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Baseball Thread

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    • odd man out wrote:

      It's not just a 14 day quarantine in Canada. The borders are closed except for immediate family members of Canadians citizens or essential travel. My wife's sister lives in Canada but sisters are not even considered immediate family so we can't go. Before getting a quarantine exemption, baseball teams would have to be qualified as essential.
      Thanks for the clarification.
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      The Canadian government has spoken...Request Denied.

      Not safe to enter Canada from the United States. :(

      The main issue with playing in Buffalo is that the lighting is not up to MLB standards. Can they fix that in a week?

      espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/294885…allowed-play-games-canada
      Day Games!

      Just like the old days :)
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • IMScotty wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      The Canadian government has spoken...Request Denied.

      Not safe to enter Canada from the United States. :(

      The main issue with playing in Buffalo is that the lighting is not up to MLB standards. Can they fix that in a week?

      espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/294885…allowed-play-games-canada
      Day Games!
      Just like the old days :)
      Sounds good to me. It's not like they have to have game times to maximize fan attendance.

      Hope they play in Buffalo. I followed the International League (AAA) when I was really young and I remember the Buffalo Bison.
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      The Canadian government has spoken...Request Denied.

      Not safe to enter Canada from the United States. :(

      The main issue with playing in Buffalo is that the lighting is not up to MLB standards. Can they fix that in a week?

      espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/294885…allowed-play-games-canada
      As a local baseball board member for 10 years, I can vouch for the fact that good lighting is very expensive. But MLB that should be a non issue.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • IMScotty wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      The Canadian government has spoken...Request Denied.

      Not safe to enter Canada from the United States. :(

      The main issue with playing in Buffalo is that the lighting is not up to MLB standards. Can they fix that in a week?

      espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/294885…allowed-play-games-canada
      Day Games!
      Just like the old days :)
      I i believe the first time I went to Wrigley to see the Cubs may have been before they had lights. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Wow, I woke up this morning to the news that they were going to play their home games at PNC Park (where the Pittsburgh Pirates play) -- and now this afternoon I read that the Pennsylvania Department of Health has shut that idea down. So right now it could be sharing Camden Yards with Baltimore, sharing The Trop with Tampa Bay (hope not; the Rays have a shot to win this thing), or their AAA park in Buffalo.

      60 game road trip anyone?
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      Wow, I woke up this morning to the news that they were going to play their home games at PNC Park (where the Pittsburgh Pirates play) -- and now this afternoon I read that the Pennsylvania Department of Health has shut that idea down. So right now it could be sharing Camden Yards with Baltimore, sharing The Trop with Tampa Bay (hope not; the Rays have a shot to win this thing), or their AAA park in Buffalo.

      60 game road trip anyone?
      If they don't want to invest in improving the lights in Buffalo, they can always go with day games.

      Thanks to Bud Selig not wanting to move his Brewers back to the AL, the Astros are stuck playing nearly all their games two hours later in Pacific time zone, instead of Central where they should still be.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • max.patch wrote:

      So the Braves starting catcher is out becasue of Covid symptoms.

      No problem; they'll use the backup. Oops.

      So like a Broadway musical, they'll use the understudy that they hoped they'd never need but kept hanging around anyway. Will a 30 player taxi squad be enough?
      It is actually 30 active players right now (2 weeks 28, then another 2 weeks to 26). The taxi squad is 2 or 3 as long as one is a catcher (travels with the team and the extra catcher can work in the bullpen). I believe with the developmental players it might be 60 total. I know for the Astros those extra 27 or so players were working out at U of Houston, and may go down to Corpus Christi now.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • IMScotty wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      Covid 19, Marlins 13

      That's the only score that matters after the first weekend.

      The next step is obvious.
      Interleague play? :)
      I wish. :(

      What is absolutely unacceptable is that the Marlins knew about the first 4 positive tests before yesterdays game and decided IN A TEAM GROUP TEXT to go ahead and play. That's a decision that should have made by Manfred. And he should have cancelled the game (although I doubt that he would have done so).

      SHUT IT DOWN.
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      IMScotty wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      Covid 19, Marlins 13

      That's the only score that matters after the first weekend.

      The next step is obvious.
      Interleague play? :)
      I wish. :(
      What is absolutely unacceptable is that the Marlins knew about the first 4 positive tests before yesterdays game and decided IN A TEAM GROUP TEXT to go ahead and play. That's a decision that should have made by Manfred. And he should have cancelled the game (although I doubt that he would have done so).

      SHUT IT DOWN.
      Manfred sez..

      ""I don't put this in the nightmare category," he said. "We don't want any player to get exposed. It's not a positive thing, but I don't see it as a nightmare."

      If 13 (and I've read that the number is now 14) is not a nightmare...I wonder what is.
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      Manfred sez..
      ""I don't put this in the nightmare category," he said. "We don't want any player to get exposed. It's not a positive thing, but I don't see it as a nightmare."

      If 13 (and I've read that the number is now 14) is not a nightmare...I wonder what is.
      4 more bringing the total to 17 (15 players, 2 coaches).

      Manfred -- Is 17 a nightmare?
      2,000 miler
    • I would not blame Manfred. MLB had proposed playing in a bubble similar to the NBA, NHL, and the soccer leagues. But just like every other reasonable proposal they put forward over the past 4 months the players union rejected it.

      Marvin Miller may be going into the HoF, but I still think it is ridiculous since most of MLB's problems today are due to his efforts to strengthen the players union. :thumbdown:
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • max.patch wrote:

      The Nationals just said it's a nightmare -- just announced that the team voted agaisnt going to Miami this weekend.

