MLB 2020

[moecurlythanu]

^^ What happens when the second COVID wave hits? Then what?

We'll paint a large orange "T" on the lintels of our doorways, and the Angel Of Death will pass over.

[Jerjo]

Statement of MLBPA Tony Clark.jpg

[polmico]

Looks like we’ll get that 40-something game schedule.

[Lou]

MLB is done as we know it. They have done nothing to recruit a younger fan base.The die hards are aging rapidly, with no one to take their place.
Attendance has been dropping each year. Billionaires are fighting with millionaires over money, while a large percentage is still out of work from
the pandemic. If ever a sport NEEDS to be playing to keep the fan base interested, it is baseball. Yet they have done nothing, except to alienate fans even more.
I don't know if they will be able to fully recover from this.

[Jerjo]

This is the very definition of a clusterfuck:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...ly-labor-fight

[polmico]

I think Andrew McCutchen has done a pretty darn good job explaining this clusterfuck so that everyone can understand:



(And my earlier assessment where I figured the players might be blamed? I got a feeling I was dead wrong there.)

[ronmac]

^^ There are no angels in this outfield.

[3LockBox]

MLB would be better off canceling the rest of the season. If they present a 50 game schedule they run the risk of presenting the public with a much better product. Where in seasons past 2/3 of the league is mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, now you have that many teams with a viable shot at postseason play. Imagine a baseball season where every game counts, every game has a sense of urgency, every game has meaning. Let's face it boys, baseball games pre-All-Star break are usually a pretty dire affair. Attendance for many teams falls off dramatically after the All-Star break considering those teams have nothing to play for and most fans have little to root for. As engaging and compelling as a shortened baseball season would be, how on Earth could MLB follow that up with another 162-game marathon.

[ronmac]

MLB would be better off canceling the rest of the season. If they present a 50 game schedule they run the risk of presenting the public with a much better product. Where in seasons past 2/3 of the league is mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, now you have that many teams with a viable shot at postseason play. Imagine a baseball season where every game counts, every game has a sense of urgency, every game has meaning. Let's face it boys, baseball games pre-All-Star break are usually a pretty dire affair. Attendance for many teams falls off dramatically after the All-Star break considering those teams have nothing to play for and most fans have little to root for. As engaging and compelling as a shortened baseball season would be, how on Earth could MLB follow that up with another 162-game marathon.

I don't agree with any of this.

[NogbadTheBad]

I don't agree with any of this.

I agree with you.

[3LockBox]

I'm not surprised that for die-hard Baseball fans, the more baseball the better. Fans of landlines and newspapers will always be fans.

[ronmac]

^^ Is that a thinly veiled insult?

[3LockBox]

Just some friendly smack

[Jerjo]

Rumor is they have a deal - at least 60 games plus playoffs

[SteveSly]

Our Northwoods League team here in Kalamazoo is set to resume play in July. They posted this video today on how things are going to work at the stadium. I suspect similar plans will be in place for larger sports venues if they ever open up again:

[Jerjo]

My nephew plays in the Northwoods League! He's excited to be back playing after his college season got interrupted.

[SteveSly]

My nephew plays in the Northwoods League! He's excited to be back playing after his college season got interrupted.

Cool, which team does he play for?

[ronmac]

Cool, which team does he play for?

The Southeast Westchester North Stars?

[moecurlythanu]

^ Affectionately known as "The Weather Vanes."

[proggy_jazzer]

Our local Waterloo Bucks are part of the Northwoods league, and it's something I've enjoyed for many years. The latest news here suggests that they may start playing against a small pod of geographically-near league teams at some point in July, but details are still being worked out. Honestly, though, even if it does happen I'll be reluctant to attend, as I have seen precious little evidence locally that enough people will follow social distancing protocols to make me feel comfortable.

[Gruno]

MLB would be better off canceling the rest of the season. If they present a 50 game schedule they run the risk of presenting the public with a much better product. Where in seasons past 2/3 of the league is mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, now you have that many teams with a viable shot at postseason play. Imagine a baseball season where every game counts, every game has a sense of urgency, every game has meaning. Let's face it boys, baseball games pre-All-Star break are usually a pretty dire affair. Attendance for many teams falls off dramatically after the All-Star break considering those teams have nothing to play for and most fans have little to root for. As engaging and compelling as a shortened baseball season would be, how on Earth could MLB follow that up with another 162-game marathon.

[SteveSly]

Our local Waterloo Bucks are part of the Northwoods league, and it's something I've enjoyed for many years. The latest news here suggests that they may start playing against a small pod of geographically-near league teams at some point in July, but details are still being worked out. Honestly, though, even if it does happen I'll be reluctant to attend, as I have seen precious little evidence locally that enough people will follow social distancing protocols to make me feel comfortable.

Yup, that is the plan here. They are re-aligning the league into regional pods that will play against each other. Kalamazoo is going to actually have two teams, the Kalamazoo Growlers and the Kalamazoo Mac Daddies. I am not sure how that is going to work, but apparently there are enough players. Other teams in the pod will be Battle Creek MI, Traverse City MI and a few others I don't remember.

We enjoy going to Growlers games and usually catch several every summer. The baseball is not the greatest, but it is cheap with cold beer and good BBQ. I like going to MLB games, but for us it is a 2 hour drive to Detroit and the Growlers are 10 minutes from my house, and it is always a fun time.

[Jerjo]

Cool, which team does he play for?

Last year it was with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. Right now he's playing what they call "Town Ball" in Minnesota, waiting for the Northwoods to get rolling.

Town Ball in Minnestoa is insanely popular - fielding teams of players ranging from their late teens to forties (though at that age it gets pretty hard to keep up, the pitchers make sure of that). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_T...ball#Minnesota

[proggy_jazzer]

We enjoy going to Growlers games and usually catch several every summer. The baseball is not the greatest, but it is cheap with cold beer and good BBQ. I like going to MLB games, but for us it is a 2 hour drive to Detroit and the Growlers are 10 minutes from my house, and it is always a fun time.

Exactly. Our park is a 15-minute bike ride on paved trails away for me, which is glorious. And while the quality of the play varies from year to year, there's nothing like hearing the sound of a wood bat smacking a liner or the pop of a fastball in the catchers mitt up close and personal.

[Jerjo]

Here's a great piece in the NYTimes on what a tool Manfred is.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/s...lb-season.html

Do we know who the hard line owners are? Fans of those teams should be applying some pressure.