If you haven’t been paying attention to the NBA lately, you may have missed that 22 of your 30 teams have been sent to a Walt Disney World “bubble,” hoping to end the 2019-20 regular season and playoffs. so far removed from COVID-19 as possible (Everyone knows that the virus prefers Universal Studios.)
As part of the negotiations leading to this plan, the players’ association negotiated the possibility of replacing the names on the back of their shirts with a list of approved social messages, such as: “Black Lives Matter”, “Peace” and ” I can’t breathe. ” I can’t imagine MLB still doing the exact same thing on jerseys, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see anything this year.
For example …
MLB demos
In case you were lost, members of the San Francisco Giants, including manager Gape Kapler, knelt in silent protest at racial injustice and police brutality last night, and the official MLB.com account amplified their message on social media later. This is one of the first major signs of support for MLB social justice (they have largely been kept out of the conversation in the past), but it won’t be the last.
League sources and players have reportedly been discussing how to incorporate elements of social justice into the sport, with the most recent conversation scheduled for Sunday. The expected outcome of these discussions is not yet clear, but it could be in the form of a patch or logo, or something “shared and presented by the players”, whatever that means.
SZN Prediction: Cy Darvish, Crown the Reds, More
Do you like predictions because I have 30 for you in two publications?
First, the perceptive Eno Sarris makes 10 bold predictions for the upcoming season at The Athletic, including YU DARVISH WINNING THE CY YOUNG LEAGUE NATIONAL AWARD!
Sarris highlights his dramatically improved command from start to finish last season, the best speed of his career, a robust tone repertoire (including the newly created “Supreme”) and the potential benefits of a small sample that mitigates his home run. high speed.
Of course, Sarris also chose the Reds to win the National League Central because of his impressive rotation, so not all of it is good news.
CBS predictions were handled differently. Six of its reporters chose the results of the six divisions (from first to last). Sadly, the Cubs garnered just two first-place votes and one second-place vote, finishing third as much as anywhere else. Like Sarris, the Reds are the favorites to win the division. I guess that makes the Cubs helpless. I think we’re pretty familiar with that.
Do you know what really hurts? Alleged Cub Shogo Akiyama garnered three votes for the National League Rookie of the Year. If that happens, I will be heartbroken. And the Reds will probably have won the division.
Blue jays need a nest
The Blue Jays are still looking for a home for the 2020 season, after the Canadian national government refused to allow players to enter and leave the country during the regular season, and some options emerged. There’s a field in Buffalo in the mix, and the Orioles Camden Yards have become a possible destination, but more recently the Pirates have made their facilities available.
Pittsburgh Pirates release statement from team president Travis Williams announcing they are considering hosting the local #BlueJays games at PNC Park pic.twitter.com/anLJ4SYHMG
– Kaitlyn McGrath (@kaitlyncmcgrath) July 20, 2020
It seems obvious to me that the Blue Jays * must * end up in a major league facility, so that the competitive downsides and lack of comfort (let alone the space required for the COVID-19 protocols) are too much to overcome. The Pirates and Blue Jays share just seven conflicting dates for home games, six of which are post-September 7. Logistically, that surely seems to be possible.
And you can bet the Pirates wouldn’t do this if it didn’t mean some extra money in their pockets, one way or another.
Cardinals Pitching Shuffle
When I found out that the Cardinals shooting closer Jordan Hicks was choosing to exit the season, I really assumed Carlos Martinez was going to stay in the bullpen and possibly even take over those late inning duties again. But apparently, that’s not the case: He will enter the rotation, as Kwang-Hyun Kim will be closer.
Kwang-Hyun Kim will start the season in the bullpen and will probably close.
Carlos Martinez is in the #STLCards rotation.
– Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) July 21, 2020
But that is not all. The Cardinals have also just returned Alex Reyes and Genesis Cabrera to the field this weekend (after testing positive for COVID-19), but after their illness and 14 days of quarantine, their immediate availability is in question.
Also, Giovanny Gallegos finally made it to the Cardinals’ camp (his absences are relatively, but seemingly intentional, inexplicable), and he could be another candidate for the later bullpen when the season begins.
The Cardinals are very talented at pitching, as always, but that’s a mess to solve.
More release notes:
• The Brewers have placed left-hander (and former Cub) Brett Anderson on the disabled list with a blister. He joins left-hander Eric Lauer in IL for the start of the season, which leaves Brandon Woodruff (Opening Day), Adrian Houser and Josh Lindblom and then a whole bunch of questions. I know the Brewers’ rotation seems relatively weak on paper, but they always manage to do more with less, so let’s not get too excited about the first series of the year just yet.
• Another former Cub, Cole Hamels, will not be ready for the Braves’ opening day. In spring training, he dealt with some shoulder discomfort that never went down and was stopped last weekend by left triceps tendonitis. However, don’t feel bad for the Braves. They still have Mike Soroka, Max Fried, Mike Foltynewicz, Sean Newcomb, and several high-profile pitcher prospects. I remember, because I wanted them this offseason. However, I still wish the best for Hamels.
Patchwork
• Ken Rosenthal has a deep read from inside of “A-Rod and J-Lo’s bold bid to buy the Mets” that I think could be revealing.
• Not unlike the new signs in the stands at Wrigley Field, I think we will see all kinds of advertising this year:
Not surprisingly, there is a huge increase in virtual signage in MLB this year, inc during regional broadcasts, to generate new revenue without the assistance of fans.
– Eric Fisher (@EricFisherSBG) July 20, 2020
Some new objectives added to the stands. pic.twitter.com/NjTFbXOB2z
– Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) July 21, 2020
• Well, this is amazing. Dr. Fauci is pitching the first pitch for the Nationals. That feels good.
A statement by the Washington Nationals on Opening Day. pic.twitter.com/iejxXeAA4V
– Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 20, 2020
