15 thoughts on “2020 MLB Season

  1. I’m not watching the World Series, unfortunately, but how can this happen? Also, I feel like the NFL is also violating the 14 isolation after being around someone who tested positive. For example, the Raiders Trent Brown tested positive, I want to say in the middle of the week, and since the O-linemen tested negative, they were allowed to play. My understanding is the incubation period is 14 days. So, even if the O-linemen tested negative on the day of the game, technically, they might still have the virus and could pass it on?

    1. Yeah I’m wondering what happened.

      “Unfortunately” is a good word. It was a great series. I mean great. And I had no rooting interest. I went in thinking I would be happy with either result; they are both excellent baseball teams. I guess the Dodgers makes a better story because of their recent failures in the World Series.

      Anyway, it makes me wish I’d paid more attention to the regular season. I just wasn’t ready to deal with it, for reasons the Justin Turner situation illustrates perfectly.

    2. How does this WS rank with the others? To me, the MLB playoffs seem like the best, in terms of consistently providing good games and good drama. Can you pay to just watch the playoffs online? I need to think about doing that next season.

    3. The incubation period is 14 days? Does that mean you can test negative for 14 days? That doesn’t sound right. Hawaii’s travel rule is you have to be tested within 72 hours of arriving in Hawaii. That would make that test irrelevant if you could test negative for 14 days and still have the virus. I’m pretty sure you can only test negative for the first 2-4 days if you have it, and it’s closer to 2-3 days which is why we do the 72 hours prior to arriving thing. I’m super happy for Kershaw. He is a stand up guy and reminds me a lot of Montana off-the-field. A good family guy and doesn’t seem to want to talk bad about anyone or anything.

      In terms of baseball overall, I’m going to guess Reid wouldn’t like it. When you talk about the NBA shooting threes and the NFL going to a passing league, those leagues pale in comparison to the shift in MLB. Teams don’t bunt, steal bases, or move runners over. It’s mostly about HRs and strikeouts for pitchers.

      The Dodgers are a great team. As good a hitting team that I’ve seen, maybe. But last night it was about their pitching. Unfortunately I didn’t watch as many playoff games as I normally would. I was more into the NBA playoffs as I normally would be.

      1. The incubation period is 14 days? Does that mean you can test negative for 14 days? That doesn’t sound right.

        Yeah, it doesn’t. My understanding is that you’re exposed to someone who have the virus (over 15 minutes?), you’re supposed to isolate for 14 days. Is that not right?

        I’m pretty sure you can only test negative for the first 2-4 days if you have it, and it’s closer to 2-3 days which is why we do the 72 hours prior to arriving thing.

        Oh, so if you test negative on day 5, you should be safe. I guess if you don’t have the luxury of getting a test by day 5, they advise you to isolate for 14 days? The thing is, after 14 days, if you don’t show symptoms that means you don’t have the virus. But couldn’t you be asymptomatic?

        Teams don’t bunt, steal bases, or move runners over. It’s mostly about HRs and strikeouts for pitchers.

        Yeah, if all the teams played like this, that would be kinda disappointing.

        1. The thing I least understand is the shift in which a player can lay down a bunt and probably have a 90% chance of being safe and still the player won’t do it. For example there are shifts in which a the third baseman is playing where the shortstop and the shortstop is on the wrong side of second base. If a player can lay a bunt down the third base line, unless that player is super slow, he should get a base hit.

          1. If in fact the success rate were 90%, I’m guessing more teams would do it. But with so many pitchers throwing 95+, I’m guessing most guys can’t lay down a good bunt that gets past the pitcher (especially a righty) 90% of the time. Maybe I’m wrong.

            I’m reminded of when I was watching one of those skills contests on TV with the major leaguers. They had a bunting contest, with zones marked in the field, in the space between the mound and plate. The hitter had a certain number of batting-practice pitches to put a certain number of bunts in each zone.

            Wade Boggs put on a clinic. I think he laid down the exact number of bunts in each zone, in order from left to right. He knew exactly how to put the ball exactly where he wanted it every time, and I was stunned, because how often is a lifetime .360 hitter asked to bunt in a game situation?

          2. So the 10% would be if the pitcher or catcher could get to the ball or the bunt is hit too hard in which the third baseman could get to it in time. You still think that’s too high?

            Well, I’m still not clear what you mean. This still sounds like 90% of the time the batter would get to first base. Or by “get to the ball,” do you mean the pitcher or catcher would get to it, but might not catch it or throw the batter out at first?

            I think I was thinking you meant 90% hitting down the 3rd base line. I guess the 3rd baseman could have a chance of getting to it and throwing out the batter, but, that would seem, less likely in this situation. If the batter can bunt the ball in a place where there’s no fielder 90% of the time, that seems really high. Or, maybe one of the defenders still have a good chance of getting to the ball and throwing out the batter?

        2. Yeah, 90% seems really high. Still, even if the success rate was less than that, I would think it would be easier to bunt the ball down to 3rd base than to get a hit. Then again, maybe that’s harder than I’m assuming.

          The example of Boggs bunting is relevant, I think. I recall what Mitchell described, too. Mitchell reacted with surprise because we’d think Boggs wouldn’t get much practice. While I don’t disagree, I’m inclined to think a great hitter would be a great bunter. If they have the great eye-hand coordination to be a great hitter, I tend to think they’ll be a great bunter because it’s a simpler action. I would expect Tony Gwynn and Rod Carew to be really good bunters as well. I could be totally wrong about this, but that’s my thinking on this.

          1. To clarify, I calculated the 90% based on the number of the times the player could get the bunt in play. I’m not sure if you guys were thinking the same as I couldn’t tell by your comments. I wasn’t trying to say 90% of all at bats would result in the batter standing on first base, because a foul ball on an attempted bunt could result in a strike out. So the 10% would be if the pitcher or catcher could get to the ball or the bunt is hit too hard in which the third baseman could get to it in time. You still think that’s too high?

            I will also add, that in this scenario just about every pitch is being thrown inside. As a pitch to the outside could result in a ball being pushed down the third baseline, even by accident. So yes, on one hand it might be harder bunt an inside pitch down to third, but on the other hand, the batter should only have to worry about the inside of the plate.

            Would you think 60% of all at bats on this type of shift, if the batter tried to bunt it down the third base line would result on the batter on first base? Does that sound fair or too high?

    1. I restored these comments from the trash. Feel free to re-delete whatever you intended to delete.

      http://www.village-idiots.org/2020/09/24/the-best-chance-to-protect-and-preserve-u-s-democracy-might-be-closing-fast/#comment-108367

      http://www.village-idiots.org/2020/01/14/music-2020/#comment-105859

      http://www.village-idiots.org/2020/10/03/journal-during-the-trump-regime-9/#comment-109864

      http://www.village-idiots.org/2020/10/03/journal-during-the-trump-regime-9/#comment-109858

      edit: I think I restored five comments but I can’t be sure these are the ones. And this is only four. And maybe the one I’m missing is in this post?

      1. What I was trying to do was delete my most recent comment, because it was listed ahead of Don’s last comment. Then I wanted to list it after Don’s last comment. If the change is super easy can you do that. If not, don’t bother.

          1. Do you see Don’s last comment? My penultimate comment was supposed to come after that, but I hit the wrong reply button. Does that make sense?

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