MEMPHIS, Tennessee —
Stubby Clapp has not had an April away from baseball in over 40 years.
"It's tough watching replays on Twitter and YouTube trying to get your fix," he said.
The Memphis Redbirds legend and St. Louis Cardinals first base coach is enjoying the chance to be home with his family. He is also intrigued by reports that Major League Baseball and the players association have discussed starting the season in Arizona and possibly Florida.
"The guys who came up with it are thinking outside the box," he said. "We're in a situation that's outside the box right now."
The proposal is among a myriad of ideas being considered but would likely require clubs to be isolated in team hotels, away from their families for months on end.
"It's definitely got its pros and cons," Clapp said. "We just want to be able to play baseball and entertain people, and maybe take some people's mind off of what is really happening."
Clapp's lone season as a major league player came with the Cardinals in the latter half of 2001. He remembers the role sports played in returning the nation to normalcy after 9/11.
"I think this time, being able to come back and to be the first sport would be a great impact on America, on the world," he said. "It would be nice to be able to have that opportunity."
For fans to have something to root for again, once it is safe, that would be nice too.