MLB's resumption, in 30 ballparks with 60 players per club working within the parameters of a 101-page operations manual, may be the most daunting faced so far by any league or tour. On the most recent episode of “SBJ Unpacks: The Road Ahead,” our Bill King discusses MLB’s return with D-backs President & CEO Derrick Hall.
On how teams are experiencing MLB’s testing procedures:
Hall: It’s been good so far, and you expect to have some glitches, especially when you look at the mass volume with every team. You have all 30 teams going through the same testing, the same testing plant in Utah, and the results have been pretty accurate. ... We’re going to have cases. We know that. We’ve had them, and we’re going to continue to. You just have to be aware that some are going to be false positives. You’re going to have to retest. You’re going to have to be a little more patient, and if there’s any symptoms whatsoever, take every necessary precaution and just stay away from the ballpark and others.
On how the dynamic between the D-backs and their sponsors has changed:
Hall: It is complicated, and we only had a few that would really look at having an ability to trigger a cancellation, and they both said we’re not doing that. They’re in it with us. It’s been absolutely remarkable, and we’ve had open discussions with them to say, "We’re going to do even more for you. We’re going to find ways to have some add-ons and make goods, and add on value ads.” They’ve all been thankful for that, and grateful for that. The word partnership is so true right now. It’s "We’re in this with you." That’s the response we’re getting from everyone, however there was a time a month or two ago during the negotiations, there were a few partners and sponsors that are more national by name and nature with a number of teams. I think there was a bit of frustration, saying, "Get your act together. Let’s get this thing solved and get back out on the field, and we’ll support you." I’m glad we were able to do that. It was unfortunate that a lot of those conversations and negotiations were public, and were a little more harsh by nature.
On what the financial impact is going to look like:
Hall: It’s tens of millions of dollars that we’re going to lose, and we knew if we played games, even 60, we were still going to lose a lot of money. It was "How can we lessen that?" There isn’t much of a way, however it was so much more important to be back on the field, to be back on television and radios. That far exceeds any financial concern to try to save a little more money. The only revenue we have coming in once we start playing is on the media side with our rights holder, which is significant. That will help pay for some of the salaries, but it’s not a time to start to look at the margins. It’s more important for the brand of baseball and for our brand to get out there and again to give people some hope and, optimistically, something to look forward to every night.
