It’s easy to forget in the middle of a pandemic: At some point the baseball world will return to normal, or something close to normal, at least for revenue behemoths such as the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Playing without fans for at least the start of the 2020 season will hurt the Dodgers more than any other club, considering they have led the majors in attendance the past seven years. Playing a maximum of 60 games instead of 162 also will mean significantly less local TV revenue, at a time when only the Yankees will field a higher Opening Day payroll.
But remember, we’re talking strictly about 2020.
Dodgers fans likely will return in their usual droves once a vaccine for COVID-19 is available, perhaps in time for the ’21 season. The team’s record $8.5 billion TV deal with SportsNet LA, meanwhile, runs through 2038 — six years beyond the 12-year, $365 million extension the Dodgers awarded Mookie Betts on Wednesday. For a team…