What if there is no baseball?

It's not something we really want to even say out loud. We are all trying to be optimistic. But there is reason to worry about the worst-case scenario.

What if there is no baseball in 2020?

Well, we will survive. It would definitely be a nightmare for all of us that love the game, but we would just have to be patient.

More patient.

Major League Baseball is at the mercy of this horrible virus. But the sport also must wait to see how each individual state that it has a team in deals with the virus. How quickly do these states reopen, and when they do, how does it go?

Take the state of Georgia, which was criticized for reopening certain businesses early - too early in the eyes of many, including President Donald Trump, who objected to the decision by Governor Brian Kemp.

If the decision backfires, and the cases increase, Georgia may be slow to reopen completely, which could put the Braves in jeopardy of coming back - even in their own home park.

What happens if one of the states that has a MLB team is slow to return? Would MLB simply have a team play somewhere else, or would it have to wait until all states are given the green light to proceed with somewhat normal proceedings?

Of course, the testing is the key. If the testing can be regular, perhaps even daily, then it could perhaps push MLB into starting to prepare for the season. If testing is not available for that many players, it could be a long year.

Listen to The Bill Shanks Show weekdays at 3:00 p.m. ET on Middle Georgia’s ESPN. You can listen online at TheSuperStations.com. Follow Bill on Twitter at @billshanks and you can email him at thebillshanksshow@yahoo.com.