Canada made its decision Saturday as it relates to whether the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays will be playing in the country this season.
In what really can’t be considered too much of a shock, Canada will not bypass its current ban on American citizens entering the country to cater to the Blue Jays.
One big name around the Major League Baseball world has responded.
Astros manager Dusty Baker supports Canada’s decision
“They’re missing the economics of not having Americans come, but they don’t miss the fact that we haven’t done a good job controlling the virus,” Baker said. “I understand where they’re coming from. We have to do something here soon.
Baker is not in any way incorrect here. The difference in COVID-19 cases between the United States and Canada is alarming.
Canada COVID-19 cases
As of Saturday evening, the United States’ northern neighbor had registered 110,000 cases since the pandemic started back in February. It has recorded just 252 cases in the past 24 hours.
United States COVID-19 cases
The numbers could not be any more different domestically. As of Saturday evening, the United States had recorded nearly, 3.8 million COVID-19 cases with 142,000 deaths. That includes north of 70,000 cases each of the past two days.
Some will point to the population difference between the two nations. That might be fair to an extent. But it does not come close to telling the story.
As for the Blue Jays, they now have less than a week to decide where to host games for the coming 2020 MLB season.
Buffalo in Western New York is seen as the top option. Though, Florida is also being considered. That latter option presents a major challenge in that Florida is among the worldwide epicenters of the virus right now.
It will be interesting to see what comes of this. Opening Night is July 23 with the Washington Nationals hosting the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants visiting the Los Angeles Dodgers.