“We’re going to play baseball in 2020 – 100 percent.”

Those were the exact words of MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Wednesday afternoon – not once, but twice.

The first came during a live interview on MLB Network, followed almost immediately in an interview on ESPN.

“If it has to be in that March 26 agreement, so be it. But, one way or the other, we’re playing baseball,” Manfred insisted.

MLB’s top exec said that the league will submit a new counterproposal to the MLB Players Association which he says will be a “significant move in the players’ direction,” per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. He added that the two sides are close over health protocols regarding the current COVID-19 pandemic.

That 48(ish)-game thing is significant to Manfred and to team owners, as several top medical experts have predicted that there will be a ‘second wave’ of the deadly and highly-contagious coronavirus. As such, one thing that MLB’s top boss has not – and probably will not – budge on is playing games into November when those medical experts believe that second wave is most likely to occur.

As most baseball fans know by now, the commissioner of baseball has the exclusive right to determine the number of games to be played and, to date, Manfred has resoundingly rejected the MLBPA’s desire to play as many as 89 games which, of course, would indeed push a potential 2020 season into November.

Whether you’re a pessimist, an optimist, a realist, or a dreamer, it’s hard not to at least feel a little more confident that there will indeed soon be a 2020 MLB season. And although there are still many logistical issues to work out (like where games would be played and how many teams will be in the postseason), today’s announcement comes as a much-needed and pleasant suprise.

Now … if only the MLBPA buys into it; because, until they do, only then will it really be “100 percent.”

Stay tuned…

  *  *  *  *  *  *