MLB’s return to play will rely on one document: A 101-page “Operations Manual” that offers a model for baseball in a time of infectious disease. That means no spitting, no high-fiving, no rosin-bag sharing; regular virus testing, daily temperature checks, monthly antibody testing; a new policy for extra innings, social distancing for the national anthem, and a universal DH. The document was finished and released this week. But it builds off a 67-page draft that circulated in mid-May, which laid the foundation for all of the initial conversations about what baseball could look like this summer.
In other words, the last six weeks of research and conversations resulted in 34 additional pages of rules and regulations.