Baseball 2020

Too early you say?
Newp.
Pitchers and catchers report next week.
Today I purchased 12 tickets to a pair of Reds-Cardinals games in St. Louis in August.
Got a loft big enough for us, the kids and their spouses. Haven’t made the pilgrimage to the Mecca of baseball in several seasons. Looking forward to some good old fashioned National League baseball, some great Italian on The Hill, frozen custard at Ted Drewe’s on Route 66 and the Clydesdales and a free, cold Budweiser at the end of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery tour. And we we’re way overdue for another trip to the top of the Arch!

 

One of the best and worst and worst things about my house is it's proximity to Ted Drewe's. It's less than a 5 minute walk.

I'm still hoping the Cardinals add a proven bat before opening day, but that's looking extremely unlikely.

 

Los Dodgers just won the NL West...again. Betts is an incredible talent and they didn't even have to divulge the cream of their loaded farm system to acquire him. They're on another level in the NL West and this is coming from a guy who bleeds black and orange.

Oh, and the 'stros got off easy. Post-season death penalty for 5 years - make them play regular seasons with no prospect of the post season. I think Jim Crane found the $5 million to pay their "fine" in his couch cushions. It's a bunch of BS in my opinion - and yes, cheating has always been present in baseball, but I don't see the punishment as any meaningful deterrent to clubs pulling the same stunt in the future.

 

I haven't given up on Arenado yet Brad. Just once, I'd like to see us get a player like that instead of the Yankees or the Angels or the Astros. Speaking of the Astros, I strongly agree Nev. They got off VERY easily. I don't think a post season ban is logical for professional sports teams. I would say a more appropriate penalty would be a significant increase in the club's luxury tax, aka, the "competitive balance tax threshold," although Houston is not one of the eight clubs who have surpassed the current limits, reset in 2003. It starts at 20% on all overages the first year, goes to 30% for two consecutive years, then 50% for every year three and over. I'd say make theirs 80%-85%. That still may not be high enough to punish them adequately since they've never done it. The Yankees, on the other hand, did every year between 2003-2017, paying $319,600,000 over that period. I think a one season ban for every player and coach involved isn't too harsh. Determining involvement might be tricky, but that definition should include every player or coach who knew about it and said or did nothing to stop it.

 

Brother, if I lived that close to Ted Drewe's, I wouldn't look like the Goodyear blimp, I'd BE the Goodyear blimp. That's temptation beyond what any mere mortal should have to endure. Prayers for your strength and resolve, sir!

 

Pitchers have to face a minimum of three batters or reach the end of the half inning. You can always start the inning with a new pitcher no matter how many batters the previous pitcher faced. So you could still technically bring in your LOOGY if there are two outs and your pitcher gets his one guy out.

 

RIP Tony Fernandez. Heartbeat at Shortstop for those great early 90’s Blue Jays teams. Underrated bat to go along with that amazing glove and signature flip throw across the diamond.

 

Just timed the commercial break between the bottom of the 5th and the top of the 6th. Closer to 150 seconds Don. And I think we've had this discussion before.
When I played Little League (well, participated in Little League) our umpire was a young newlywed with a day job. After every third out, he'd bark the same command: HUSTLE IN, HUSTLE OUT! And you know what? Even though he was a terrible ump, WE DID!
Ain't gonna happen in today's big leagues because of the fourth and fifth words I typed at the beginning of this post: commercial break. If only they really were 90 seconds. That might actually speed up the game. But, sadly, it'll never happen. Gotta get those spots in. Mo' money, mo' money, mo' money. Same reason they schedule playoff and World Series games in October at night in the cold. More eyeballs on more TV's equals more money for ads equals mo' money...
Greed trumps doing the right thing every time these days, or so it seems.
And the players know that. Watch at the end of every half inning. They don't hustle in, hustle out. They linger over that cup of water in the dugout. Don't even bother to move usually before the announcers wrap and pitch to the commercial break.
As a former local radio station owner used to say, money doesn't talk, it screams.

 

‘It reminds us, of all that once was good, and can be again’

 

And the Redbirds have come out of the gate quickly, taking the first two from the Pirates in St. Louis. 60 games isn't a lot, so a good start is pretty much mandatory if you want to be around for the expanded post season. I still see a lot of holes, but they've succeeded before in seasons when they had numerous weaknesses, so we'll see what happens...if the whole thing doesn't come to a screeching halt due to this resurgent virus. Today was key because Adam Wainwright can't keep hitters honest anymore with his fastball, so they sit on the breaking ball. If he can keep that from happening for this shortened season, we've got a chance for a 12th World Series ring. I'd take that, even with an asterisk beside it.

 

Meanwhile, at a hotel somewhere in Milwaukee... My team hasn't played for a week.

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/bas...927161b.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

 

Anyone think that the chances of finishing the season are better than 50%? I bet they do finish the season but not before some serious concessions are made. They're already limiting double headers to seven inning games.

 

You should check out their KBO coverage in the morning. It's even worse. I've seen a few half innings where they fail to even mention their is a game being played.

 

Playoffs start today. @encorespanish at least the Twinkies don’t play the Yanks, should be able to get by Astros. White Sox-A’s should be a tight one (Oakland losing 3rd baseman Chapman hurts). @stlouisbrad @jumpkutz Best series in NL has to be Cards v Padres. San Diego had a couple starters get hurt in last couple weeks, so that’s a coin-flip. My only hope is I somehow dodge a bullet and the Dodgers don’t win it all (got some seriously obnoxious LA fans waiting to give me grief)