Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that the Mets and Yankees are moving spring training back north to New York.
In a drastic change of the tides, the New York Yankees and New York Mets are expected to change course and move its spring training to New York rather than Florida, per New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. This decision comes after the state of Florida has seen record spikes in coronavirus cases.
As we wait on a decision from the @MLB on the baseball season, I'm excited to announce that the @Yankees and the @Mets will resume their training here in New York for the first time in years.
NY will review the teams' plans to make sure the trainings are safe.
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 20, 2020
Back in March, based on the totality of the COVID-19 epicenter in New York state, it would have been unimaginable to move spring training from the Sunshine State. Alas, here we are, as New York has managed the pandemic since its early spikes, Florida has been hit hard this summer, seeing record high daily numbers.
After multiple teams reported positive coronavirus results from players and personnel in Florida and Arizona, the MLB decided to close all facilities until they can cleanse the coronavirus. This decision comes at a time where the MLB season remains in doubt, as league officials and the MLBPA have been at an impasse in resumption discussions since April.
The back-and-forth negotiations aren’t providing much hope for baseball fans and the recent surge in COVID-19 cases adds a dangerous new wrinkle to the mix.
The questionable resumption of the league may not have as much bearing on the decision to move the Mets and Yankees back to New York, but in the case the two sides reach an agreement on a return-to-play format, New York teams playing in familiar circumstances would certainly pay dividends.
