Nationals will raise World Series banner when fans can return to ballpark, GM says
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
While it’s unclear whether baseball will have a 2020 regular season and if fans would be able to come to watch games, the Washington Nationals have vowed that their diehards will be able to see the 2019 World Series banner get raised.
Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo said Sunday on MLB Network Radio the team would not raise the World Series banner or have a ring ceremony without fans in attendance.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DODGERS PITCHER JOE KELLY'S AT-HOME WORKOUT GOES AWRY
“I think as far as raising the banner and the distribution of rings, we’re going to wait for our fanbase to be involved to do those types of things,” Rizzo said.
“Those are once in a lifetime things to do and our fanbase is such a big factor in helping us win that thing. They earned it, they deserve to be involved in it, and we’re going to wait for them to do it.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}INDIANS' FRANCONA INTRIGUED BY MLB OPTIONS TO START SEASON
Washington defeated the Houston Astros in seven games to win its first World Series title last year.
While Rizzo is holding out for the fans, it’s unclear when fans will be able to attend games. Major League Baseball has considered hosting games without fans and at a neutral site.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dr. Anthony Fauci said in an interview with Snapchat’s “Good Luck America” it’s likely sports, including baseball, can only return without fans.
Fauci said there have been proposals from some of the major U.S. sports leagues about playing at neutral sites and keeping players in “big hotels” and making sure they’re rigorously tested.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“But there's a way of doing that because there have been some proposals both at the level of the NFL, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, to get these people tested, and to put them in big hotels, you know, wherever you want to play,” Fauci said. “Keep them very well surveilled, namely a surveillance, but have them tested, like every week. By a gazillion tests. And make sure they don't wind up infecting each other or their family. And just let them play the season out. I mean, that's a really artificial way to do it, but when you think about it, it might be better than nothing.”