I texted my high school English teacher the other day. He loves baseball, so I knew he would appreciate a photo of the Mets-Braves game at Citi Field, from my seat in the press box. She replied that she hadn’t expected a 60 game season to matter much to her, and yet there it was, on her couch, nailed to every pitch. Then she saw another game that night.
We may not deserve the return of baseball. We haven’t slowed down the spread of the furious coronavirus, so the stadium gates remain closed to fans.
However, Major League Baseball is broadcasting all 30 teams to our televisions, from baseball stadiums across the country, and what a joy it is to watch them. For months, we clung to live games from South Korea or replays of the past. But the old song is true: There’s nothing like the real thing, baby.
At home on Saturday, I stuffed myself with the game. From Yu Darvish’s first pitch in Chicago to Kirby Yates’ last pitch in San Diego, I spent over 11 hours watching the 15 games in the majors. Heaven is a TV stick of fire.
Here are a few snapshots of an opening weekend party, after nine long months in the baseball wilderness.
Wrigley Field, Chicago, second inning: Lorenzo Cain of the Brewers is caught between a second and a third after a harsh punishment by Ben Gamel. The Cubs make three shots but can’t catch him, and then Cain enthusiastically points out at first base: No one is covering! Safe everywhere, and soon the Eric Sogard with glasses takes Cain home with a single. Announcers mention that Sogard’s nickname is Nerd Power.
Fenway Park, Boston, third inning: JD Martinez comes to bat for the Red Sox, who came early to the Orioles. Martinez has a habit of brushing his thumb against his nose before each shot, which I can’t see. It does it again, of course, and from one side, you can see a giant canopy that serves as an auxiliary refuge for social distancing. Game-by-game man Dave O’Brien recalls that the park in Vero Beach, Florida, where the Dodgers used to train, had no shelters, leading to a charming story about Vin Scully. (Yes, all the stories about Scully are charming.)
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida, third entry: The Rays’ Ryan Yarbrough is pitching against Toronto, and a graph on the stream shows that all of his pitches have ranged from 70 to 89 mph. This makes Yarbrough distinctive in an era of power, and broadcasters call him a modern version of a knuckle player, capable of interrupting a hitter’s time for days. There are no real knuckleballers in the majors in 2020, which really pisses me off.
Guaranteed rate field, Chicago, fifth entry: Steve Cishek is pitching for the White Sox, and his side turn delivery is typically fascinating. Here he faces the Nelson Cruz de los Mellizos with two men, and I wonder if Cruz, nickname: Boomstick, will hit the first homer in his 40s. He does, but the White Sox will go five times in depth in an easy victory.
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, fifth inning: I don’t know how Paul Goldschmidt, the Cardinals slugger, hits like him. Goldschmidt starts with his hands on his head and bats at an exaggerated downward angle, as if he needs to scratch an itch on his lower back. He’s always on the field, of course, but even though he hit a home run before the Pirates’ Trevor Williams, he landed here.
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, second entry: Miami’s Caleb Smith is struggling with his control, walking three in the inning after an initial home run by Didi Gregorius, the Phillies’ masked shortstop. Smith wears the Marlins’ favorite jersey, which is black with a black dash, making it nearly impossible to read the team’s name. Do you know what is perfectly visible? The white Nike Swoosh, now standard on all jersey fronts. Sigh.
Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas, sixth inning: Cardboard versions of President George W. Bush, his wife, Laura, and Hall of Fame member Ivan Rodriguez sit together at the field level, just off the first base of the plate at the new Rangers. Rockies’ Daniel Bard is not distracted by the cuts or his own thoughts. Bard, pitching in the big leagues for the first time in seven years after a mental block from throwing punches, works out of a bind and wins the victory. Twenty of his 25 releases are strikes.
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, second inning: Dodgers’ Mookie Betts appears with the bases loaded and flies to Giants center fielder Mike Yastrzemski. The pitcher is Logan Webb, but the Dodgers didn’t know it would start until Saturday morning. Gabe Kapler, the Giants’ new manager, has delayed his pitcher’s announcement and lineup, presumably to gain an advantage by giving the opponent less time to prepare. “It’s a bit of a game, we’ll call it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters coldly. “To each his own.”
Minute Maid Park, Houston, sixth inning: It’s good to see the Astros’ Lance McCullers back on the mound. It always keeps you guessing – it has a great curved ball and shift, and few beginners throw fast balls that often. He’s been out for 21 months due to Tommy John surgery and the pandemic, and while he home runs Marinines rookie Kyle Lewis, who also hit a home run in Game 1, McCullers looks good in a 7-game win. -two.
