As most of you probably know, the games against the Twins on Saturday and Sunday were postponed due to an outbreak of COVID-19 among the Twins. Multiple players and staff members of the Twins tested positive for a variant strain of the novel coronavirus. Contact tracing indicates that Andrelton Simmons is not the source of this outbreak. Mark your calendars! Shohei Ohtani’s next start is Tuesday. The minor leaguers in the Angels system are back to playing, at least exhibition games.
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What do you think? Is this guy safe or out? And what about this catcher interference call?
The Reds made a triple play. It was mostly Joey Votto, although he did have to throw over to third base to get the third out. Bleacher Report called it unassisted, but somebody had to catch the ball over at third base.
The Athletics have been pretty hot lately, but they are about to get at least one postponement courtesy of the Minnesota Twins.
Sean Kazmar’s persistence paid off. He spent nearly 13 years in the minor leagues since his last cup of coffee in the bigs. He made it back over the weekend pinch hitting for the Atlanta Braves. Meanwhile, Jay Bruce retired.
Those five Astros players on the COVID IL are cleared for individual workouts.
Job opening: The Mets are hiring a Professional Scouting Associate. If you have a four year degree, speak good baseballese, and know SQL you might be right for this job. They want you to know Microsoft Office. Being able to do a little Python scripting and speak some Spanish sure wouldn’t hurt.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
The Marlins/Giants call was going to stand whichever way the ump initially ruled. That is as close of a play as you’ll ever see.
Profar went out of his way to draw the interference. Cheap way to get on base but it screwed the Dodgers so I’m good with it.
I have umpired games at games for kids, Pony Baseball, CIF High School, Junior College and even a game for politicians and many celebrities games and have never seen the ball in catcher glove and then the bat. Has to be done on purpose otherwise batter would be in another division or level. Very smart way to get on base though.
Politicians would probably just claim the ball hit them to get on base.
How did you enjoy umping? What are some interesting stories that you have?
If I pause when the runner touches first, Aguilar is already holding the ball; but, if I pause when Aguilar catches it, the runner is already touching first. I am forced to conclude it was an actual tie. The official rule says the batter is out if he or the base is tagged before the runner touches first base. Ergo, the tie goes to the runner. SAFE (but this is one time I won’t blame the NY umps for call stands).
That is absolutely catcher’s interference. If the catcher is even .01% at fault for interfering, it is catcher’s interference. There is also no requirement that the batter would have been able to make contact with the ball but for the interference.
If I’d been doing the replay deciding I’d call him out at first. As for interference, if the ball was already in the glove my question is “was the ball beyond the batter’s box?” I can’t tell from that clip. If it’s beyond the box what’s to stop the hitter from reaching back and clipping the glove?
Now, for a small rant. The utter failure of the MLB Ballpark app to notify ticket holder / purchasers that the games Saturday and Sunday were cancelled due to the Twins Covid outbreak. This failure seems to be a combination of the MLB ballpark app and The Angels front office not being able to communicate this cancellation via the MLB Ballpark app. This has resulted in a lot of frustrated fans, especially Rally Manatee who drove 3 hrs one way just to be told the game has been cancelled once he got to the parking lot. The Angels and MLB should not have allowed this to happen as anyone with management experience could have foreseen incidents like this possibly happening and having a process in place to notify everyone.
Nice comments steel, Friday’s game was fun! We will be going to the next 3.
I was definitely bummed about Saturday. Had built up the game, fireworks to the kids and were just about at the stadium when I learned of the cancellation through 830 radio announcement. I definitely think there should be a better way to let fans attending know since everything is electronic now.
To answer you question ‘78, I haven’t seen a cash transaction in the 5 games I’ve been to, including parking. I didn’t think ordering food was complicated the first weekend of baseball but glad whatever issues there were are getting resolved.
I will say there are a lot of angels personnel just out and about around the stadium. Some of the club level executive were along the main concourse and overhearing their comments from white sox series to the only twins game was different. They were commenting on how much better everything was running.
How much was parking? Does everyone just hand them their debit card???
Parking can be paid for on the MLB Ballpark app or a credit / debit card, no cash. Parking prices are the same, $20 for preferred, $10 for normal.
At least they didn’t raise the price of parking!
The way Saturday was handled was inexcusable. I received an email from the Angels Saturday night stating the game Sunday was postponed. Not cancelled, postponed.
My family was inconvenienced probably like another 13,000 or so people who were going to attend.
I was frustrated and annoyed at first. Looking back I don’t know what the angels could’ve done different.
It’s obvious to most that with electronic everything there should’ve been a notification of sorts. Wouldn’t have made a difference to those already on the way to the game and it was “postponed” an hour before gametime? Aren’t there people in the stadium by then? Minnesota didn’t release a lineup should’ve been a first indication we have a modern day covid issue in our hands.
Angels have credited my account and 2 different people reached out yesterday making sure my needs were met. That was a much better response than last year with tickets purchased in Jan/Feb that weren’t refunded until mid summer.
Is there something we think can be done better a next time?
