We’re not here to name names. Not this early in the process anyway. If you watched MLB exhibition games last weekend, you know who was violating health and safety protocols by fist bumping and high fiving teammates.
Major League Baseball noticed too -- and according to a person with knowledge of the situation, the league has followed up today with clubs that had issues adhering to rules designed to keep players and staff safe.
We’re not here to play “gotcha.” That is hardly the best way to encourage responsible behavior. Baseball players are being asked to reverse lifelong habits, from spitting to touching hands in celebration of a home run, and that can’t be easy. There are sure to be setbacks -- and who among us hasn’t, say, forgotten our mask once or twice?
Having said all that, during last weekend’s slate of exhibition games, it was clear that a number players were in open violation of MLB’s 2020 Operations Manual, which states in a portion of Section 4.2.1 that “All Tier 1 and Tier 2 Individuals must avoid any physical interactions (such as high-fives, fist bumps, or hugs) while at Club facilities.”
The key word there is “must.” It’s not optional.
To understand why this is important, look no further than the Yankees’ recent scare with closer Aroldis Chapman, who tested positive for COVID-19 during camp.
The virus was in Yankee Stadium, and we spoke to players who were desperately trying to remember if they had touched Chapman, spoken to him or been in contact with someone who had. High-fiving and fist bumping are against the rules because they could add to the number of individuals infected by a teammate with the virus.
That’s not the only problem with contact like high-fives. Part of baseball’s argument for returning has been that players have a chance to model responsible behavior for the rest of the public to see. The Yankees’ Clint Frazier is one example of that, wearing a mask throughout the game.
But if what viewers actually see is a star player spitting on the field, then thoughtlessly touching a teammate after scoring? That would represent the opposite of leadership, and of modeling the changing habits of a difficult time.
In order to ensure compliance, MLB is speaking to clubs. It also has the right to conduct random audits. Violations are the purview of MLB Senior Vice President of On-Field Operations Chris Young, and Bryan Seeley, who heads the department of investigations.
The Operations Manual does not specify penalties for violations.
Again, we know this is hard, and that games against opponents have just begun. But it is also essential in order for teammates to keep one another safe.