Sharpe: The benefits of Major League Baseball being back

It wouldn’t be a dream season, but Major League Baseball actually discussing opening up our local Field of Dreams — Chase Field — in a month or so would be a dream come true for fans and let all Americans dream about resuming life as we used to know it.

MLB owners are reportedly close to approving a 100-game season that would see teams assigned to one of three geographically-based divisions made up of 10 teams from both the National and American Leagues.

So, the Diamondbacks would still have the Dodgers, Giants, Padres and Rockies in their division but also the Angels, A’s, Rangers, Astros and Mariners.

The regular (…or irregular) season would consist of only intra-divisional games without fans in the stands (at least sans fans initially) so travel — and players’ exposure to COVID-19 — would both be limited.

Interesting details for sports fans, but the zoomed-out view looks like a little normalcy in our anything-BUT-normal world.

Watching baseball seems like The Natural thing to do. Especially with cabin fever hitting a Fever Pitch.

I know I could sure use a good dose of America’s Pastime after having to be such a Bad News Bear.

It’s been a lot of Bull (Durham) not being able to see Angels in the Outfield or D-backs or Red Sox, for that matter.

All right! I’ll quit my bad baseball movie puns (even though I feel like they are in A League Of Their Own).

It’s just that I’ve watched so many of those movies lately trying to scratch the baseball itch.

Watching my girls play backyard T-ball – as much as I love them – ain’t cutting it.

So I hope all of us — baseball fans and those who don’t give a flying… uh, flyball about the game — can cheer baseball back into being.

Billionaire owners putting millionaire players back to work might not have much economic benefit for us schlubs, but emotionally… that might feel like rounding third and realizing that coronavirus can’t block home plate forever.

Follow @JimSharpe