Major League Baseball postpones start of season due to coronavirus

Major League Baseball postpones start of season due to coronavirus

Major League Baseball cancels remainder of spring training and postpones start of regular season due to coronavirus

SHOWS: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - JUNE 28, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1.

BOSTON RED SOX CATCHER CHRISTIAN VAZQUEZ AND THIRD BASEMAN RAFAEL DEVERS (11) TRAINING BEFORE PLAYING SERIES OF MLB GAMES AGAINST NEW YORK YANKEES IN LONDON 2.

RED SOX LEFT FIELDER ANDREW BENINTENDI AT BATTING PRACTICE 3.

DEVERS STANDING IN DUGOUT WITH BAT 4.

BENINTENDI AT BATTING PRACTICE INTERNET (MARCH 12, 2020) (STILL IMAGE-MUTE) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - ACCESS ALL) 5.

STILL IMAGE FROM LOS ANGELES ANGELS PLAYER MIKE TROUT, SAYING: "We're all at a spot right now that won't last forever.

To those who share the love of baseball, sport, life...we will all be back together soon.

@JessTara (wife and child) and I urge everyone to take precautions to stay healthy" ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - MARCH 24, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 6.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS BASEBALL PLAYER MIKE TROUT WALKING UP ON STAGE OUTSIDE OF ANAHEIM STADIUM TO TAKE SEAT AHEAD OF EVENT TO ANNOUNCE HE IS SIGNING A LONG TERM CONTRACT TO STAY WITH TEAM 7.

WIDE OF EVENT 8.

TROUT SITTING AT EVENT WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FILE - NOVEMBER 2, 2019) (UNRESTRICTED POOL - ACCESS ALL) 9.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS PLAYERS ON BUS AT PARADE TO CELEBRATE WINNING THE 2019 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL (MLB) WORLD SERIES 10.

NATIONALS PLAYER RYAN ZIMMERMAN ON BUS HOLDING UP WORLD SERIES TROPHY 11.

ZIMMERMAN SPEAKING ONSTAGE AT RALLY AFTER PARADE AND NATIONALS PLAYERS DOING GROUP HUG STORY: Major League Baseball will delay its 2020 season's opening day by at least two weeks and halt spring training due to the coronavirus, it said on Thursday (March 12) , joining other North American leagues whose seasons have been disrupted by the pandemic.

The 162-game MLB season had been scheduled to start on March 26 with all 30 teams taking the field.

"This action is being taken in the interests of the safety and well-being of our players, clubs and our millions of loyal fans," the league said in a statement.

"MLB will continue to evaluate ongoing events leading up to the start of the season." The league added that it will announce the effects on the schedule at an appropriate time and will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible.

Some teams reportedly were giving their players the option to continue training with their clubs or return home to be with their families.

The delay marks the first time the MLB season has not begun on schedule due to a non-labor-related issue.

The start of the 1972 and 1995 seasons was delayed due to strikes and the beginning of the 1990 season was postponed due to a lockout, although in all three cases the seasons got underway before the end of April.

The National Basketball Association on Wednesday suspended its season until further notice after a player on the Utah Jazz tested positive for the virus.

Earlier on Thursday, the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer suspended their seasons due to the global outbreak.

The NCAA also called off its annual "March Madness" college basketball championships on Thursday.

(Production: David Grip)