Phillies: X factors on and off 2020’s fields

To play or not to play:                 

Due to the virus, the Phillies will likely play in Arizona because Florida and Texas may be opening up their communities too soon, plus the three-division plan could have a hot spot in one of 10 locations. But the baseball pooh-bahs won’t know until mid-May if those states have a spike in COVID-19 outbreaks. If so, hello, Phoenix.

With 10 state-of-the-art facilities for MiLB contests and Chase Field within a 50-mile radius, the MLB has reportedly stated they can handle three games per park daily: 33 total. So, 30 clubs equal 15 contests per day, and a replacement league with 20 teams can add another 10 to total 25 daily if Phoenix wins by default.

Other than a lack of interleague play, fans can expect doubleheaders, MiLB seven-frame matinees due to the heat, and other seven-frame contests because of twin bills. But even thought one element is heat, another is the lower humidity in southwestern states: hot but not humid.

The only organization with a home-field advantage would be the Arizona Diamondbacks in their retractable-roof stadium. So, 29 franchises would be competing in neutral territory, and their players would each rent an apartment. But their sequestration would be for around two months.

Although competition and victory usually bring paying customers to their feet, regulars would only hear the broadcasters describing the action, good or bad: no cheers, no boos. But the lack of an audience would affect some for the better with less pressure yet not others who thrive on the crowd’s roar.