How do we choose a team?

[Redskins Rick]

Shortened season, much like the strike shortened season of many years ago. I dont see any reasonable way to add the games back into the schedule. Double headers are frowned on these days by the owners and players.

So you probably just skip the first part of the season and start from there.

 

[HowAboutThat]

31 minutes ago, Mr. Chewbacca Jr. said:

Baseball will be back. Sooner than later.

If you need something to warm your heart, the entire world is uniting right now to fight a disease. People are selflessly sacrificing and doing all they can to stop the virus. It's scary right now, as it should be. But, the entire world is unified right now - and we're going to beat it.

Baseball matters. It's like that quote from Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society - "We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But, poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for."

For a lot of us, baseball goes in there with poetry and romance. It's one of the joyful things we're battling for in this fight against the coronavirus. Right now, all our efforts need to go toward the task at hand. But, baseball hasn't suddenly become unimportant. Collectively, with everything else that makes life wonderful, it's the entire point.

In the incredible movie, “Shadowlands” One of the characters reminds CS Lewis, “we read to know that we are alive.” I know exactly what he meant.

Yes your point is valid. That’s why Shostakovich wrote two powerful symphonies while almost starving to death during World War II.

We must always remember the things that make us human, and the things and thoughts that separate us from humanity. The only thing that separates us from “Lord of the flies“ is continuing to foster an interest in the important things, Empathy for important people, and the realization that everyone is important.

That being said, it is easy to lose interest in baseball if there is absolutely nothing to talk about except the problem that is coming between us and baseball.

Edited March 13, 2020 by Philip

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

Plate appearance in ST don't mean much because the away games are staffed with non veterans. 

The part that is more meaningful is which of the non-obvious players are getting a hard look.    In other words, the fact that Dilson Herrera is getting more PA than Hanser Alberto is not meaningful, but the fact that Herrera is getting more PA than Rondon may be meaningful.    But as I said, we were really just starting the more serious part of spring training, so it’s hard to tell too much from who got the early opportunities.   

[Frobby]

26 minutes ago, Redskins Rick said:

Shortened season, much like the strike shortened season of many years ago. I dont see any reasonable way to add the games back into the schedule. Double headers are frowned on these days by the owners and players.

So you probably just skip the first part of the season and start from there.

 

The trick is, the schedule is imbalanced.   One AL East team might have a really easy April schedule while another has a really hard one.    In the normal season, it all evens out over 162 games, but this year it may not if they just chop off the first part of the schedule.   

[Aristotelian]

53 minutes ago, Mr. Chewbacca Jr. said:

Baseball will be back. Sooner than later.

If you need something to warm your heart, the entire world is uniting right now to fight a disease. People are selflessly sacrificing and doing all they can to stop the virus. It's scary right now, as it should be. But, the entire world is unified right now - and we're going to beat it.

Baseball matters. It's like that quote from Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society - "We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But, poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for."

For a lot of us, baseball goes in there with poetry and romance. It's one of the joyful things we're battling for in this fight against the coronavirus. Right now, all our efforts need to go toward the task at hand. But, baseball hasn't suddenly become unimportant. Collectively, with everything else that makes life wonderful, it's the entire point.

 

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and that could be again. Oh...people will come Ray. People will most definitely come."

Excellent post!

To get back to OP's question, spring performance should only matter for a small handful of guys on the bubble. They should have already had a general plan for the team and each player. They will just have to flip a coin on those borderline players (utility and bullpen, mostly).

Bigger question is how to get the pitchers stretched out and ready for game action. I wonder if they will be allowed to scrimmage and do simulated games with no crowds. 

[Redskins Rick]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

The trick is, the schedule is imbalanced.   One AL East team might have a really easy April schedule while another has a really hard one.    In the normal season, it all evens out over 162 games, but this year it may not if they just chop off the first part of the schedule.   

I get it and no matter what MLB does to handle it, 2/3 of the mlb fan base will be in total disagreement.

 

[Frobby]

2 minutes ago, Redskins Rick said:

I get it and no matter what MLB does to handle it, 2/3 of the mlb fan base will be in total disagreement.

 

I think we’re all going to have to accept that these are extraordinary circumstances and any inequities or inconvenience in the way baseball games are scheduled is not very important in the grand scheme of things.   

[Redskins Rick]

Just now, Frobby said:

I think we’re all going to have to accept that these are extraordinary circumstances and any inequities or inconvenience in the way baseball games are scheduled is not very important in the grand scheme of things.   

Yes most of us will.

 

[Aristotelian]

3 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I think we’re all going to have to accept that these are extraordinary circumstances and any inequities or inconvenience in the way baseball games are scheduled is not very important in the grand scheme of things.   

Have you ever interacted with Yankee fans?

[Redskins Rick]

1 minute ago, Aristotelian said:

Have you ever interacted with Yankee fans?

Interaction with Oriole Fans on OH is good training for this....lol