then coronavirus happened, 2020 baseball

apparently an agreement might be on the way

i am really dreading the precedent set by expanded playoffs. if 14 or 16 teams becomes standard...

https://tosabarbell.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/tball2.jpg?w=520

i'd get used to expanded playoffs if it was the top x teams regardless of league so we don't have any sub-.500 in playoffs nonsense. this is true of every sport

at least in the nba shitty 8 seeds generally don't make it to the finals. baseball is a complete crapshoot.

yeah i know. but if it's 8 teams/league say, then last season the rangers would have been the 8 seed with 78-84 and that's... just so wack.

^^^knows about shitty 8 seeds making it to the finals

ITS TRUE

Just spoke with @MLB Commissioner

America really needs some unifying common experiences right now,not to distract us from our challenges,but to remind us of the things we have in common

Baseball can help fill that void & I am cautiously optimistic we will #playball very soon

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) June 17, 2020

The president we might have had *wipes a tear*

According to Jon Heyman, the players and owners have an agreement in principle that will give players pro-rated pay while providing expanded playoffs and a waiver of a potential player grievance for failing to live up to the March 26 agreement. Heyman was also the first to report that Rob Manfred and Tony Clark had an in-person meeting yesterday, as Manfred flew to Arizona in an attempt to restart talks.

As Heyman was reporting the deal, multiple reporters confirmed that MLB had made an offer, but indicated a deal had not yet been made.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/instagraphs/mlb-owners-make-new-offer-for-60-games-but-no-deal-yet/

a waiver of a potential player grievance for failing to live up to the March 26 agreement

So now the owners can keep trying to run out the clock on the number of regular season games? hmmm

A driving force in this resumption of the baseball talks:

I've been hearing it wasn't so much that a group of owners didn't want to play. They just didn't want to play and face a $1 billion grievance.

You know what would make that grievance go away? Making a deal.

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) June 17, 2020

everyone saying they'll settle around 65-66 games, which is still a complete joke of a season

I’ll take it.

So will I. It was weird seeing Fauci being comfortable with people in stadiums this summer, as long as they were at 1/2 or 1/3 capacity. Dude must be really jonesing for some baseball too

MLB offer includes universal DH for not just 2020, but 2021 too. It also includes on top of 100 pct prorated salary for 60 games, a $25M postseason pool.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) June 17, 2020

NL fans aren't even gonna have a chance to say goodbye to pitchers hitting, it's already dead

while i think pitchers hitting is extremely stupid it's basically the last of the leagues being distinct in the only sport where the leagues are still distinct and i will hate to see it go

arbitrary leagues, 16 team postseasons.... we're NBA now

*last remnant of

https://twitter.com/trevorplouffe/status/127341783497918873

oops

One thing that “the purists” are gonna hate:

The owners have proposed being able to sell commercial advertisements on uniforms for 2020 and 2021.

Again, it’s in the proposal, which as many have reported is not a done deal.

— Trevor Plouffe (@trevorplouffe) June 18, 2020

Gross

sucks cuz the Brewers consistently have decent hitting pitchers

Wow, Fauci is a huge baseball fan! Could this guy be any cooler? Shame about the Yankees though.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/sports/baseball/coronavirus-fauci-baseball-running.html

Teams don't have to use the DH, the option to let the pitcher hit has always been there!

I personally don't like the idea of advertising on uniforms, but I can bite my tongue and accept it. It's the norm in other sports and baseball has far more important problems to deal with.

I hate it so much

other sports?

ESPN is now paying Mark Teixeira for "analysis," and he's very amped for a fluke world champion.

The advertising's been creeping in for as long as I can remember. It seems to come in waves. Here's the Green Monster in the 1940s:

https://coololdphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/05/2560947551_4f0c88c5a2_o-945x1024.jpg

In the 70s:
http://collectiblestadiumseats.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/oldmonster.jpg

And recently:
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7136/7617019132_3590bc2640_b.jpg

once it starts on the uniforms it's never coming off :(

yeah unis are sacred compared to signage

at least it'll sully Stankee pinstripes

do you have a shortcut key for these

boo to ads on uniforms

guys, the industry isn't very profitable -- they need the ads

I keep forgetting

maybe the players could do a gofundme for the owners so they can meet ends meet?

I don’t mind the logos on basketball uniform, but I hate their existence because I know they’re just leading the way towards full on fucking McDonalds costumes or something

BREAKING: Coronavirus outbreak at Phillies camp -- 8 positive tests. Story herehttps://t.co/YhBRXdgksX

— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyNBCS) June 19, 2020

welp

yeah that'll do it

what a bunch of delusional babies in this country, trying to wish this virus into oblivion

who could think this would not happen?

There goes the season?

i was told that coronavirus is not a big deal

at least we have this

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29334063/twins-remove-statue-ex-owner-calvin-griffith-comments

expecting season to be cancelled
not sure if I will be too

― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, March 11, 2020

actually, next week

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/06/mlbpa-to-vote-on-mlbs-60-game-proposal-this-weekend.html

In letter to Tony Clark today, Rob Manfred said, “I really believe we are fighting over an impossibility on games.” Says given need to relocated teams from Florida, earliest players could report is June 29, leaving 66 days to play 60 games.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 21, 2020

Players previously had signed off on Manfred having right to terminate 2020 season at any point after consulting with medical experts and union. But they later raised concerns that if season was shortened they would be giving away 2021 postseason and getting too little in return. https://t.co/pu8Wb1kXRx

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 21, 2020

Players cut union meeting short after Clark received letter from Manfred, sources tell me and @JaysonSt. Unclear whether things will progress from here.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 21, 2020

officially burnt out on this stupid story just cancel the season

Confirming Jim’s report. Also: MLB unwilling to provide additional funds for players in either 2020 or 21 playoff pool. MLB proposal was to forgive $33M of $170M advance, only for players on split contracts. Both sides also can agree to eliminate DH/expanded playoffs for ‘21 now. https://t.co/G6KvKRBRiZ

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 22, 2020

Wish they'd just pull the plug on this--it's embarrassing.