Monday, former big league player Trevor Plouffe went on Twitter and said he’s hearing about a July 1st start date for Major League Baseball:

That was tossed around a bit, with some people hearing similar and others poo-pooing the report.

Today, Phillies manager Joe Girardi was on the WIP morning show and said the following about the July 1st date:

“You know, I’ve heard some chatter about that as well. And I still think it really comes down to, Angelo, we’re at the mercy of our federal and state governments. That’s what we’re at the mercy of. We have to make sure states are open and we have to make sure that there are plenty of tests and that we’re not endangering anyone, and once we figure those things out I think we’ll be back. But, God, that would be great if we could be back by then, wouldn’t it?”

The fact that he responded in that manner is… somewhat reassuring? In a world where most athletes and managers are offering very little in terms of league and team discussions, the fact that Girardi didn’t shut down Plouffe’s report gives me a little bit of hope. Perhaps in two months we’ll be watching the Philadelphia Phillies instead of staying up until 1 a.m. to watch Aaron Altherr and the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization.