Another look at the chances to have a baseball season

The chance that we are going to see something resembling a baseball season in 2020 seems to be getting better. But we still have no idea what that could mean or look like.

It seems many plans and options continue to be discussed. Nothing has been settled on. There is nothing that can be settled on at this point. Baseball officials obviously are aware that nothing will happen unless it can be deemed safe for all.

At one point we heard about the Arizona plan. Then there was an Arizona/Florida plan. Then there was a plan that included Arizona, Florida and Texas. There are reports about four- and six-city plans. There are probably plans about plans. And this is all fine. Nothing wrong with planning and trying to get the ducks in order when the time comes.

Perhaps the Korea Baseball Organization will be a bit of a role model here for Major League Baseball. The Korea Baseball Organization season was scheduled to start in late March, just as the MLB season began. Now the KBO opening day will be May 5 and they'll start with no fans in attendance. For at least some time, MLB will be able to watch, observe and learn from the KBO situation.

One thing we all probably need to understand is that if there is a season of some kind, it's going to be very unusual and we are just going to have to deal with it. Seven-inning doubleheaders are possible and so many other possibilities that will seem not normal at all. But there is nothing normal about how this virus has shut down the country, and baseball returning - when and if it safely can - will be big.

Just look at the ratings for the NFL draft and the Michael Jordan documentary. Fans are of course desperate right now for something new. Live baseball games will likely do rather well in the ratings.

Will we get used to seeing games with no fans? Will it be strange? Maybe and yes are the answers. We are going to have to deal with it if we want to watch.

Reporters may be thinking: What does it mean for us? Will we even be allowed to cover such games in person? Can we interview players? Will clubhouses be open? All good questions that have no answers today.

The Orioles would have played their 28th game of the season last night. Tonight they would be scheduled to host Kansas City at Oriole Park with that new weeknight early-season start time of 6:35 p.m.

ESPN published another article here yesterday about some of the latest rumblings and the myriad possibilities. The players and owners want the games back. For many, many reasons. We all should, right?

That would be one step - a very big step - back to all of us returning to our former lives. Any step that can be taken safely should be heartily embraced at this point.

KBO on ESPN: The national sports network is said to be negotiating for rights to carry some of the KBO games when its season does begin. Perhaps the network would air a couple of games per week.

There are a handful of former major league players that are in the KBO. They include former O's pitchers Tyler Wilson, Dan Straily, Mike Wright and Aaron Brooks. This includes Hyun-Soo Kim, who was an Oriole in 2016-17. They signed him out of the KBO and he is now back in that league. In 151 games for the Orioles, Kim hit .281/.359/.381 with seven homers and 32 RBIs.

More on Dalkowski: The recent passing of one-time Orioles minor league pitcher Steve Dalkowski has certainly touched some people in the media. There have been many stories written about his life and amazing fastball velocity. Dalkowski died recently at 80. I wrote about him here.

Among several stories I've seen recently was this long feature on Dalkowski written by former Baltimore Sun columnist John Eisenberg in 2003. You can see that here.

I was interviewed Sunday by one of my former college classmates at Towson State University: Dave Johnson, the long-time sports director at WTOP Radio, who also works in television in the Washington market and is the radio voice of the NBA's Washington Wizards. Click here for that story, which includes a video with Dave and I that I really enjoyed doing. Back in the day, we worked together on the student station, WCVT.