Stay safe out there, Angel fans. And have some links inside.
Bad news
Owners did reject that plan of a 114 game schedule. Players refuse to play for less than 81 games. This can go on for a while.
Even worse, the owners refuse to agree to anything with baseball in November period.
Cubs owners are mad that people say that they horde cash. It would be a more sympathetic statement if they opened their books.
Minor league baseball is in danger but at least 28 teams have said they will pay the players through June at the very least. The A’s won’t and the Angels aren’t revealing yet. The Angels have the opportunity to do the right thing!
Because of the owners being cheap, the 39th overall draft prospect has decided to go to LSU. Expect similar decisions to fall.
Racism is still an issue. The players make that clear. And a reminder that Torii Hunter was held at gunpoint in his own home by a cop and was told by the Angels and his agent to not tell people because of the potential backlash. This was back when he was still on the Angels.
Dale Murphy’s son was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet. These bullets are generally intended to be fired at the ground, causing a ricochet, so the fact that he was shot in the eye is disturbing.
Good news
The players and owners agreed on one thing. If baseball returns this season, it will be regional. No AL. No NL. Robo fans only, baseball 2020.
New proposal by the owners. Full prorated salary but only about 50 regular season games. Oh and expect an expanded playoffs. Blame Manfred.
Art Howie recovered from Covid19.
Marvin repping the Angels in Minneapolis and doing everyone proud.
Trout congratulates the Class of 2020.
Angels playoff chances go up in a short season.
Anything I missed? Sorry to be such a bummer right now. Hopefully the season starts soon.
The Torii Hunter story broke my heart. I can’t even imagine what it must feel like to be held at gunpoint in your own home by police, and he’s a guy who has made it, has millions, is successful. What about the ones who aren’t public figures? Now what would have happened if the officer didn’t recognize him? And then to ask for tickets while training a gun on him.
We’ll never understand.
wow. I hadn’t read it until just now. I sincerely hope the cop didn’t get tickets. But you know, when there’s a gun pointed at you, even after it’s put down, it’s probably easy to say “sure” rather than “you’ve got to be kidding!” because you’d already be aware you’ve got a psycho in your house.
Not the brightest guy asking for tickets, but the worst part was the suppression of the incident by just about everyone else involved.
https://au.sports.yahoo.com/george-floyd-torii-hunter-recounts-experience-america-police-034558656.html
Torii being told not to say anything about it, because of what not. But we all know it cam down to money, and the reputation of the ones involved, and money that could be lost because of this situation.
Bullshit is bullshit.
With some of the stuff that comes out of Torii’s mouth, it must have been real tough to hold this information back. Too bad it took so long.
Definitely. The Angels have not looked great the last 12 months.
Sad to hear about Dale’s son getting his with one of the less lethal weapon being used during the passive protests.
Getting hit in the eye with a rubber bullet, par for the course. If you are squeemish, don’t be looking this up, and this happens far too often by professionals to not be their goal.
Everyday gets us further and further from a 2020 MLB Season. The calendar and the COVID19 scare and Health Department / Insurance issues are all working against a season being played. And for me, no fans in attendance baseball just doesn’t sound exciting for me. Time to just get everyone healthy, and maybe start an extended hot stove season, then baseball back in 2021 with fans in attendance again.
maybe I’m crazy but I like to watch local softball (if it ever starts up again) when I might be the only spectator. I just like watching people run, make catches (or not), feel the excitement of people wanting their team to win. I’d prefer playing myself, rather than watch, but I can enjoy just seeing others. I also get a kick, as I’m walking, to see youngsters with their basketball and their driveway hoops. As I pass by, if they should make a basket I’ll shout out encouragement. Just because I enjoy seeing the activity.
So if MLB goes without crowds I’ll still enjoy it immensely. But you know, I believe at some point this year crowds will be allowed to return. It might not be until September but it’ll happen.
Great idea, Eric!
this doesn’t make me like the owners. It’s like they think their employees are the enemy. There’s nothing wrong with a 50/50 split IF they open the books and then keep it in place going forward. But they won’t do that. It just amazes me that they don’t care if they’re alienating the players.
As someone else said, the owners want to keep the excess for themselves when there’s a profit but want the players to absorb losses. I guess you can tell on whose side I sit on this issue
The owners don’t want to hold the season, and they can’t be the ones to cancel it. They will get paid, insurance (?).
How greedy do you have to be to pinch a few pennies on minor leaguers? They only reason they cared about that is to save face from public outrage. The owners constantly play both sides wanting to socialize the losses and keep the profits. Hmm.
This will just lead to the SBN effect. Where a current, totally misunderstood, situation gives them a chance to do the dirty deed of contraction and reorganization.
An owner, one day, thought, “If only 3% of the players in 5he minor leagues makes it to a productive starting role in the MLB. Why do I need the other 97%?”
Just training the 3%, in a non-game scenario, means we end up trotting out a Brandon Wood or Mike Merchant or Mark Appel. I would much rather see the emergence of a Kole Calhoun, who would never have made it in this scenario.
You’d prefer to see the emergence of Kole Calhoun because you are focused on what is best for the game. The owners are focused on what is best for their pocket book.
OT: Did these guys launch to the International Space Station last week? NASA says the astronaut’s names are Bob and Doug.
Take off, eh. 🙂
I see what you did there.
They did on Saturday. And I’ve been making SCTV jokes about them for about a year
In January I was in Orlando for a work trip. NASA was less than an hour’s drive away, so headed over and took the tour. I was I was driving up to the location, SpaceX was conducting the final test launch of the escape system. Seeing a launch at Kennedy was a bucket list item, and it was very cool to witness.
I was disappointed that they didn’t name the spacecraft Hoser 1, eh?
(It was named Endeavour).
I’m so ready for 2020 to be over. Worst. Year. Ever.
But wait! There’s more!!!! We’re not even half done!!!!
2020 – the lost season – a decade from now we will discuss Trout’s numbers and speculate how much better they would have been had he had the benefit of his age 28 season.
Just one of the many grim things about 2020. 🙁
Hi John, one minor editorial nitpick. “Horde” is a noun referring to a bunch of people. “Hoard” is a verb meaning to collect and hold on to something.
… Doh!
sports media and journalists are infinitely better than news media and business world tv journalists.
why can’t all other media and journalists be like sports media?
Because the other media have to cover places besides Boston and New York… 😛
And they only cover the one side.