MIAMI (AP) \u2014 With six teams idled Friday by the COVID-19 pandemic, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke to union leader Tony Clark about the importance of players following the sport’s coronavirus protocols.<\/b>
\nBy STEVEN WINE MIAMI (AP) \u2014 With six teams idled Friday by the COVID-19 pandemic, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke to union leader Tony Clark about the importance of players following the sport\u2019s coronavirus protocols. Manfred and Clark talked about what needs to be done to finish the season, a person familiar with the conversation said. The person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. The conversation between Manfred and Clark, first reported by ESPN, comes amid growing evidence that the spread of infection threatens to overtake efforts to play ball. \u201cSome things aren\u2019t looking too good right now, but we have to play up to that point. Players are seeing what can happen,\u201d Houston manager Dusty Baker said. \u201cThe rest now is up to us and the virus,\u201d he said. Concerns have been expressed about lax behavior by players on the field \u2014 such as spitting or high-fives \u2014 and off. The scrambled schedule has also heightened doubts about whether the owners\u2019 desire to play is realistic. \u201cObviously, we saw the message. They sent a memo. Just be more diligent, wear a mask in the dugout when you\u2019re not playing, what we\u2019ve thought to be the rules all along,\u201d Arizona catcher Stephen Vogt said. \u201cSo it\u2019s just like every other rule that MLB has for players \u2014 now it\u2019s going to be enforced, so to speak. Just strongly encouraging.\u201d \u201cEverything gets a little bit lax when you get in the game because the habits of what we\u2019ve been doing our whole life takes over. When one of your teammates gets a big hit, you want to high-five them. You want to celebrate the way you\u2019ve always done,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd the last thing I want to do when I\u2019m trying to play and do my job is be worried about COVID, but that\u2019s the times were in right now.\u201d The latest game to be postponed was Milwaukee\u2019s home opener against St. Louis, called off hours before the first pitch after two Cardinals players tested positive for COVID-19. \u201cTV Show suggestions please,\u201d tweeted Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty, one of an increasing number of players who found themselves with unexpected free time as the postponements mounted. The Cardinals said in a statement they learned Thursday night about positive tests from samples collected Wednesday. Players and staff were instructed to isolate in their hotel rooms. \u201cThe team is currently conducting rapid testing of the entire traveling party, has implemented contact tracing, and will continue to self-isolate,\u201d the Cardinals said. The Cardinals and Brewers still hoped to play Saturday night, and to make up Friday\u2019s game with a pair of seven-inning games Sunday under a newly approved MLB plan for doubleheaders. Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio said baseball is braced for curveballs, especially this year. \u201cWe\u2019re all committed, I believe \u2013 and I\u2019ve talked to a number of players today \u2013 to finishing the season,\u201d Attanasio said. \u201cInsofar as we can continue to provide some enjoyment for our fans, I think that\u2019s something we\u2019re all committed to doing.\u2026 If we\u2019re not smart and safe, then we\u2019ll fail. But we\u2019re doing everything we can not to fail.\u2019 Two weekend series \u2014 Nationals at Marlins, and Blue Jays at Phillies \u2014 were called off earlier. The Marlins were hit with a virus outbreak in Philadelphia that infected at least 20 members of their traveling party, and both Miami and the Phillies are sidelined for at least a week. The schedules of the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles have also been scrambled a week into a season that had already been delayed and curtailed because of the pandemic, and now may be in jeopardy. \u201cThat\u2019s a concern of mine,\u201d said Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon, who was out with the virus earlier. \u201cI speak for the entire Rockies team \u2014 we want to go out and play.\u2026 Anything that pops up negatively, in terms of this virus situation, could hinder that. So yeah, I\u2019m concerned. I would rather not see any more positive cases.\u201d The six idled teams Friday represented 20% of MLB. \u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s a person that thought that this would be seamless,\u201d Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said. \u201cWe are being as safe as we possibly can, but we also understand that this virus is very strong and doesn\u2019t have borders.\u201d For the week ending Thursday, MLB said there were 29 positive tests, a rate of 0.2%. Aside from the Marlins, there were eight positive tests for the 29 other teams, only two involved major league players. The Marlins received another positive test result, a person familiar with the situation said, and at least 18 of their players have been infected. The person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made, said none of the Marlins has shown serious symptoms. But officials were concerned that the latest positive test result came five days after the team was last together and played its most recent game. The person said the infected Marlins left Philadelphia in sleeper buses Friday for an 18-hour trip to Miami, where they will remain together in quarantine. The rest of the team will spend the weekend in isolation in Philadelphia, where the Marlins have been stranded since their outbreak began. It\u2019s uncertain when or where they will next play. The Phillies have also been idle since Sunday. One Phils coach and two clubhouse workers tested positive this week, but the team received no positive results Friday. Fans rooted for baseball to keep going, as did some businesses. In Milwaukee, J&B\u2019s Blue Ribbon Bar and Grill was hoping for one of its biggest crowds since the pandemic began, with customers watching the home opener as it was played down the street. Co-owner Jon Bliesner took news of the postponement hard. \u201cReally depressing,\u201d Bliesner said. \u201cNot happy at all.\u201d ___ AP Sports Writers Jay Cohen in Chicago, Pat Graham in Denver, Ian Harrison in Toronto, Steve Megargee in Milwaukee, David Brandt in Phoenix, Joe Reedy in Anaheim, California, and Jake Seiner in New York, and AP Baseball Writer Ben Walker in New York contributed to this report. ___ More AP MLB: https:\/\/apnews.com\/MLB and https:\/\/twitter.com\/AP_Sports<\/p>\n