Ducksnort

I think way more people have it than what we realize, and the as we get more tests, numbers are going to spike, and it's going to look very bad. Especially as these states start to open up, people are going to talk of a "second wave," while that may be true, are the rise of cases due to people going out more or due to more people being tested? And I think a lot of people have it and don't even realize it. I think way more people have mild cases and don't even have symptoms. And yes, the tests have been hard to get, but free public testing centers are starting to open up. Here in Grand Rapids where I live, Rite Aid has opened up testing to the public, although you do have to fill out a survey, so I'm sure there is some kind of qualification. However, the front of the page does say it is specifically for people who have not displayed any symptoms. Before, you couldn't get a test if you didn't have any symptoms. That's starting to change. My questions is, how many people do you test, and how often should they be tested? I can be tested today and be negative, but in a week I can take the same test and because I touched a loaf of bread at the store that someone else who had Covid touched and put back down, now I have it. https://www.riteaid.com/

I am as cautious as the next guy, especially when it comes to this current pandemic, but I would like to make the argument that we have way more testing now than we did back on March 26th. That gap you suggested, 900,000 more people having it now than they did a month ago...well our testing has ramped up since then. Could it be that a similar amount of people had it, but there just wasn't enough testing to find out?

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157195712747335&id=548657334 Highly recommend watching the video in this article. It's an hour, but definitely worth it. 2 practicing doctors in California discussing their experience with the virus and the data they've collected from it.

There's a conspiracy theory if I've ever heard one. I understand that money talks and it's a big part of baseball. Obviously, it's a business. But the owners aren't dumb. They know it's wise to listen to people who are knowledgeable in the game about what works in player development. They know that leads to winning, and they know winning brings in money. Which keeps the baseball world turning. And why do people have to constantly point out the fact that owners are billionaires like it's a bad thing. They own businesses, that are paying literally hundreds of millions of dollars to employees, plus an unending black-hole of other costs, I'm sure. It's not like you can be an owner of a professional sports team and not have a ton of money (that is most likely being invested back into the team), to effectively run it.

How is it arrogance? I look at it this way. Maybe this will ultimately make MLB teams more competitive, as theoretically this should improve the resources that are available to the players that will still be playing. How many teams in baseball are rebuilding? I think the less teams that have to rebuild, ultimately the better the game will be. And the less minor league teams that front offices need to be concerned with, again theoretically, they can focus on player development a lot more closely. And players should be getting paid more after this. Pretty much echoing what ptatc said I guess. Yes, minor league teams are important to communities and accessibility for people like you and I to be close to the game more often. But, ultimately, what do the majority of the people want? A winning major league team. That's what peaks the peoples' interest.

If it indeed improves the playing conditions of the players as they can allocate more of the funding to upgrade the facilities that will continue to exist, then it benefits them. As I said, I also like the idea of minor league teams being closer geographically to their major league affiliates.

The commissioner of baseball said yesterday that there will in fact be baseball played in 2020. I think we can realistically expect it to happen in some way or another.

https://infogram.com/daily-new-covid-19-cases-in-michigan-1h8j4x5ymopr2mv Seems like it may have peaked here in Michigan already. Hoping the curve continues to trend downward and eventually flatten.

It seems like a good move. Basically eliminating all rookie level teams. What I find interesting is reorganizing the leagues and even the levels to fit teams better geographically. None of the Sox minor league teams are anywhere near Illinois. Would they get all different teams I wonder?

Yeah, that just sucks for, like, more than half of all the fans

Saw this early this morning. So if they have Texas, FLordia and Arizona, you have 5 MLB ballparks that could be used with retractable roofs right there. I think they could even potentially use California as well, depending on the health status of the state, and use SD and both LA ballparks. GIves them a lot more options. I still don't understand how they would do this with time-zones though. Most teams are on eastern or central time zone. Not all eastern and central teams can play morning or afternoon games.

I can guaruntee you this is not being funded by interested parties. Like I said, I personally know someone who went there, and money is not the motive. There is a facebook group called "Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine" and I'm pretty sure most of the people on that page are there. All you need to do is look at the posts on the page. Those people are not there because they're getting paid, they are there because they legitimately believe their rights and freedoms are being threatened and stripped right now. Which I think is silly and birthed out of fear, to be completely honest.

Living in Grand Rapids, yeah, a lot of people are pissed right now. I personally know someone who went to that and protested. A lot of people got pissed when Whitmer (they now affectionately call her Whitler) tightened the restrictions on the stay-at-home order. Here's my take on it: For the people protesting: Chill out. The government isn't taking our rights and freedoms away. This is literally to save lives. I believe the saying is: life. liberty, pursuit of happiness...and LIFE comes first. Stay at home. Oh and good job social distancing at that protest. It's obvious none of them are taking this virus seriously and are just risking more lives by protesting the way they did. For Whitmer: I don't think she needed to tighten her restrictions on the order. It was just fine how it was. Extend it, yes. That needed to happen. Not sure things really needed to be added to it though. The things she added to it were weird and she didn't explain herself well, with why she made the decisions she did to tighten the restrictions. However, I think she is acting very professionally in all of this, which is saying a lot compared to some of our other "leaders" in our country.

Obviously, the 2020 schedule is caput. Does anyone think they might just repeat the same exact schedule they originally had this year and use it for 2021? London/Field of Dreams games included?

This is a really cool idea and all, but I just don't see how this works. If this happens, players will have to play at night to avoid that unbearable desert summer heat. If they start games at 7, that means all games in Chicago would start at 9 and end around midnight. And for the fans not far away in the eastern time zone, that means starting at 10 pm (thinking of those cleveland fans and few Sox fans living east of Chicago). I, along with many others, would not be able to watch more than 1-3 innings. Just doesn't seem feasible to me. And players should not be out there before 6:00 (and that might even be pushing it).

I apologize if this has been stated already but... Let's say the most optimistic outcome happens where this whole thing kicks off in AZ during late May/early June. The entire country starts flattening the curve, and things begin to go back to normal by mid June. Social distancing orders begin to lift and non-essential companies open back up. Gathering limits begin to lift. One would imagine that teams could eventually could go back to playing in their home ballparks no? Instead of playing out the entire season in AZ? This assumption is of course based on the most optimistic outcomes one could hope to have.

Iceberg lmao

Scheduling will be very interesting with this one. You can't just pick up where the original 2020 schedule left off...at least not with the same divisions. That would give unfair advantages and disadvantages. You'd most certainly either have to completely change the schedule and completely revamp divisions.

30% is Great Depression-esque

Ughhh I wish I had access to this!!

Yeah I was wondering this myself

Surprised this hasn't been posted yet, but MLB trade rumors saying the season could be delayed until Memorial Day Weekend.

Is minor league baseball being suspended too? I would imagine yes but I didn't hear anything about it.

Tbh, yes the reasoning for this sucks and the anticipation of opening day starting in 2 weeks makes this hard to swallow, but really should baseball be playing in March? The season should really probably start mid-to late April. Probably a third of those games were going to be postponed anyway due to rain/snow/cold weather (although who knows with how early Spring seems to be coming)...

The reasons they are showing for the cancellations though are either rain or wet grounds