose not to play in 2020. The Braves right-hander Felix HernándezIn fact, he did exactly that last night.
