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Oakland A’s home games canceled through end of March

By David Hill

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 22: General view of the Oakland Athletics logos in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at the Oakland Coliseum on July 22, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-5 in 10 innings. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JULY 22: General view of the Oakland Athletics logos in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at the Oakland Coliseum on July 22, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-5 in 10 innings. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images) /
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Due to the coronavirus, the Oakland A’s have canceled their home games through the end of March.

It was a matter of time before the coronavirus outbreak reached the sporting world in the United States. That happened on Wednesday, when the NBA announced that they were suspending the season after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for the disease in preliminary tests. Teams were already discussing playing in empty stadiums, or having to move home games to other areas, as the virus continued to spread.

The Oakland A’s were no exception. They had already been faced with the possibility of playing games at a different location, saying they would adhere to any government directives. Those directives came to a head on Wednesday night, as the A’s announced that they were canceling home games through the end of March.

This was seemingly inevitable. The exhibition game between the A’s and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on March 24 had already been canceled due to concerns about crowds exceeding 1000 people. More games were likely to suffer the same fate.

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At this point, these cancelations only affect the A’s. However, considering that the Giants had to cancel the exhibition game, it would not be a surprise to see them having to cancel games as well. The Mariners anticipate having their first two home series pushed aside, due to Seattle being an epicenter of the virus.

Major League Baseball had already made several minor changes to account for the coronavirus. Locker rooms were closed off, non-essential personnel was kept away, and fan interaction had come to a halt. However, the games continued.

At least, the games continued for now. With the continued spread of the virus, that may not be the case for much longer. For the safety of the fans, the players, and everyone in general, these games may not happen. A truncated schedule, with several doubleheaders, is a very real possibility.

The Oakland A’s have canceled their home games through the beginning of March due to the coronavirus. They will not be the only team to take such actions.