As we all sit at home and dig through the Netflix catalog for the umpteenth night in a row, it is becoming clear that people do -- in fact -- miss the dependability of baseball. How many tweets have we seen in the last week in which people vow that they'll never again complain about the length of MLB games? How many stories have we heard from people who -- for the first time in decades -- did not get the chance to partake in their Opening Day traditions?
The passion for baseball in New England might not be what it was in, say, 2004, but it's still strong. And we're learning that we certainly would not choose to do without it for the entire spring -- all complaints aside.
From a players' perspective, there is not much hope in the near future. Little League Baseball and other youth leagues are postponed until May 11 at the earliest. State high school athletic associations have yet to rule out the possibility of having games this season, but there isn't a whole lot of optimism around that idea. College baseball championships have been cancelled.
Without question, the coronavirus outbreak will impact the baseball landscape in New England for years to come. Here are five ways in which the landscape will change in the next year.
