SF Giants CEO Larry Baer weighs in on MLB returning without fans

Tuesday, May 19, 2020
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer says the team is working with health officials, the league, and other teams to make sure everything is safe before any return to baseball.

Monday California Governor Gavin Newsom said that in California sports could possibly come back in early June.


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The catch? The games will have to played without fans.

"We want to be really careful, careful for public health, and of offending those who may feel like it might not be the proper time," says Baer who wants to make sure that fans, players, and all of their many employees are safe.

Former A's baseball executive Andy Dolich says there are some challenges ahead and they come in the form of the most basic things.

"I just don't know in the spirit of Gaylord Perry are you going to be able to put Purell on a baseball and throw it or are you going to get tossed out of the game."


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Comical yes but there aren't any clear and universal rules among different sports like basketball, football, and baseball. Still many questions about safety rules and new game rules.

"Who's got the ultimate pandemic playbook that knows how this is going to come out and how they can use it for everyone's safety and I think the answer is right now nobody has it," says Dolich.

Baer says the focus now is safety but there is a hope that if everything is done properly the team and the league could come back and play later this summer.

"We have to understand what sports is and what sports isn't and I think if we do that in the right way sports can come back appropriately that's what we want sports to come back appropriate and I think that's what the governor was eluding to this summer."


WATCH: Full interview with Larry Baer
Full interview with SF Giants CEO Larry Baer about possible June return of MLB

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