InsideCoroner

Roger Angell once called him “the best naked talker I ever heard.”

I’m also a long-time customer of PIA and can recommend its efficacy and value.

Lip sync lessons while he trained for the “We Won’t Stop” video?

Here’s my problem with this season — if you can play some games, and keep the players safe, then sure, I welcome the distraction and would love to see some baseball. But what I dread is that charade of a postseason. Seriously, just skip it this year. Play an extra 15 games or so, but I would never want playoffs beginning in mid-June in a normal season, and no drama surrounds any team’s formidable two-month climb to victory. The only thing dumber would be an All-Star Game shoehorned in four weeks into the season.

I was born on this day. Figures that the O’s took a hard loss... it was a good life lesson for what awaited as an Orioles from 1984 onward (a/k/a “Wayne Gross And Then Even Grosser”).

That implies I have a choice in the matter. I can watch other sports, and I try, but I only love baseball.

I wish I liked other sports the same way I love baseball. But I don’t. November through February are barren months for me as a fan.

True, stats are dispassionate in that sense, so unless they create the JAR stat (Jerk Adjustment Ratio), even the likes of Mel Hall or John Rocker can have a decent looking year or two.

Addressing the topic itself, will baseball under those conditions/restrictions be the same? No. Will I watch it and/or pay to watch it? Hell yes.

I can’t believe we’re comparing Eddie Murray and Albert Belle as personalities. Eddie was a role model to a lot of kids. Albert was a parole model. Next up: “Nicest guy: Cal Ripken or Delmon Young?”

I don’t know if I could like Trey any more than I do right now.

What about our most extreme example, Dennis Martinez? Pretty weird career arc to be worth less than 11 WAR combined in his first ten seasons for the O’s (even demonstrably our worst starter on the ‘83 championship team), but then his age 32-39 years for the Expos are worth nearly three times as much. I know he had alcohol dependency issues with Baltimore that he beat, and I was always glad to see him develop into an excellent pitcher... but it was like night and day. Heck, he was worth more in the three years he pitched for Cleveland age 39-42 than he was in his whole Baltimore career. I can’t imagine there are many stories like that. (Although if there are, I’m sure Drungo will enlighten us!)

Based on board activity the last three years or so, you would have thought it was Victor Victor Mesa.

I never saw him play, I just knew his basic numbers from the ‘74 and ‘75 Topps cards I used to study as a kid. I assume they “put a book together” on how to pitch him after one year... or did he get hurt?

What about Rich Coggins in '73? He hit .319 with an .831 OPS, worth nearly 4 WAR, had a disappointing sophomore season for the Birds (0.2 WAR), bounced around three teams and was out of baseball by '77.

I get the feeling that very few MLB owners make freewheeling decisions without the approval of the herd, but this is one situation where one of them should really step up and announce they're covering their entire organization from top to bottom. If they did that, the others might hate them for it, but they would probably be forced into doing the same.

That’s rough. Earning an average of $8,400 a year, not eligible for unemployment, and this $1 million that each team pledged (or were forced to pledge) to cover stadium workers, etc obviously doesn’t reach any of them. It seems like another million (if that) would probably cover the entire minor league players and MiLB stadium workers too, is that really so much to ask?

Just since there’s some confusing info out there, a report from abroad. Here in Germany they closed all the schools countrywide as of Monday, along with clubs/venues, bars, sporting events, shopping malls, etc. until further notice. Restaurants don’t have to close but are pretty barren. Police are allowed to break up and send home any larger social groups they see for the sake of public safety. Many companies have told their staff to work from home until further notice. A lot of us think this could extend 4-8 weeks. Borders have been closed to several countries. The area I live in (Nordrhein-Westfalen) is one of the two worst regions in Germany for new cases but the mood is OK. Yes, toilet paper and canned goods are harder to find. Also cereal and oat milk were cleaned out tonight, I noticed. (But fret not; beer is still in abundant supply) Despite the precautions, yesterday was the worst yet for Germany (over 1,500 new cases) and they have not declared a national emergency but are nearly there. And yes, it’s really, really bad in Italy and Iran; Spain is struggling and France is also having a hard time and they’re not alone. I can only hope the preventative measures here have a positive effect within a few weeks.The overall mood is serious and a bit scared but not panicked. And I really, *really* can’t wait for baseball to come back. Let me just reiterate that. Be well, everyone.

I’ve had almost none myself, but a buddy of mine who’s a luthier built an electric guitar for Mark Trumbo. He didn’t know who Trumbo was when the order came in, but then realized he was a pro baseball player. Trumbo loved the guitar and gave him a signed bat and photos when he picked it up and paid for it, without even being asked.

If it’s circumcision-related, it could also be a Mohel removal.

You’ve mentioned a couple times that you hoped Davis can play well enough this year to be moved. But I know and you know (and I know you know) there is absolutely no scenario in which that happens, given his past performance, current contract and this team’s inability/unwillingness to eat salary. Even if his OPS is .900 in July, nobody is buying high at $17M a year. Which leaves: (1) he plays well enough over the coming years to finish his deal; (2) he gets cut and the team eats the salary; or (3) he retires and forgoes the rest of his salary. That’s really it. I hope for #1, but the odds say that #2/3 are far more likely.

I don't think you're in the minority, just the opposite. Who would root for Davis to fail? I think everyone would love to see him have a huge bounceback year (or years). I just feel more and more that it's unlikely to ever happen.

I feel bad for Hunter as a person getting such a demotion, but as a viewer/listener I’m really glad they made this change. His enthusiasm was admirable but often ill-advised, like the little kid sitting next to you that freaks out over a late solo home run in a lopsided blowout loss. I swear you could almost hear Palmer rolling his eyes sometimes when they shared the booth.

I’ll be curious to see how many relievers get “injured” before they face three batters once the matchups are no longer in their favor. I expect there might be a few more blisters or ankle sprains than normal.

I suspect several times this season I’ll glance out at our bullpen and softly mutter, “Would it were O’Day.”