Point After w Tom Vercuddi

Could Baseball unite people after the coronavirus pandemic is finally over?

Transcript

00:00Hey there, it's SI senior writer Tom Verducci.

00:03I put together a list of what might be lost if there's no baseball season this year.

00:07A shot at 3,000 hits for Robinson Cano, 700 home runs for Albert Pujols, Mookie Betts

00:13as a Dodger, the prime of Mike Trout, a year after attendance boost for the Washington

00:18Nationals.

00:19Wait a minute, what about us?

00:23This is the first April without Major League Baseball since 1883, and it could be a while

00:29longer.

00:30Dr. Anthony Fauci did say this week there is a scenario where baseball could be back

00:36in July, in empty ballparks, and only if there's enough testing and isolation that can be done.

00:43Now listen, there's a lot that's wrong about baseball, especially the dead time between

00:47pitches.

00:48But this pandemic has made us realize what's good about the game and why we miss it.

00:55Baseball more than any other sport is there for us every day like a good friend.

01:01The episodic nature of it is binge-worthy.

01:05Every night, conflict followed by resolution.

01:08And then we tune in the next night to see what happens next.

01:12I especially think about the old and the young.

01:15The old because baseball, to them, is not just a diversion, in a lot of cases, it's

01:19a reliable companion.

01:21For the young, it's inspirational and it's educational.

01:25Rules.

01:26Teamwork.

01:27Math.

01:28The other day I spoke with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, and he envisioned a day when

01:34families can gather around the television this year and watch baseball, and in hospitals

01:39where healthcare workers and patients can have some small diversion with a baseball

01:44game on television or radio.

01:48Back in 2001, baseball played a key role in coming out on the other side of the terrorist

01:53attacks.

01:54The World Series audience that year was up 35%.

01:59Now whatever is on the other side of this pandemic, and whenever that is, baseball again

02:05can play a key role.

02:07And it won't be because of milestones or records or the spectacular, but it will be because

02:14baseball, like a good friend, will be there for us every day.

02:20Stay safe.