Yeah, this is my logic. If they had to set a hard timeline of, say, three hours before first pitch to cancel, and if there were any outstanding tests out there, cancel the game, I’m not sure how that system would be an improvement of what’s going on right now.
This is unprecedented, where same-day tests could cause postponements, and moving the threshold up just seems like it would lead to more postponements.
if anyone has traveled recently they know how ridiculous some of the parameters are and that it can be completely out of your control (weather shutting down FedEx in memphis, cold spell in texas shut down computers) which all affected covid results within the 72 hour window you need to fly.
Cool. The Sunday game is still listed as “postponed” so I have yet to see a refund for those tickets.
Jeff, email tickets@angels.com or eddi.gomez@angels.com. You have to initiate refund request. I’ve already spent my credits for tonights game that I wasn’t originally planning on going to.
my credit was for yesterdays game too. I had to go through third party for refund on saturdays game.
Good luck getting a reply from Eddie. I’m still waiting for his response from my email 2 weeks ago regarding a question on season ticket seat relocations.
Your best bet is to lie and tell them you’re interested in a suite rental or Don Julio Box tickets for an upcoming game. You’ll probably get 3 or 4 immediate responses from them.
I sent my ballpark app tickets in the email. Maybe that helped them get back to me or I just got lucky.
What can be done better is require BOTH teams to keep MLB and the home team informed of ANY possible Covid issues at least 4 hours before game time (The Twins had to have known they had a problem by at least 1:00 p.m. on Saturday) and then make the call one way ot another and release a bulletin to all the ticket buyers via the MLB Ballpark app no later than 2 hours before scheduled start time. Pissed off and dejected fans is not a good look.
I get it. Trust me. I just think the angels handled the issue the best they could and I’m generally critical of the organization. It was a Minn problem that MLB didn’t handle the best way. I like your suggestion. I commented the other day that I had to look up when lineups were announced. Apparently there was an issue at some point with gamblers getting access to lineups before sport books/general public so MLB made a rule for it and they now release lineups.
Friday night Angels Stadium report : I railed on the extreme failure of The Angels opening night failure of the concessions system, etc., and it was well deserved at the time. Now I can tell you that they got their s%&t together (I’m sure Arte gave them an ear full after that calamity) and you can use either the text system to order your food (where you get an express window to walk up to) or you are now allowed to just walk up, order and pay just like old times. I tried out both and they were smooth, quick, and easy. (Of course the stadium isn’t at full capacity yet) and had a great experience. Ushers were implementing the mask mandates and carried little signs, hand sanitizer stations were everywhere, bathrooms were clean and constantly being cleaned. A lot of the food concessions are still closed but I imagine they will be ramping up soon. At the end of the night, maybe 8th inning, one excited, possibly inebriated, fan in his 20s almost got booted for dropping multiple F Bombs while shouting to Upton. We had 4 ladies behind us, separated by one row of empty seats, cheering for my son to get a ball, the crowd was really great and people just seemed happy for baseball to be back.
And congratulations to Darth Duane for getting that Upton grand Slam ball!!!
Is good old fashioned cash allowed at concession stands?
Some of us dinosaurs still use that funny looking green stuff.
You know, I didn’t try good old cash. I use a card so I can get airline miles and buy an airline ticket to go somewhere that I’ll have to quarantine for 2 weeks once I get there, then quarantine for 2 weeks once I get back. all this wrapped up into a 2 week vacation.
do they scan your receipt now or no?
Yes, I think they scanned the receipt.
Thinking back, yes they did have me scan the QR code under a red light QR code reader before I received my hot dogs and sodas.
so the potential scam you mentioned in attending a game is over?
The potential scam was mentioned by someone else who went on the first stadium game, but they have that issue rectified now. The hot dogs were actually grilled, my son loved them. No sundae in a baseball helmet but you can get the Dippin Dots.
I heard an usher interviewed on Lodge who said Opening Night was a disaster but that they’d learned from it.
Seattle won both days we were canceled to jump into first place…THAT’S ANNOYING!!!
I rooted for the ASStros both days which was kind of like rooting for the Dodgers…weird.
Interesting…Blue at Seattle for two.
Really hate rooting for the Dodgers!!!
Well, I have faith in Seattle fading down the stretch, so happy to put L’s on the Astros anyway one can get them.
Me too! Seattle plays the Dodgers the next two nights so they have their work cut out for them…
With our luck all the absent Astros players, ( Altuve, Bregman, Álvarez etc) will return Thursday when we start a long series in Houston.
On the other hand, that will make beating them that much more enjoyable!!
Looks out, but my was that close.
Can’t see any way to read the next play other than interference. Catcher can’t let his glove be in the way of the swing. No different than the bat that goes all the way around and touches the catcher’s back. If his glove was back out of Profar’s bats range, it is still a strike, Profar still whiffs, and he gets the K.
By the letter of the rule it is catcher interference, however I’m fairly convinced that the batter intentionally changed his swing there to cause it. Smart move on Profar’s part, he used the rule to his advantage.
Yep, batter changed his swing and got the results he needed. Hitters know which catchers routinely put their glove forward into the plate area and can take advantage of the catchers habits.