Last Thursday, commissioner Rob Manfred said he had spoken to all 18 governors in charge of the states where Major League Baseball sets up shop.
Judging by the favorable response since then, it must have been a Zoom happy hour, because even the two COVID-19 hardliners, New York's Andrew M. Cuomo and California's Gavin Newsom, now sound ready to throw the season's first pitch.
On Manfred's return-to-play checklist, securing the support of government officials had to be considered at the top. The more places that were off-limits, the less chance of playing baseball. And California, with five teams, is a big swing state. Texas got on board, too.
