DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Proposal for 100 game MLB season to begin in late June

j/c...

This will be a dumpster fire.

MiLB is canceled

I was hoping this could be avoided. Players just don't want to run the risk. I can't blame them. Many of them have plenty of money to retire today. It's not like most who do have to take the chance to scratch out their $750 a week on the factory floor or waiting tables at some bar/restaurant.

I'd say baseball works on the thinnest margins due to team size, ticket prices, and player salaries. Hockey might be on a thinner margin.

I worry some teams might fold between now and next year.

I agree .. it’s such a tough situation. If I were a player I’d contemplate sitting out the season as well ... if I were “comfortable”. I mean, a guy who typically makes 20 million will only make like 5 ... and there’s a greater risk of injury, which would hamper future earnings anyways

Or die and you don't get to enjoy your family and the money you have socked away. Or worse, you infect your wife or a kid and they die. That isn't going to lead to a happy rest of your lifetime.


OK....maybe you have to downsize from that $3.5mil place to a $350,000 place. Where I come from, $350K still buys you a pretty comfortable spread.

It's sad. I just read a letter from the Chattanooga Lookouts saying the season was canceled. The Lookouts have been here since maybe 1918. Baseball has been talking about cutting the minor league system, and the Lookouts were on the block. Made no sense. The Lookouts had good attendance figures....near -4000 per game. That is good for AA baseball.

Joe Engle owned the team from maybe the early 30's in to the late 60's. He was one of baseballs great promotors. He is in the HOF, not officially, but pictured and mentioned as a great supporter of the game. One year on opening day he had the players enter the field riding elephants....that is the picture in the HOF. There was a shortstop who demanded a raise. Joe traded him for a 20 lb turkey.

I am going to miss it if the Lookouts fold. They have a rich history and I like minor league baseball. You can get a cheap seat for $6. A box for around $15. The dogs and beer are as good as they are at any major league park, and a bit cheaper.

If any of you have a minor league team near by, go check it out. It's solid baseball and a great value. It's a great way to spend 3-4 hours with your kids.

If we had proper leadership, we could galvanize a morale boost for tUSA. We lack leadership at the worst time.

Whenever we do get back, sport will be at the forefront, i guarantee it.

That’s a shame. We have a similar situation here in Erie, PA. The AA team is very popular. There aren’t any pro sports within 90 miles and their attendance is always good. Plus, they just had huge upgrades to the park.

I try to get to a handful of games each year. They have good promotions, it’s good baseball, and great atmosphere. I love minor league ball.

Thinking (and nearly weeping) about what is next for minor league baseball – Terry Pluto

https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2020/07/...erry-pluto.html

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Baseball is in trouble.

Most fans know that, at least at the major-league level. But in the minors, the situation is grim. Even before COVID-19 shut down the minors for the entire season, MLB proposed plans to cut 42 minor-league franchises.

That’s right, 42 teams! According to Baseball America, Class AA cities on the tentative list are Binghamton, N.Y., Chattanooga, Tenn., Erie, Pa., and Jackson, Ms. Some Class A teams would move up to Class AA. Two independent franchises – St. Paul, Minn. and Sugarland, Texas – would become affiliated with MLB franchises.

There would be 120 farm teams remaining.

Close to home, the Indians would lose their Niles-based Class A Mahoning Valley Scrappers. I called Mike Savit, who is part of the HWS group that owns the Scrappers. Their other minor-league franchises are the Dayton Dragons and the Modesto Nuts.

“Mahoning Valley is among the top 120 franchises in minor league baseball,” he said. “We’ve been with the Indians for 20 years, a hour away from Cleveland. I don’t care if you’re talking facilities or geography or anything like that – cutting us doesn’t make sense.”

Savit said “nothing is final ... and we’ll fight to keep the franchise with the Indians.”

But this isn’t a Tribe decision. MLB has decided to cut short-season summer leagues such as Mahoning’s New York-Penn League along with the Appalachian and Pioneer leagues.

“The Indians prize player development,” said Ken Babby of the Tribe’s Class AA Akron franchise. “It’s a big part of their organization. They put a lot of resources into it.”

The MLB plan is for each franchise to have six minor-league teams. Here’s how it would break down for the Tribe: Class AAA (Columbus), Class AA (Akron), High Class A (Lynchburg), Low Class A (Lake County) and two rookie teams at their Goodyear complex in Arizona.

WHY DO THIS?

Some of the minor -league franchises need to be eliminated. Some of the leagues need to be revised because of travel problems. So changes are necessary.

Before the virus hit, I heard some of the teams on the cut list could be saved. Those franchises needed to upgrade their facilities and make some other changes.

But now, who knows? A couple of minor-league executives told me some franchises would be heading into bankruptcy. Unlike MLB which will pocket TV money when its product is on the field, not so in the minors.

“It’s been catastrophic,” said Akron’s Babby, who also owns the Class AA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. “At least that’s how it is in the short term. We can weather it, but it could be very hard for some franchises.”

Babby bought Akron in 2013. He has put about $8 million into improvements at Canal Park and another $4 million into the stadium in Jacksonville. Minor-league operators make money from tickets, advertising sponsors and concession sales. In fact, they will have to refund some of their advance season ticket and advertising revenue if fans don’t want it applied to the 2021 season.

They are small-businessmen who do business with each other in medium and small towns. Everyone is in major financial pain.

Because of no fans in the stands, MLB will lose money this season – even if they do find a way to keep the game going through the World Series.

ANOTHER MLB NEGOTIATION

Many fans know MLB and the Major League Players Association will be talking about a new deal as their current labor agreement ends after the 2021 season. The hostility in the last talks to finally get the game going in 2020 is a sign a more turmoil to come.

Meanwhile, MLB and the minor leagues need to reach an agreement before the 2021 season starts. That’s why eliminating 42 teams is on the negotiating table. Given the economic collapse, the minors will probably agree to those cuts to get some type of deal in place.

“That’s 42 cities that won’t have baseball at a time when baseball is already losing fans,” said Miles Wolff. “I think about the cities who recently put millions of dollars into building or upgrading their ballparks. Now their teams are taken away.”

Wolff’s baseball career began as a general manager of the Class AA Savannah Braves in 1972. I met him in Savannah in 1978 when I was a minor-league baseball writer for the Savannah Morning News. Wolff started the current version of the Durham Bulls franchise in 1980.

“Bought it for $2,400, which was all the money I had,” he said. In 1987, the movie Bull Durham was filmed at his ballpark. He sold the franchise for an estimated $4 million in 1990.

Wolff also owned Baseball America for 20 years. He started the independent Northern League and has owned other franchises. At 76, Wolff recently sold his last franchise before the pandemic hit – the Class A Burlington Royals. They are on MLB’s list to disappear in 2021.

He looks at how MLB cut the draft from 40 rounds to five in 2020. Word is it will be in the 20 rounds or fewer in 2021. He can’t believe MLB is limiting its pool of talent with these changes.

“It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

WHAT WILL BE LOST?

I heard the Houston Astros have been behind the movement to shorten the draft and whack 25 percent of the minor-league teams. The Astros and some other teams believe the odds are overwhelming against low picks making the majors, which is true. They are convinced strong analytics will target the right prospects and eliminate the need for so many minor-league players.

But low round picks do make it. Tribe starting catcher Roberto Perez was pick No. 1,011 in the 2008 draft. There are many other examples.

Cutting the draft. Cutting farm teams. All to save comparably a few bucks?

“How much does it really costs to run these short-season Class A franchises?” asked Wolff. “Big leagues teams pay for the salaries of the players, coaches and a few other things. Baseball needs more exposure around the country, not less.”

Some of the cities losing teams can become franchises in independent leagues, not affiliated with any MLB franchise. One nearby is the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League.

But suppose you bought the Missoula, Mt., franchise for several million dollars as a group did in the fall of 2018. They had no idea Missoula was headed for the cut list. Even if an independent team moves in, the value of the franchise drops sharply compared to being an MLB affiliate.

“Overall, minor-league baseball was in very good shape before the virus,” said Wolff. “Now, a lot of people will be hurt, and what the big leagues want to do is make it worse.”

Babby talked about how 70 days a year, people come to downtown Akron to watch his RubberDucks. The franchise creates jobs not only in baseball, but the businesses around the park.

“Minor-league baseball is a big deal in a lot smaller cities,” said Babby. “If those teams go away, they will really be missed.”

It is sad. The Lookouts have been here in Chattanooga since 1906....I looked it up.

It seems to me each team needs their own team. Maybe the plan is to have 2 teams roster players at the various levels, but I haven't read or heard anything about that. I know the Indians and I think the Cubs share a stadium and facilities out in Arizona. One main stadium, then each team has their own clubhouse, training rooms and practice fields.

I agree. MLB isn't losing money on the deal. To me you need to promote the game and playing in these mid-sized towns across the country does that.

Sure, every team has their top 50 minor leaguers who they think has a shot scattered across the system, but you still need to provide them with solid competition to compete against.

I don't know, maybe just changing times. There was a time if you were a good player, you signed with a major league club. Over the last 25 or so years, more of these players opt for college baseball. As college baseball gets really good, maybe MLB feels they can use that as a proving ground, but there is a big difference between pitching against or hitting a aluminum bat.

Probably easier to judge pitchers.

j/c...

Has there been any update on Clevinger's rehab? I haven't scrolled back on here to see. I'm guessing with committing to Bieber starting, perhaps that doesn't bode well for Clevinger's status.

I believe I recall hearing from Andre Knott that he was recovered and ready to go.

Hell yes...my head is going to be plastered on a cardboard cutout!

Right-hander Mike Clevinger
After suffering a partial meniscus tear in his left knee on the second day of Spring Training, Clevinger was on pace for the original Opening Day date of March 26. But the extra time off gave him the assurance that he’d be at full strength for the first game of the year; now he just needs to remain healthy through the coming three weeks. With a shortened season, the Indians’ rotation becomes even more vital than it already was, and losing Clevinger for any amount of time would be a hurdle tough to overcome.

https://www.mlb.com/indians/news/indians-players-to-watch-in-summer-camp

Frankie!

I read where his 1 year old grandson recently drowned, the guy is 63 years old.

Family pressures, high COVID risk. Can't blame the guy.

My personal feeling is all these sports just need to shut it down for the year and hope we can come back next year fresh. Just too much risk for coaches, players, fans.

We had to open up, but unfortunately people felt everything was cool. Carry on as normal. Well, it isn't normal and we are seeing spikes in the crud again. Shutting down sports is a solid way to convey that message.

Go out to dinner. Go to work, but don't be STUPID!

j/c...

Lol.

j/c...

Frankie bike riding through CLE.

If you're jonesing for the sounds of Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus calling a ball game on the radio on a summer night like I am, you can hear them tonight doing the Indians' intrasquad game at 7PM EST here:

https://www.mlb.com/indians/video/7-10-i...IVva111OeA3Z_rY

Correction: game starts at 7:10 Eastern

Chang's power continues; Clevinger debuts
https://www.mlb.com/indians/news/yu-chang-power-impressing-at-indians-summer-camp

CLEVELAND -- Prior to Friday night’s intrasquad scrimmage, Yu Chang said that his home runs earlier this week had been assisted by the strong outwardly wind. But when he launched a long ball against Scott Moss later that evening, the air couldn’t have been more still.

Chang claims his power isn’t some underrated tool that’s been overlooked, but he’s done nothing but flex that skill since arriving at Summer Camp. On Monday, Chang nearly hit the scoreboard in left field on a home run against Carlos Carrasco, nearly replicated the exact shot against Zach Plesac on Wednesday, launched another long ball against Shane Bieber on Thursday and added another to his stats sheet on Friday against Moss.

“I feel very good right now,” Chang said through translator Kuanwu Chu. “I can see the ball very clear, at least for this week. All I want is to keep doing it at the same pace and work on the normal stuff.”

Chang continues to be in the race for the Indians’ utility job, alongside Mike Freeman, Christian Arroyo and newly signed Jake Elmore. During Spring Training, Chang hit .250 with a .740 OPS in 13 games. He returned to Taiwan in April to wait for baseball to resume and has come back with a red-hot, consistent bat, something that Indians manager Terry Francona hopes will boost the 24-year-old’s confidence.

“I don’t care if it’s January or February or we’re playing with nobody in the stands, I love seeing our guys do well,” Francona said. “He has taken four or five swings this past week that are just -- he hit a ball the other day that was, like, five rows from hitting the back wall there. It’s just really obvious that he worked hard during the time off, but I love watching him do that. Hopefully it’s really good for his confidence because this kid’s got some talent to play.

Clevinger’s first outing

Mike Clevinger took the mound in his first intrasquad outing on Friday evening and gave up four runs (two earned) on two hits, with two walks, one strikeout and a home run that resulted in a Francisco Lindor somersault at home plate. Although his team came out on the losing end of the 4-2 visiting team victory, Clevinger said he felt good for his first time back in a game-like setting.

“I felt like I started off commanding the zone with everything I wanted in the beginning,” Clevinger said, “and then I kind of got out of my mechanics a little bit and started letting guys back in counts after getting ahead of them.”

With only two weeks remaining until Opening Day, Clevinger expects to have two more intrasquad outings before taking the mound in a regular-season game. At that point, he expects himself to be stretched out to 100 pitches.

“I'll be up there, I'd say the range would be 85 to 100 for that first start in the regular season,” Clevinger said. “These are all assumptions though."

Daniel Johnson named MVP of Game 1

The Indians usually name an MVP during their team meetings in the clubhouse every day, but because of the coronavirus safety guidelines, they’re no longer gathering in large groups. This caused them to make a pregame announcement over the PA system on Friday, alerting the team who was named the MVP of their first intrasquad game on Thursday. And with his three-run homer, Daniel Johnson took the honors.


Francona met Johnson at home plate with his award of a $100 bill.

“It was nice,” Johnson said. “He said he didn’t want to touch me because of the coronavirus, so we kept our distance. I just took the money from him and we didn’t touch hands. It was nice, though. Just to get recognized like that, even in a practice game, it’s a blessing.”

Tyler Naquin’s bat, the pitching plan, the new second baseman: Cleveland Indians Scribbles

https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2020/07/...-scribbles.html


By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians are actually playing baseball, even if it’s against themselves in practice and intrasquad games:

1. In May, the Indians gave their players a tentative goal of being ready to show up for training camp on June 10 for a possible July 1 start to the season. They didn’t know if that would work, but they wanted their players – especially the pitchers – to be pushing themselves for a quick start to the season.

2. The Tribe figured whenever baseball started, the teams would have about three weeks to prepare. That would put them in the middle of a typical spring training. The goal was for pitchers to be ready to throw three to four innings, or about 65 pitches when they arrived.

3. The coaching staff for pitchers is led by Carl Wills. But it also includes coaches Brian Sweeney and Ruben Niebla along with V.P. of Baseball Operations Eric Binder. They stayed in touch with the pitchers via Zoom, text and phone. The pitchers sent in video of themselves throwing to be studied. Some set up a tripod to tape themselves, others had family members do it. The Indians were impressed with the creativity.

4. But the test would be once they took the mound in summer camp. Did they follow the throwing and conditioning programs set up by the team and the sports science department? Did guys show up with sore arms or out of shape? The good news is no early injuries. Shane Bieber went five innings (87 pitches) in his first intrasquad start.

5. The Indians are continually amazed by Bieber. Terry Francona said: “He’s far more mature than his experience.” The 25-year-old Bieber has pitched in only 56 big-league games (26-13, 3.72 ERA). He threw only 50 games in the minors. He was a 15-game winner and All-Star last year, and he looks ready to meet that standard again.

6. All the of the key starters appear in good shape. Aaron Civale is another young pitcher (57 2/3 innings) who looks like a veteran. Civale was 3-4 with a 2.34 ERA in 2019, a season he began in Class AA Akron.

7. Tyler Naquin has the coaching staff very excited. He had major ACL surgery on his right knee Aug. 31. He would not have been ready for the start the season, but he’s healthy now.

8. Francona on Naquin: “He should be proud of himself. He’s worked hard and been very diligent. ... He’s been through a lot, he’s a wonderful kid ... you root for him.”

9. Naquin is no longer a kid. He’s 29. He’s had hand, hip and now knee surgery. When healthy, the 2012 first-rounder can hit. For his big-league career, he’s batted .283 with a .788 OPS. He has a good arm in right field. Naquin was batting .288 (.792 OPS) with 10 HR in 89 games when he blew out his knee trying to make a catch last season.

10. The Indians were impressed with how Franmil Reyes handled being disciplined (sitting out three practices) for being in public without wearing a mask. Reyes was apologetic. Back in Arizona in March, Reyes was having a monster spring, batting .444 with five HR in 29 plate appearances.

11. Reyes hit 37 HR with 81 RBI between the Padres and Tribe last season, batting .249 (.822 OPS). The 25-year-old has the power to hit 40 HR a year once he settles in. The Indians think he’s been doing OK in right field, a position he played with San Diego. The Tribe used him as a DH last year, but they don’t want him to be exclusively a DH.

12. He probably won’t make the opening day roster, but the Indians project Cam Hill to eventually find a spot in the bullpen. He was on the fast track in 2017 (4-4, 3.08 ERA between Class AA and AAA). He had a good spring training in 2018, then hurt his arm and needed Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery. Now fully healthy, he has impressed.

13. It’s early, but the Indians like how newcomer Cesar Hernandez has fit in at second. The 31 year old spent the first seven big-league years with the Phillies, batting .277 (.733 OPS). He has been primarily a leadoff hitter.

14. Francona on Hernandez: “He can potentially hit at the top of the order. He’s a switch-hitter who likes to play every day (161 games each of the last two seasons). He’s joined right in with those infielders.”

15. The Indians have switch-hitters at every infield spot: Carlos Santana (1B), Hernandez (2B), Francisco Lindor (SS) and Jose Ramirez (3B). Santana is off to fast start in the intrasquad games. That’s important. He usually is a slow starter. That changed last season when he batted .316 in April and was at .297 at the All-Star break. With only 60 games, there’s no time for slow starts.

16. Yu Chang slammed three impressive homers through Thursday. He batted .178 in 28 games with the Tribe last season, filling in at third when Ramirez was injured. He’s a career .255 hitter (.744 OPS) with 22 HR in 801 Class AAA plate appearances.

17. Chang has played mostly short and third in the minors. A highly valued prospect, he was in the 2016 trade with Milwaukee for Jonathan Lucroy, which was vetoed by Lucroy. Other teams have asked about him. It feels as if Chang has been around forever, but he’s only 24.

MLB, MLBPA Reach Agreement On Expanded Playoffs For 2020 Season
By Steve Adams | July 23, 2020 at 3:03pm CDT

Just hours before the first pitch of the 2020 season, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have reached an agreement on an expanded postseason field. ESPN’s Marly Rivera reports that the union has agreed to the proposal, which now needs only to be ratified by the owners. Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests that will indeed happen (Twitter link), and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that there’ll be 16 teams as well as a best-of-three first round series (rather than a sudden-death Wild Card setting). The agreement covers only the 2020 season, per both Rivera and Sherman.

The postseason expansion comes with a $50MM player pool for the players, Nightengale further reports. That’s particularly notable given that in a traditional season, player postseason shares are derived solely from gate revenue and not from television ratings. Previous estimates on additional television revenue in an expanded postseason field suggested between $200-300MM could be generated by expanding to 16 teams, and ownership has agreed to share some of that windfall with the players’ side.

The potential ramifications here are broad reaching. It’s easy to envision this serving as a litmus test of sorts for future postseason expansion. The league has previously sought to push to 14 to 16 teams due to that considerable added revenue — the aforementioned revenue boost referenced only television money — and introducing it as a sort of experiment in an already anomalous season is perhaps a more palatable way of normalizing the change.

From a team vantage point, the impact this has on the trade deadline could be enormous. There have been plenty of questions regarding just how much clubs will be willing to surrender in order to acquire rental players in a 60-game season — particularly if the likeliest postseason scenario included a sudden-death Wild Card game. Now, clubs will at least be assured of a three-game series. Paired with the expanded number of fringe contenders a six-team expansion of the field, that could embolden some teams to be more aggressive buyers.

The greater number of postseason clubs not only widens the field of potential buyers but also narrows how many teams will be pure sellers. That could serve to up the demand for the trade assets on the few teams who are committed to selling off pieces. And it could lead to some dramatic last-minute decisions for teams that are on the cusp. Today’s brand of methodical, analytical GMs don’t make the emotional and even irrational plunges into transactions that once proliferated deadline season, but there’s a good chance we’ll again see some creative swaps of unexpected players. Complicated three-team trades have become prominent in recent years, and a radical change to the playoff format should only encourage creativity.

And what of the teams with trade candidates who have multiple seasons of club control remaining? At a time when clubs are reluctant to part with high-end talent to acquire 30-some games of a rental, a player controlled into 2021, 2022 or beyond becomes eminently more appealing. Matthew Boyd, Caleb Smith, Jon Gray, Francisco Lindor, Nolan Arenado and other controllable names who’ve been kicked about the rumor circuit in recent years will again be in demand. Depending on the status of those players’ teams at the halfway point of the season, the motivation to make a deal could increase. It’s worth reminding that only players in a team’s 60-man pool can be traded, so there are some clear restrictions in play, but the ripple effect here could be considerable.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/07/mlb-playoffs-expanded-postseaon-16-teams-2020.html

I hope we win it all. Not so much voodoo in rotations and lineups. Just win baby!

How many games will it take to get in? To win it all?

Tribe! Just let it happen.

j/c:

Okay, I turned the TV on last night and watched parts of the two games. The cardboard cutouts in the Dodger game was beyond absurd. LOL

Get rid of them. It's almost creepy.

Then again, I probably won't be watching any more baseball. Swing for the fences and striking out. Kneeling and BLM shirts. Nah.

I can't decide if I like them... I don't mind them if they don't focus on them too closely... I like the background noise they are playing as well... makes it feel a little more normal...

I'm okay w/the background noise. It's all just a matter of personal preference.

I feel games are much better with background/fake crowd noise.

The cardboard cutouts are kind of funny.

I know some teams are selling the spots to fans for their likeness to be on a cutout to recoup revenues, but I think the cutouts, if they're used at all, should be interesting or funny or iconic photos of famous people from stage, screen, or music. Like the original cast from Saturday Night Live, The Beatles, The Little Rascals, Bogie & Bacall, Marilyn & DiMaggio, and so on. Maybe the networks, movie studios, and recording labels would pay a sponsor fee to put up an image that supports their brand. Might even make a good thread in the EE forum ... "Post your iconic photo you'd like depicted as part of MLB's virtual crowd shot". (I'd do it, but I get lazier for every day that goes by lately.)

Wouldn't that violate copyright laws?

It violates right of publicity. So they would have to get permission. I dont know if that applies to deceased people or not. It probably violates copyright also.

I don't do law, so no idea. It just occurred to me that any rights to those images would possibly be owned by the studios, networks, record labels, etc - not the individuals in the pictures.