2020 MLB Running Thread

[Elliotte Friedman]

We have a season! (Who knows for how long.)

Thought it would be good to start something fresh.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

OK, here's the weirdness from Boston. The Red Sox have set up an outdoor cafe/saloon on the top deck of the parking lot on Lansdowne St., as well as tables on the sidewalk on the Green Monster side of the street. Reservations are required to pay ballpark prices for food and drink to sit and look at the OUTSIDE of Fenway Park. And people are happily doing it!!

 

[maumann]

I would be outraged at the Fox fake fans if it wasn't so laughably obvious on EVERY OTHER CAMERA ANGLE that nobody's actually there. That has to be a decision made by a f-ing suit. (Channeling my inner Fredrick.)

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

OK, here's the weirdness from Boston. The Red Sox have set up an outdoor cafe/saloon on the top deck of the parking lot on Lansdowne St., as well as tables on the sidewalk on the Green Monster side of the street. Reservations are required to pay ballpark prices for food and drink to sit and look at the OUTSIDE of Fenway Park. And people are happily doing it!!

Nobody ever said that Red Sox fans are smart.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Stupid rules should come with stupid names.



That said, I will point out that the Angels failed magnificently at implementing the rule last night.

 

[ChrisLong]

Stupid rules should come with stupid names.



That said, I will point out that the Angels failed magnificently at implementing the rule last night.

Debate on whether it was a lazy play by runner Shohei Ohtani or a great play by 1B Matt Olson. The batter, Jared Walsh, grounded to first and Olson easily threw out Ohtani going to third. Ohtani had a very poor secondary lead and got a lousy jump when the ball was hit. There was a rundown and Walsh didn't try to go to second.
I watched Dodgers-Giants on Thursday and it looked like the Giants never practiced fundamentals.

 

[MileHigh]

That was all on Ohtani.

 

[ChrisLong]

That was all on Ohtani.

He just looks like he hasn't played a lot of baseball in his life. He doesn't do things naturally.

 

[poindexter]

He just looks like he hasn't played a lot of baseball in his life. He doesn't do things naturally.

Needs minor league seasoning /Jeff Passan

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

I don’t know if I should put this here or on the COVID thread, but it seems important.

Report: Red Sox's Eduardo Rodriguez Dealing with Heart Issue Related to COVID-19

 

[Fred siegle]

Something that I’m not sure has been considered with the focus on keeping teams from the same regions playing pretty much within their region: a long-lasting storm period, say several days covering a large region, could throw a gigantic wrench in the schedule. Speaking for the east coast, this could easily occur. Especially if a storm tracks through one area and on to another area where teams from the first area play next. (Say Washington/Baltimore to New York, or either on to Boston.) two rainouts in Baltimore followed by two rainouts in Boston could create a huge problem with this tight schedule.

 

[Batman]

In the Diamondbacks-Padres game, D-backs pitcher Robbie Ray was struggling to put away Manny Machado during a long at-bat. In between pitches, Ray pulled a laminated card out of his pocket to apparently go over his notes on Machado. I don't think he was just checking signs.
Is that legal? I've never seen that before.

 

[maumann]

In the Diamondbacks-Padres game, D-backs pitcher Robbie Ray was struggling to put away Manny Machado during a long at-bat. In between pitches, Ray pulled a laminated card out of his pocket to apparently go over his notes on Machado. I don't think he was just checking signs.
Is that legal? I've never seen that before.

I've seen more of that recently for outfielder shifts based on each batter, but a pitcher? Not that I can remember. If they start using those huge college football sideline play cards, I'll be more impressed.

 

[maumann]

In addition of several cardboard dogs behind the plate at San Diego's Petco Park, there is a huge baby cutout that's only slightly smaller than the Baby Trump Balloon. Holy moly, that's scary to see on every pitch.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Presenting the Vans Sk8-Hi … now in baseball spikes.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

I figured you could spike up Walmart shoes and be good.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

In addition of several cardboard dogs behind the plate at San Diego's Petco Park, there is a huge baby cutout that's only slightly smaller than the Baby Trump Balloon. Holy moly, that's scary to see on every pitch.

Also at Petco Park: there is a big advertisement in the bullpen for Cutwater. It's on the wall behind the two pitching mounds.

They were playing the Diamondbacks and they had two pitchers warming up. On the camera shot of the bullpen the pitchers block a few letters on the left and right edges of the sign, turning the CUTWATER sign into a **** sign.

 

[swingline]

I got home late Friday from a three-night stay at some campground between Loveland and Estes Park, and after everyone was in bed I got into the A’s-Angels game. I was, despite myself, enthralled.

I loved everything about it: the crowd noise, the goofy cutouts, the swings in elation and deflation as the score changed hands.

I didn’t expect to be drawn in, but I was. It wasn’t what I thought, but it was, as I found, just what I needed.

(Or maybe it was the effects from driving all 775 miles back.)

 

[Deskgrunt50]

I got home late Friday from a three-night stay at some campground between Loveland and Estes Park, and after everyone was in bed I got into the A’s-Angels game. I was, despite myself, enthralled.

I loved everything about it: the crowd noise, the goofy cutouts, the swings in elation and deflation as the score changed hands.

I didn’t expect to be drawn in, but I was. It wasn’t what I thought, but it was, as I found, just what I needed.

(Or maybe it was the effects from driving all 775 miles back.)

I’ve had a similar experience the last few days (though, just after walking from my dining room table to my couch after work).

I love baseball and knew I’d be happy if it could return and be played as safely as possible.

But the experience, with all the weirdness, is much better than expected. I was INTO the last few innings of Angels-A’s on Friday night. That’s not a normal thing for me. Used to be background noise while my mind was on five different things.

The ratings for the Yanks-Nats game on Thursday was the highest for a regular season game in nine years. That won’t last, but it’s a helluva number.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

I think the only reason they pipe in sound for these crowdless games is to drown out all the cussing. Baseball, after all, is a game of failure.