[Rondec]

I feel for the Rays, a very good team that suffers not only from a poor stadium, but also from the fact that many Floridians are transplants who move to the area, but keep rooting for their hometown team.

I long for opening day now that it is postponed. If I can see my Red Sox when I am on vacation in June, I will be happy.

Otherwise I'll be at Camden Yards for away games. I won't even try to get to Nats Park this year, ticket prices will surely be prohibitive.

David Bentley Hart also wrote a great essay on baseball

This article also makes a case for the English origins of baseball.

Baseball movies somehow outclass movies about any other sport (Bull Durham, Major League, Field of Dreams, etc).

I've loved reading baseball writing too. The Red Smith Reader is a classic from another age. George Will's book Men at Work was really enjoyable too.

Edit: Maybe I should mention that when I was a boy, my Dad bought my John R Tunis baseball books. I loved the characters in those and maybe part of my love for baseball came from those books.

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Last edited by Rondec; 03-22-2020 at 02:23 AM.

[robgski]

At least the MLB YouTuber channel is offering a lot of classic games. Since I was living outside the US for quite a while, most of them are fresh to me.

[gaweidert]

Baseball movies somehow outclass movies about any other sport (Bull Durham, Major League, Field of Dreams, etc).

I've loved reading baseball writing too. The Red Smith Reader is a classic from another age. George Will's book Men at Work was really enjoyable too.

Don't forget "Pride of the Yankees". The Lou Gehrig story.

[aslyfox]

here's an oldie that I liked

" Damn Yankees "

Damn Yankees (1958) - IMDb

You Tube

You Tube

[robgski]

The Devil Wears Pinstripes.

[onlineflyer]

I remember when I was a kid, a few friends and I were on our bikes riding around in our small town when we saw a new, white 1961 Continental convertible (top down) drive into the local gas station. Behind the wheel was Phil Rizzuto, the shortstop for the New York Yankees. We rode up to say hello. He was very cordial and talked freely with us, before driving off. Years later on a business trip I walked up to an airport check in line and lo and behold, who was in front of me but Phil. I introduced myself and conveyed our previous meeting when I was a kid. He was an terrific ball player and a great individual, very friendly humble and friendly.

[onlineflyer]

My first job out of college was an industrial engineering position at a chemical plant in NJ. I was working on a project where I was responsible for purchasing a packaging machine to fill 100 pound bags with material. I called a vendor requesting a representative come in to discuss their equipment. This gentleman who arrived introduced himself and shook my hand. The thing I noticed was the size of his hands. Now I have large hands but his were huge and very strong. I asked him if he ever played baseball. He responded, "yes". I then asked "Are you that Bobby Thompson who hit the home run to win the National League championship over the Brooklyn Dodgers". He responded, "Yes, that was a lucky hit. All I did was stick out my bat". It is just recently that I've heard stories about Bobby being given the upcoming pitch through a sign stealing scheme. Now I'm really curious about what he meant by his statement.

[robgski]

The Red Smith Reader is a classic from another age. George Will's book Men at Work was really enjoyable too.
Edit: Maybe I should mention that when I was a boy, my Dad bought my John R Tunis baseball books. I loved the characters in those and maybe part of my love for baseball came from those books.

I'll have to look those books up. The lack of a commute gives me several free hours a week now to catch up on, I am reading "Fenway 1912", very well-written baseball history.

[aslyfox]

As far as I know this is the latest information from MLB

Major League Baseball pushed back opening day until mid-May at the earliest on Monday because of the new coronavirus after the federal government recommended restricting events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement following a conference call with executives of the 30 teams.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-mlb-opening-day-coronavirus-20...sky-story.html

[aslyfox]

rumors

baseball has always had them but usually about trades and free agents

. . . As for MLB, it is contemplating a lot of less-than-optimal options.

There is still a glimmer of hope for a June 1 or July 1 start, with the possibility of playing initially at empty stadiums — so, for the Miami Marlins, it would be your typical Opening Day.

MLB might use spring training parks in Florida and Arizona, quarantining the teams in those areas and operating with no crowds until the pandemic allows otherwise.

In any compacted scenario, every day is precious, which means … doubleheaders are back, baby! I assume they will still be separate admission because, even though baseball fans will have no money, the 1 percent still needs to make up for lost yachting-and-penthouse revenue.

Speaking of which, super agent Scott Boras — FYI: “super agent” here is a euphemism for “uber-wealthy” — floated a proposal, and because he negotiated 1 billion dollars’ worth of contracts this offseason, he has considerable financial interest in this.

Boras wants a summer start, and when the temperatures drop in the fall, he points to 11 stadiums that are either domes or warm-weather sites in which postseason games could be played. He envisions a neutral-site World Series, with Game 6 being played on Christmas.

A World Series game on Christmas and more ideas for a postponed, shortened baseball season - The Washington Post

Putting all 30 teams in the Phoenix area this season and playing in empty ballparks was among the ideas discussed Monday by Major League Baseball and the players’ association.