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Frequent questions
Updated July 23, 2020
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What will school be like in September?
- Many schools are unlikely to return to normal hours this fall, requiring the routine of online learning, impromptu child care, and delayed work days to continue. California’s two largest public school districts, Los Angeles and San Diego, said July 13 that instruction will be remote only in the fall, citing concerns that rising coronavirus infections in their areas pose too serious a risk to students and teachers. Together, the two districts enroll about 825,000 students. They are the largest in the country so far to abandon plans for a partial physical return to classrooms when they reopen in August. For other districts, the solution will not be an all-or-nothing approach. Many systems, including the country’s largest New York City, are developing hybrid plans that involve spending a few days in classrooms and other days online. There is no national policy on this yet, so check with your municipal school system regularly to see what’s going on in your community.
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Is the coronavirus in the air?
- Coronavirus can remain in the air for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, growing scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded interior spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain overcast events reported in meat packing plants, churches, and restaurants. It is unclear how often the virus is transmitted through these tiny droplets or sprays, compared to larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or is transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, Linsey said. Marr, Virginia Tech aerosol expert. Aerosols are released even when a symptom-free person exhales, speaks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have summarized the evidence in an open letter to the World Organization. Of the health.
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What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
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What is the best material for a mask?
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Does Covid-19 transmit asymptomatic?
- So far, the evidence seems to show that it does. A widely cited article published in April suggests that people are most infectious approximately two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms, and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were the result of transmission from people who still had no symptoms. Recently, a senior expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people without symptoms was “very rare,” but later withdrew that claim.
Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, seventh inning: The Athletics are losing to the Angels, but rookie left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who tested positive for the coronavirus during training camp, looks impressive for three scoreless innings. It’s also impressive: the Athletics idea of asking fans in the stands for some of the signs that would normally lead to the stadium. The usual set of sheets and flags is a nice sight along the railings over the garden.
Progressive Field, Cleveland, fifth inning: The Royals’ brady Singer, a highly touted right-hander, finishes his strong major league debut with his seventh strikeout, beating Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez. The Royals promoted Singer without manipulating his length of service, another sign of his confidence in traditional methods. They show their confidence again in the tenth inning, which now begins with a runner in second place to speed up games. A touch makes the runner go to third, a sacrifice fly scores it and the Indians complain about the new rule. Pitcher Mike Clevinger tweeted that it’s the craziest thing he’s ever seen, adding: “Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a runner to come second behind the bullpen ?! #ThisIsntTravelBall #MakeThemEarnIt “
Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, seventh inning: Someone with “B. Garcia” on his back is pitching for the Tigers against the Reds. His first name is Bryan, and I’m not familiar with him, nor with the other Garcia on the team, Rony, also a right-handed pitcher. In my defense, there were 150 more players on the 2020 opening rosters than in 2019, when the teams had 25 players each. They are now 30.
Citi Field, New York, tenth entry: The new extra innings rule comes to Flushing, after Edwin Diaz ruins the save with two outs and two strikes in the ninth. Adam Duvall begins second base for Atlanta, and Dansby Swanson hits Hunter Strickland’s 0-2 pitch to center field to give the Braves the lead. They score twice more at Strickland, ending their Mets debut with a 54.00 ERA that could have been worse: Duvall’s career, at least, has not been officially won.
Nationals Park, Washington, fourth inning: The Yankees badly lose to the Nationals, but have the game’s highlight when Giancarlo Stanton clears a belt-high fastball to distant reaches of the left field stands. Statcast measures distance at 483 feet, the second rocket Stanton launched in two games. It’s a not-too-subtle reminder that while Stanton barely played last year, he’s still the scariest slugger on the planet.
Petco Park, San Diego, fourth inning: Padres’ Edward Olivares doubles to the left-field corner against Arizona’s Robbie Ray for his first major league hit. Olivares, a 24-year-old Venezuelan centerfielder, covers his head with his hands as the memory rolls towards the Padres’ refuge. Veteran Manny Machado picks it up and then throws a lure ball into the stands, a traditional gag for the novice. “It never gets old,” says Don Orsillo, the presenter of the Padres.
Five innings later, Yates blocks play on a Kole Calhoun ground at first at 12:30 am in the East. Major League Baseball closes the store at night, but all 30 teams will do it again on Sunday: 15 more games, endless treasures.
It never gets old-fashioned.
