McConnell called Manfred to push for MLB restart

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told a Louisville, KY radio station on Thursday night that he had called Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred to push for the league to get its season underway with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic still ongoing.

“I called the commissioner of baseball a couple of weeks ago and I said, ‘America needs baseball. It’s the sign of getting back to normal. Any chance?’” McConnell told 93.9 FM The Ville.

“I called the commissioner of baseball a couple of weeks ago and I said, ‘America needs baseball. It’s the sign of getting back to normal. Any chance?’” McConnell said.

— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) April 30, 2020

McConnell, a Republican senator representing Kentucky since 1984, did not give an indication of how Manfred responded, but that he told the commissioner of the game's importance to the country.

“It would be a great morale booster for the country and an indication that we’re going to begin to get back to normal,” McConnell said he told Manfred.

Major League Baseball announced a hiatus due to the pandemic on March 12. The season was supposed to begin on March 26.

A timetable for a resumption of activities has yet to be agreed upon by the league and its players.