The sides held a telephone call to talk about paths forward for a season delayed by the new coronavirus pandemic, people familiar with the discussion told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because no details were announced.

Ideas are still in the early stage, and the Arizona option would have many obstacles to overcome, the people said.

Half of the MLB clubs hold spring training in Arizona, the other half in Florida.

Arizona's advantage is 10 spring training ballparks plus the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field all within about 50 miles. Florida's spring training ballparks are spread by as much as 220 miles.

"It allows for immediacy of a schedule, where you might be able to begin it and televise it, provide Major League Baseball to America," said Scott Boras, baseball's most prominent agent. "I think players are willing to do what's necessary because I think they understand the importance of baseball for their own livelihoods and for the interest of our country and providing a necessary product that gives all the people that are isolated enjoyment."

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/national-sports/ny-regular-season-ariz...wna-story.html

[aslyfox]

not a rumor

good news

. . . a treasure trove of glorious baseball content is available for your reading pleasure, and at no cost through July 15.

Baseball Digest, a 78-year-old monthly magazine published in Gurnee, has decided to unlock its online archives for the next 3½ months for fans searching for something to do during the sports shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Publisher Norman Jacobs, a limited owner of the Bulls, said in a news release he decided to make the archives available to one and all to “help fill the void until we can all return to the ballpark.”

All you have to do is go to Archive Unlocked – Baseball Digest and register.

For those unfamiliar with the magazine, Baseball Digest isn’t Sports Illustrated. It’s compact in size . . .

Baseball Digest was all baseball, all the time and included many sportswriters who wound up in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Famous names such as Grantland Rice, Red Smith, Shirley Povich and former Tribune baseball columnist Jerome Holtzman contributed articles, as did local legends David Condon, John P. Carmichael and George Vass. (Disclaimer: I freelanced a few articles for the publication a decade or so ago and was friends with two former editors, the late John Kuenster and his replacement, Bob Kuenster, John’s son.)

When going to the Baseball Digest website, you’ll find a library of issues divided into eight decades, from the 1940s through 2019. It’s easy to go to the era of your choice. The hard part is choosing which stories to read.

If you’ve ever gone up into your attic looking for something and wound up sitting there for hours sifting through old photo albums, you’ll enjoy digging in and searching for stories that bring you back to your childhood or teenage years.

Just remember to put on your readers, because the print is a little small for the vision-challenged. . . .

Column: Baseball Digest offers a trip down memory lane - Chicago Tribune

[aslyfox]

Baseball is returning in South Korea — just without fans, high-fives or spitting. . .

ESPN is expected to finalize plans soon to air KBO games live in the States — treating American baseball fans, in the continued absence of MLB, to the wonders of Korean-style baseball, with its small-ball tendencies, funky sidearm specialists and epic and outrageous bat flips.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/04/29/kbo-baseball-return/

______________________________________________


latest rumor ( that I know of )

Report: MLB Discussing New Realignment Plan Allowing the Season to Start in Late June

Chris Halicke
13 hours ago

Major League Baseball is discussing a plan that would allow the regular season to start in late June, and no later than July 2, with games played in each team's home ballparks, according to USA Today.

The full details of this plan are not yet public knowledge since it is still one of several ideas MLB is considering. USA Today's report did reveal that this plan would allow for at least 100 regular season games, an expanded playoff format, and would include a realignment from the traditional American and National Leagues to three 10-team divisions based on geography to minimize travel. Clubs would only play opponents inside their division with the games played at their home ballpark sans fans.
The three division realignment would look like this:
East
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
Miami Marlins
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
Washington Nationals

Central
Atlanta Braves
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins
St. Louis Cardinals

West
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Houston Astros
Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Dodgers
Oakland Athletics
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers

A plan of this magnitude is obviously contingent on the approval of public health officials and medical experts, all without reducing access to public testing for the novel coronavirus. There is belief that this plan would eliminate the requirement for players to live in isolation since they would be playing at their home ballparks and have significantly reduced travel. . . .

Report: MLB Discussing New Realignment Plan Allowing the Season to Start in Late June

[ChrisPlatt]

latest rumor ( that I know of )



Report: MLB Discussing New Realignment Plan Allowing the Season to Start in Late June

This old fart, er, purist already dislikes interleague play and the use of the DH.
If this curiosity actually happens I don't expect to be watching.

Like the strike-shortened season for me it will be "the baseball season that wasn't"...

Chris

[monochrome]

Life long Yankees fan. Moved to St Louis 10 years ago for work (also great baseball city). Yanks visit STL this season, so I will attend a game. Astounding tv he ticket prices these days. The greatest game.

Hi! Glad you are here - the two best traditions in baseball - hope they play that series here.

[PDL]

This old fart, er, purist already dislikes interleague play and the use of the DH.
If this curiosity actually happens I don't expect to be watching.

Like the strike-shortened season for me it will be "the baseball season that wasn't"...

Chris

A Met's fan.

I have to remind you that the DH has been in place since 1973. I think that ship has sailed - (Said by a Edgar Martinez fan - who almost cried on the day he was nominated and did shed a bit of a tear during his speech)