Win Column

I love winning as much as the next person, but I'd kind of like these guys to make up their minds. Are we aiming for Why Not '2(.)0, or are we all in on the Quest for Kumar? Drafting, like, 12th would be disastrous for us.

Interestingly enough (or not), that would equate to roughly a 71-35 record in a "normal" season.

I don't care whether they stink, or whether we stink (...well, actually, I do), or some combo of both. Beating the Sox will, and always will be, fun as heck.

Yeah, not really surprised. Had a feeling that Gary and Jim in particular would bow out, certainly this year, at least.

Yeah, reading between the lines it sounds like he has it pretty bad. Guy's had a fever since Thursday. Not going to eulogize him or anything but it just sounds a little more ominous than the other publicized cases. What's curious is that his wife says that they never went out for 4 months, yet he still caught it.

Seems like this would've been a no-brainer.

The league-wide shutdown is pretty significant. I'm suspecting the owners don't want to play this year anyway, so they could use this to really play hardball. It's not even really about the players, though: most/many are young and healthy and would quite likely be asymptomatic. The issue is the admin staffs, coaches, umps, all their families. Unless you put the players in a nigh literal bubble - and look at the NBA negotiations to see how that's being received - then this probably isn't going to work, what with the current risk tolerance. I'm having a hard time seeing MLB played this year. I'll be ecstatic to be wrong.

Heh. https://twitter.com/molly_knight/status/1271963446293049344

I'd guess the MLBPA would get him and like-minded players in lockstep fairly quickly if they can iron out a deal with the owners. Besides - perhaps this is too simplistic - they could just take away/not award service time if players opt to sit out. Snell might be just fine money-wise, but no way he'd cede a year towards a potential new deal.

Reading this was a real gut punch. Maybe all this was common knowledge already and I was just out of it, but I'd thought it was just a little (well, "little") cancer scare. But Stage 3...geez. What the heck is going on? Was just thinking about how lucky we got with Trey. I can't remember the last O's draftee who rose through the system and actually exceeded expectations to become an All Star-level talent here. (I guess some could argue Means, but just roll with it.) Get better, dude.

He may well have been my favorite player on that '12 team. Really, I had an almost irrational fondness for him, much more than what his general play warranted. But his pwning of the Yankees down the stretch that year was just that awesome.

Lot of those guys were before my time, so for me I’d have to say none other than Bundy. Heck, I remember the numbers almost verbatim: 71 IP, 158 K, 2 ER, 5 BB, consistent 92-97 with an occasional run-up to 100, and a 12-6 CB. Even the “experts” thought we nailed it. It was almost like Christmas when he finally arrived. I really thought he’d be the anchor of this rotation for ~ a decade. What could have been had his body held up. Still feels weird he's not on this team anymore.

I was thinking a couple of days ago - and obviously, it'd never work - how cool it'd be for MASN to re-air the entire '12 season, syncing it with the same schedule/date; only difference being that every game would start at 7 pm (with maybe Sunday games moved up to 1 or 4 pm).

I suppose it makes sense on the surface. No one will have played HS or collegiate ball, and how likely is it that there'd be a whole bunch of players that teams would want to make such an investment in? Those HS picks, particularly, would be exponentially riskier than in other years. Besides, you can bet MLB would like to cut costs in a year where it'll possibly lose half or so of its revenue. Yeah, 5 rounds sounds about right. Better than none, that's for darned sure.

Of course we all understand the rationale behind this, but strictly baseball-wise, what a horrible move it would be. It’d affect multiple classes and muck up drafts for years to come. Juniors that teams figured would leave would (likely) stay, and incoming freshmen who were set to take their presumed-to-be-vacated scholarships would be (likely) out in the cold. Safety first, though, always. I've to believe they'll figure it out somehow if it comes to that.

I’ve been throwing myself into MLB 9 Innings on my phone. It is oddly and irrationally addictive - quite possibly the best gameplay/graphics I’ve ever seen on a baseball game, on any platform. Obviously the O’s are my user team, but somehow I’ve drafted/developed a nearly all Cubs roster (it's all by chance - just depends on what cards you pull and how good the player is). It’s a plus in that it gives my team a bunch of extra benefits/boosts (too long to explain how that works), but still. And it’s weird seeing bearded Jake in orange and black.

I wonder just WTHeck sports media will have to/can discuss over these next few weeks or so. This is typically one of the busiest, most exciting times of the sports calendar, what with the NCAAs, MLB opening week, the Masters, etc; and now….well…. I imagine they can only dissect covid-19’s impact on sports but for so long, unless something further drastic happens within that time frame. After a week, maybe two, then what? If I had to guess, they’ll probably hammer the daylights out of NFL free agency and the draft.

And coincidentally, this is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. I admit in full ignorance that I used to believe that this was an old people's disease. But Trey's not that much older than I am, and of course I now know that this, like many cancers unfortunately, can strike almost any age. It's one of those diseases that one really needs to be on top of, since it can start out so asymptomatically. I can't help but believe he'll come all the way back from this and, in his typical steady, understated way, hit the field and not miss a beat. Can't wait. (Well, actually, I can, but you get what I mean.)

Tate's been on a nice little roll here since he got knocked around in his spring debut. I'm pretty high on him this year. The ERA was an eyesore last season but his peripherals were actually fairly decent.

Maybe he'll be a bizarro Wieters of sorts: somewhat above-average in the minors, HOF-level MLB career. In any instance, not at all worried.

I can't wait for Mount to become acclimated to MLB pitching. I think the guy's going to absolutely rake once he does.

He's had minimal AAA experience and (IINM) doesn't have to be R5 protected 'til December. Guessing we won't see him with the big club, certainly not early on.

I've always had something of a soft spot for Scott, but if I go with my gut and not my heart...yeah, it just feels like it's just not going to happen at this point.