On June 10, Rob Manfred was “100 percent confident” Major League Baseball would be played in 2020.
But five days later, that’s all changed.
MLB and the MLB Players’ Association could not come to terms on a deal on how to begin the shortened season, going back-and-forth for months.
Manfred told ESPN’s Mike Greenberg on Monday during a conversation for “The Return of Sports” special that he’s “not confident” baseball will be played this year.
“I’m not confident. I think there’s real risk; and as long as there’s no dialogue, that real risk is gonna continue,” Manfred told Greenberg, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
“It’s just a disaster for our game, absolutely no question about it,” Manfred added. “It shouldn’t be happening, and it’s important that we find a way to get past it and get the game back on the field for the benefit of our fans.
“The owners are a hundred percent committed to getting baseball back on the field. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you that I’m a hundred percent certain that’s gonna happen.”
Could there really be no baseball in 2020? It’s certainly looking more and more like a possibility.
Manfred, along with other commissioners, will be featured on “The Return of Sports” on Monday night at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
