Major League Baseball Is a Complete Mess: TRAINA THOUGHTS

The 2020 MLB season isn't just under threat from the coronavirus. Players are ignoring protocols and the league is communicating poorly.

1. I don't subscribe to the theory that the Major League Baseball season is in jeopardy–yet.

The season is not going to shut down because the Marlins are having a massive outbreak of positive coronavirus tests. The league would need multiple teams to get hit with COVID-19 in order to shut down the season.

If this is an isolated incident and other teams don't get hit with an outbreak, the 2020 season will go on with no interruptions.

However, the sport has plenty of issues to fix besides the Marlins not being able to field a team, starting with how this Miami situation got so bad.

After three players tested positive on Sunday, bringing the total number of Marlins players with positive tests to four, the players decided to play that day's game against the Phillies. That is pure insanity. That is not a decision that should be left to the players. It should be up to Major League Baseball.

Via The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal:

"Marlins manager Don Mattingly said his team 'never really considered not playing' on Sunday. The club’s most respected veteran, shortstop Miguel Rojas, told the media afterward that all 30 players discussed the situation Sunday morning, but said not playing was 'never our mentality.' "

If nonsense like that continues, then the season will definitely get shut down.

The other issue seems to be that Marlins players clearly didn't follow guidelines given how rampant the virus has spread. If you watched any games over the weekend, you saw players not wearing masks, high-fiving and touching each other. That stuff must be cleaned up ASAP.

Another thing baseball needs to do is get its act together when it comes to communicating with its players. If this claim by the Phillies' Andrew McCutchen, which was retweeted by Yankees slugger Luke Voit (the Phillies and Yankees have now had their games postponed the past two days after the Phillies played the Marlins over the weekend), is true, it's totally unacceptable.

I come on Twitter to find out if we are playing or not. I dont wait for a text because media knows the answer before us. Lol

— Andrew McCutchen (@TheCUTCH22) July 28, 2020

How on Earth are you not giving your players minute-by-minute updates during a crisis?

MLB's own actions are just as much as a threat to the season as the virus.

2. Speaking of being a complete mess ...

TRUMP said the @Yankees invited him to throw out the 1st pitch on Aug. 15.

But he had not actually been invited to do so by the Yankees.

The team & the WH staff were surprised by the announcement, report @katierogers & @noahweiland.

Trump later canceledhttps://t.co/oEvs5nB4WQ

— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) July 27, 2020

3. J.J. Watt was clearly impressed with himself after Leg Day yesterday.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by JJ Watt (@jjwatt)

Or he was inspired by The Rock, who posted this a few days ago.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

4. Magic City, the establishment that Clippers guard Lou Williams left the bubble for so he could pick up some wings, is milking the story for all its worth, and it's pretty great.

Lou Williams left the bubble for a “family emergency”, made a quick stop at Magic City before hoping to return to the bubble. Y’all thought Lou went for the adult entertainment, but it’s the food, especially chicken wings, strips and catfish nuggets that’s a must.🤣🤣🤣😜😜😜

— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) July 26, 2020

🤤 https://t.co/LY8d8cbb29

— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) July 28, 2020

We’re certainly open to the idea 😏 https://t.co/gVfTpUIPBW

— Magic City Kitchen (@magicitykitchen) July 28, 2020

Ok, yes, Lou Williams stopped by MCK to get wings.... NOW can we go arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor?

— Magic City Kitchen (@magicitykitchen) July 26, 2020

5. The latest episode of the SI Media Podcast features an interview with Joe Buck, who talked about baseball's return, calling games during a pandemic, podcasting, the art of interviewing and much more.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and Google Play.

6. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Emmy nominations came out this morning, and Schitt's Creek was nominated for Best Comedy while the show's stars, Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara, were nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress. If you're looking for a show to binge while you have nothing but time to kill during a pandemic, I can't recommend Schitt's Creek enough.

7. SPORTS VIDEO OF THE DAY: There won't be an NFL Hall of Fame game this year, so let's remember the all-time greatest Hall of Fame game play.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Stitcher. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram.