MLB Officially Locks in Shortened Season

TV Line ^ | June 23, 2020 | Matt Webb Mitovich

[EdnaMode]

Play ball! Major League Baseball has settled on a plan for a 60-game season that will begin around July 24, according to ESPN.

Following months of back-and-forth negotiations with the players’ union, the league’s owners voted to approve a 60-game schedule for the 2020 season on Monday. The players’ union agreed to the league’s terms on Tuesday night, tweeting: “All remaining issues have been resolved and Players are reporting to training camps.” Camps are set to open July 1.

MLB in March cancelled spring training for this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. “This action is being taken in the interests of the safety and wellbeing or our players, clubs and our millions of loyal fans,” the league said then in a statement, adding that they will “continue to evaluate ongoing events” going forward and “have been preparing a variety of contingency plans” for the regular season.

MLB at the time joined fellow sports leagues the NBA and the NHL in shutting down operations in light of the outbreak. The NBA suspended its season on March 11 after All-Star player Rudy Gobert tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, and the NHL followed suit a day later.

The NBA earlier this month approved a plan to resume the 2019-20 regular season on July 31, by bringing 22 of 30 teams — excluding those without a realistic shot at the postseason — to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, where they will play eight regular season games each, followed by a possible play-in tournament for the eighth seed (if necessary) and then the playoffs, which could stretch to Oct. 12 at the latest.\

[dp0622]

Ah, I haven’t liked baseball since 13. or 14 :)

All I have left is boxing.

And even if they speak out i get to watch them beat each other up :)

[ConservativeStatement]

We've come a long way baby, the wrong way.

[mulligan]

Waste of time and money.

[Vigilanteman]

They could have come to this kind of agreement more than a month ago and had an 81 or 99 game schedule.

[EvilCapitalist]

I was just talking to my Dad about Rick Monday this afternoon. My favorite player growing up was Nolan Ryan. But after learning about the incident you pictured, my favorite player is now Rick Monday.

[Rembrandt]

“Want to watch/listen, but without fans it just would not be the same.”

So, I guess, you don’t go to WNBA games, eh?

[ConservativeStatement]

If you want to see how far we have fallen as a nation, watch and listen to the national anthem as performed in Chicago during the 1991 National Hockey League All-Star Game. By far, the best rendition of the anthem I have heard. But more so, the signs, the energy, the patriotism. So sad, we now have pampered ungrateful poodles getting the attention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmyatm0t3Bg

[lodi90]

. My favorite player growing up was Nolan Ryan.

---

I got an autograph from Nolan Ryan when I was a young kid. He was pitching for the Angels at the time. He had just finished warming up in the bullpen to start a game in Oakland and I leaned over the rail. Probably an inappropriate time to ask but he signed for me and went off to pitch the game. Funny part was I didn’t know who he was and was trying to read the autograph to tell who it was when his name was announced over the stadium PA. So from that day on I was a Nolan Ryan fan.

[Songcraft]

In the interest of prudent safety precautions, and proper social distancing between all players, MLB is introducing this new, health-conscious, 2020 style of baseball cap (as modeled here by this hungry fellow).

       

(Also, in another rule change for this year, a glove shake from six feet away, aimed in the general direction of the runner, will count the same as an actual tag on the basepaths.)

[Rastus]

I bet they hope the players won’t kneel, but they dare not say it. And Delino Deshields of the Indians says he regrets not kneeling in the past, so bet on it. And it’s bye bye baseball.

[MinorityRepublican]

I hate the DH rule. It’s heresy.

[Varsity Flight]

Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Take Me Out.

Boom Boom Boom..jumbo tron in your face.
Done with them.

[ReaganGeneration2]

MLB should not play the Anthem, if the players are going to show they hate the country, and if they won’t fine them.

But they will play the Anthem. Kneeling will happen, and we will tune out, and they’ll blame racists and the WuFlu for abysmal ratings.

[Mastador1]

One damn player or official takes a knee and Baseball, at least pro, will be dead to me too. I prefer to watch my grandsons little league games, they play harder and care more.

[Jolla]

Why Bother

Because its baseball and our country needs some shared experience of our history to get us away from all the crap that is going on. I can go to the sports section for box scores of the Dodgers Giants Rangers and Yankees rather than the front page.

Plus I get to waste 3 hours at night at a bar and 3 hours the next day watching another replay. Retirement sucks without baseball.

[Veggie Todd]

Hi. Tough sport to bet on? Au contraire. 162 games x 30 teams = 4,860 opportunities. I do just fine. In fact, better than fine.

[Mozilla]

Only issue with UFC is that it is 65 bucks per event or 85 for some packaged deal. Yes it is on Espn+ but not 4.99 only it is ppv. 65 dollars will also be charged for archives.

[krug]

I’ll give a game a try...but after the first woke ceremony, commercials depicting how wearing a mask is beautiful and protesters advocating harmony, followed by announcers discussing racial disparity on the rosters and managers...I will turn it off. Same with NFL. What is this NBA stuff, never heard of it.

[GulfMan]

I could care less about professional sports, we’re about to lose this country forever, American Military troops are going to have to fire on Citizens or it’s over ...

[Dr. Sivana]

I do just fine. In fact, better than fine.

Well, I won't argue with results, and I am not a sports bettor though my father was. I bet a couple on football as a teen, with a couple of tries at hockey and baseball. Won them, but was VERY picky, waiting for my game. I also only bet on my teams, so sometimes the wait would be a long one (especially for the L.A. Kings).

I found the odds thing in baseball (e.g. 5½-6½) gave too much to the bookie. and laying down or giving runs just doesn't work. Maybe it works better in this era with higher scoring. Baseball has gotten so sickeningly analytical, and the odds-makers have some big league (pun intended) numbers crunchers, and 30 teams is not too much to track. Perhaps you don't have to be smarter than them, but just smarter than your fellow bettors (Cubs and Red Sox fans always being too optimistic).

It could also be that baseball betting is tricky, but you are good at it. I had always theorized that college football or college basketball would be good betting sports, as there are SO many teams that the odds makers cannot have the inside line on ALL the Div. I teams and matchups. However, there are also more variables, and the college game would be easier to fix.