      This puts Manfred on notice -- one way or the other -- he has to make a decision soon.
      Marlins season suspended until next Tuesday (a week from today). The have an open date on Monday so that possibley could be used to make up one (or two - doubleheader?) of the games.
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      Astros vs Dodgers tonight.

      Must see TV -- Who will be the first Astro to get plunked?
      Probably won't be until the later innings when the relievers come in, unless an accident. Walker Buehler was not with the team in 2017, and has made it clear it has nothing to do with him. Same as last year when the Angels starter wouldn't hit Jake Marisnick last year because they were teammates coming up with the Marlins, but the first reliever to face him in the game did.

      What a lot of people forget is the Dodgers were also suspected of sign stealing at that time (as most winning teams, if not all). It was so bad that due to all of the trips Brian McCann took to the mound in the World Series to switch up signs, MLB changed the rules during the off season to limit trips to the mound.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astros exercised Dusty Baker's option for 2021 today. I love listening to Dusty and reading stories about him, but after this weekend I understand why he still does not have a ring as a manager. Over a long season his personality and leadership plays well, but his strategy short comings get him in trouble, which is more obvious in short term situations like the playoffs.

      Astros should be only 4-0 team, but in game 3 he left Chris Devinski in the 8th inning to blow the lead. Should have brought in Ryan Pressly with the game on the line, but I believe he wanted to show support for Devo. He blew the save, and Pressly their best reliever right now ended up not being used the ENTIRE 4 game series (yes this is why even the Orioles fired Buck Showalter). Also he should have been playing Kyle Tucker everyday, but at that point only started game 2, of course he came in to pinch hit in the 9th and hit a double (the guy Dusty started that day was sent back (hitless) to the minors after the game). Two keys things that cost them in a one run game. Please note Tucker started game 4 and in the lineup for game 5 tonight. I sure hope he lets Joe Espada or Brent Strom help him with strategy as the season goes on.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      Walker Buehler out of game now, but with two runners on, bean balls will probably have to wait until next inning. Dave Roberts came out to mound looking like teenager with mask pulled down on his chin.
      After a couple of just misses on what in reality were probably just pitches that got away, in the 6th inning Joe Kelly throws 97 mph at Bregman's head. Being 3-0 count he was probably anticipating it, and was able to duck out of the way.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      Walker Buehler out of game now, but with two runners on, bean balls will probably have to wait until next inning. Dave Roberts came out to mound looking like teenager with mask pulled down on his chin.
      After a couple of just misses on what in reality were probably just pitches that got away, in the 6th inning Joe Kelly throws 97 mph at Bregman's head. Being 3-0 count he was probably anticipating it, and was able to duck out of the way.
      LOL got kind of chippy at the end of the inning.
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      Walker Buehler out of game now, but with two runners on, bean balls will probably have to wait until next inning. Dave Roberts came out to mound looking like teenager with mask pulled down on his chin.
      After a couple of just misses on what in reality were probably just pitches that got away, in the 6th inning Joe Kelly throws 97 mph at Bregman's head. Being 3-0 count he was probably anticipating it, and was able to duck out of the way.
      LOL got kind of chippy at the end of the inning.
      Joe Kelly suspended 8 games, Dave Roberts 1 game. Dusty Baker just fined.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      Remember seeing triple play at Yankee Stadium and another my son was was the anchor of when I was coaching him.

      Not for sure if this really was one or not. ?(
      i had a triple play scored on my team. I was the coach of our intra mural softball team in grad school. As this was a science department, we had a lot of foreigners who had never played softball before. We had a Swede on 2nd an a very enthusiastic Frenchman on 1st with no outs. I was coaching first. I told the base runners to repeat after me "I will not run until the ball hits the ground". The say it over and over until the batter hits a lazy fly ball to the outfield and both runners take off like a flash. They were celebrating at home plate before they were tagged out. On the bright side, we had a kick ass soccer team. The Frenchman could dribble down field and score at will.
    • I always like the dog days of summer as it is the only time of the year when there was only one major sports league to worry about. For some reason I like that there is this narrow window when baseball gets all the attention. But this is 2020 and MLB has to share with NBA and NHL, that is until the baseball season gets cancelled.

      BTW, I noticed that while Canada couldn't accommodate the Blue Jays, they did find a way to let hundreds of hockey players from all over the world through the gates. I guess they are considered emergency personnel in Canada, eh?
    • odd man out wrote:

      I always like the dog days of summer as it is the only time of the year when there was only one major sports league to worry about. For some reason I like that there is this narrow window when baseball gets all the attention. But this is 2020 and MLB has to share with NBA and NHL, that is until the baseball season gets cancelled.

      BTW, I noticed that while Canada couldn't accommodate the Blue Jays, they did find a way to let hundreds of hockey players from all over the world through the gates. I guess they are considered emergency personnel in Canada, eh?
      MLB could have been playing for several weeks before NBA and NHL came back if their Players Union wasn't so stubborn. :(
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • odd man out wrote:

      BTW, I noticed that while Canada couldn't accommodate the Blue Jays, they did find a way to let hundreds of hockey players from all over the world through the gates. I guess they are considered emergency personnel in Canada, eh?
      Hockeys in a a bubble, whereas baseball is flying all over the place in a country that doesn't take the virus as seriously as our neighbors to the north does.

      Edit to add: Actually two bubbles to keep my post factually correct.
      2,000 miler
    • Someone needs to wake Dusty Baker up and let him know about the new MLB three batter minimum rule. Today's lineup has three left handed batters, all batting back to back 5th to 7th. ?(

      Joe Maddon is a good Manager, you don't to be doing him any favors.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General