And the MLB 2020 season negotiations begin

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by dkgo

Having teams still travel city to city is beyond idiotic.

Yeah... as much as NBA players have been complaining about the conditions in the quarantine (and I mean, when you're used to steak, ramen does kind of suck TBH), at least they *are* all sitting in basically the same compound with only limited interaction with the outside world. If any league is going to make this work, it's probably them.

There's also this weird vibe I'm getting where people (especially, it seems, in the NFL, but MLB seems to have some of this) are expecting things to be better in, say, 2 to 3 months. It might crest in August and might even go down a little in September but I would *not* expect a virus that's similar to the cold if not in the way it operates but the, um, shape to become *less* prevalent in the fall and winter. Hope all you want, and make plans just in case, I guess, but if anything I would expect there to be... a second wave probably isn't accurate since the first wave never really stopped (I mean, it hit other parts of the country I guess) but a re-invigorating of the initial wave.

[TheMaus2]

according to Woj the MLB failed to sell the players association on an Arizona bubble, so

I guess this is retribution for Manfred forcing a season on them? feels weird that they wouldn't take the bubble option and ensure safety instead of risking exposure to the outside world.

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by Westheim

But you can't play baseball with only one team in any given ballpark.

There are more than enough parks in either the Phoenix area or south Florida to have staged games. The MLB opted to shoot for the inside straight that was actually getting fans from the cities into the games and, not getting it, they have persisted in pretending that everything is normal.

[dkgo]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

Yeah... as much as NBA players have been complaining about the conditions in the quarantine (and I mean, when you're used to steak, ramen does kind of suck TBH), at least they *are* all sitting in basically the same compound with only limited interaction with the outside world. If any league is going to make this work, it's probably them.

There's also this weird vibe I'm getting where people (especially, it seems, in the NFL, but MLB seems to have some of this) are expecting things to be better in, say, 2 to 3 months. It might crest in August and might even go down a little in September but I would *not* expect a virus that's similar to the cold if not in the way it operates but the, um, shape to become *less* prevalent in the fall and winter. Hope all you want, and make plans just in case, I guess, but if anything I would expect there to be... a second wave probably isn't accurate since the first wave never really stopped (I mean, it hit other parts of the country I guess) but a re-invigorating of the initial wave.

People basically decided they were bored after two months of stay at home at that therefore everything is back to normal, virus solved. Well...no.

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by dkgo

People basically decided they were bored after two months of stay at home at that therefore everything is back to normal, virus solved. Well...no.

American Exceptionalism!

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

There are more than enough parks in either the Phoenix area or south Florida to have staged games. The MLB opted to shoot for the inside straight that was actually getting fans from the cities into the games and, not getting it, they have persisted in pretending that everything is normal.

And I was all for the total baseball bubble. Not sure who blinked first then, MLB or rampant spread of corona in precisely those two states...

As we're ****ting on MLB, I would really love some more openness about which players test how for what. It's all hush-hush, as usual. The front page right now features news items about how the Trout hit his first homer in a 3-0 count and how Derek Holland was ejected from a game, but nothing about the Marlins situation. That's poor form and unacceptable.

[CONN CHRIS]

IF we get to the end of the season, the standings will look like something out of the 1870s:

Blue Stockings 31-9
New York Athletic 26-11
Forrest Citys 19-10
Hoboken 13-8
Middlefield 9 12-29

[cephasjames]

Originally Posted by CBeisbol

American Exceptionalism!

Not just a US thing.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

IF we get to the end of the season, the standings will look like something out of the 1870s:

Blue Stockings 31-9
New York Athletic 26-11
Forrest Citys 19-10
Hoboken 13-8
Middlefield 9 12-29

Can the Tigers crawl below the impressive mark set by the 1899 Spiders, though?

[Magus978]

Tonight's Orioles/Marlins & Yankees/Phillies games have been cancelled.

Got a feeling that this is the beginning of the end for the abridged 2020 season. Just pack it up and let's go again in 2021 when *hopefully* it'll be a little safer.

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by dkgo

People basically decided they were bored after two months of stay at home at that therefore everything is back to normal, virus solved. Well...no.

I mean, crap, some of us have been holing up since March. I'm on 5 months of working from home and only leaving my apartment to get groceries, exercise, and <redacted so you all do not DROOL ALL OVER MY FAMOUSNESSNESS>, and of course all that while wearing a mask. I can't tell you how much of a pet peeve it is when I am the people living around me in Illinois are doing all of that and the damned Floridians and Georgians (and Arizonans and Californians) can't be arsed to do so for 3 months...

[Syd Thrift]

dola,

In case anyone's missed it, that news story of 4 Marlins testing positive: it's been revised upwards by 8. Not *to* 8, *by* 8. 12 Marlins players have now tested positive for COVID-19 along with 2 coaches.

[Hrycaj]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Can the Tigers crawl below the impressive mark set by the 1899 Spiders, though?

They have more wins than the Mets right now.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Hrycaj

They have more wins than the Mets right now.

...which was not remotely the question, but thank you for reminding me.

[TheMaus2]

apparently the fear with the PA was that they wouldn't get to see their families under a 60 game season, which definitely should have been reconsidered

[Westheim]

Wait, they're still seeing their families??

[cephasjames]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Wait, they're still seeing their families??

Yeah. They're all living in their own homes.

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by cephasjames

Yeah. They're all living in their own homes.

And going out in their communities

And interacting with flight staff, bus drivers, hotel staff, stadium staff, etc...

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by cephasjames

Yeah. They're all living in their own homes.

Well, there's *one* possible problem...

[knightdreamer2k]

Originally Posted by TheMaus2

yeah it seems like the end to this season might be swift, this looks like an outbreak waiting to happen

Agreed, unfortunately. I just don't understand how sports are suppose to work in a nation that is so high in Covid-19 cases. I mean anytime a player gets it then they have to quarantine for 14 days, but typically if they have it, then some teammate will have it as well. The competitive balance is then ruined because of players missing time and teams would have to forfeit due to outbreak on their team.