In a strange way, baseball bookended the COVID-19 pandemic, at least in Arizona. While the NBA was the first league to act and suspend its season on March 11, 2020, the virus’s ripples were not truly felt in the desert until the remainder of the Cactus League schedule was called off the next day.
A year later, the pandemic now a part of our everyday lives, the Cactus League returned. With vaccine rollout off to a promising start, limited numbers of fans were allowed to attend. COVID-19 isn’t over, but we’ve now reached Opening Day and the end appears to be within sight.