The Pinstriped Baseball Lane

The 2020 60-game Major League Baseball schedule will be announced tonight, July 6, on “MLB Tonight: Schedule Release” presented by Camping World live at 6:00 p.m. EDT on MLB Network. Your hosts for the official announcement will be Matt Vasgersian with analysis from Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci. The hour long special  will unveil key matchups and dates of the 60-game schedule, which will begin on Thursday, July 23 and Friday, July 24.

To that, I say, “Let’s Play Ball!!”

As previously announced, each team will play a regionally based schedule featuring 40 divisional games and 20 Interleague games against the corresponding geographical division. From my understanding, following “MLB Tonight: Schedule Release,” MLB Network will air a new “MLB Tonight” with Fran Charles, Jon Heyman and Dan Plesac live at 7:00 p.m. EDT. It will be covering the latest news of Summer Camp presented by Camping World and continuing analysis of the 2020 60-game MLB schedule.

So now that baseball is in route for the 2020 summer, what are some key points to watch for with the Yankees? Well I will give you some of what I will be looking for:

1. Gardy Bring the Party

Brett Gardner is our longest tenured Yankees, so he has accumulated many milestones throughout his career, but he will be eying another special point in his career. Gardy will be taking his place among some remarkable names in Yankee history. Bryan Hoch said it best in the following statement: “The 36-year-old’s next regular-season jog from the dugout will confirm his place as the sixth outfielder in franchise history to appear in 1,500 games — one game shy of joining Mickey Mantle (2,401), Babe Ruth (2,084), Bernie Williams (2,076), Roy White (1,881) and Joe DiMaggio (1,736) among those to surpass that plateau.”

I have many favorite Yankee and baseball players, but as I said time and time again, “Gardy is my current favorite baseball player.” I have said that statement over and over, because he has stuck by one team and ONE team only. In doing so, he managed to put together a strong career with his grit. I have so much respect for the way he carries himself as an athlete and as an individual.

The milestone that will put Brett “The Jet” Gardner’s name in baseball’s history book should’ve been reached months ago, but we all know what caused its delay. GARDY fans have respect for him so much because he puts the team’s goals above his own. As far as he is concerned, the Yankees have a great opportunity to be the last team standing in October and he is focused on helping the team do the same every year. I can’t wait to see him in 2020.

2. Aroldis Chapman Is Looking To Dominate

If you read my blog post on Chapman, then you know what he has been up to while in quarantine. If you have not read that post yet, here is the look to it: https://thepinstripedballclub.travel.blog/2020/05/30/the-pinstriped-cuban-missile-the-yankees-body-builder/

Like I said in the above blog post, “….with all due respect to every Yankee player, I will be paying extra attention to how the Yankee closer performs whenever the season gets underway… ” He has a pretty impressive resume to me because we seen him do several impressive feats. Just to name a few of them:

-We saw him carry the Chicago Cubs to a World Series.

-We have seen him close out the 2019 All-Star game where he guaranteed the American League their seven straight win against the National League 

-We have seen The Cuban Missile shut down bats in close-scoring regular season games.

Mariano Rivera has gone down in the history book as baseball’s greatest closer and with him retired, Aroldis Chapman has taken over the closer position in the Bronx. Chapman reported to Yankee Stadium for summer camp on Sunday, Marly Rivera of ESPN reports. The fireball hurler was not present at the stadium for the team’s first official workout Saturday, though manager Aaron Boone clarified that his absence was simply a matter of not finishing intake protocol. With him arriving Sunday, it would seem that he is healthy and ready to resume preparation for the 2020 campaign. I definitely can’t wait to see him at the tail end of the bullpen this season.

3. The Backstop In The Bronx

One of the biggest knocks on New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez is his defensive efficiency, specifically when it comes to blocking balls and framing pitches. Sanchez has struggled at times with his weight distribution and ability to play consistent defense behind the plate, which has hurt his confidence. As Yankee fans, we all know that Gary has the potential of being a great catcher. That was very evident because when he first joined the major league club, he was just so consistent at gunning down runners from the backstop position. We also can’t forgot about tremendous contact rate that he had every time he stepped into the batter’s box.

Sanchez was not present at the stadium for the team’s first official day of workouts Saturday, though manager Aaron Boone also indicated that it was a matter of the catcher not completing intake protocol. Every player has to cleared for on field action and now that Gary has been cleared, I definitely can’t wait to see him on the receiving end of a Gerrit Cole pitch.  

2020 could be a huge stepping stone for the 27-year-old, especially if Sanchez performs the way he did in 2016. That was the year Sanchez received that call that he was getting promoted from Triple-A to MLB, and New York was buzzing.  The hype was high because Sanchez came up as a replacement for Jorge Posada and everyone following him knew about that pop in his bat and that gun for a catcher’s arm. In 53 games that year, he hit .299, compiled 60 hits, accumulated 20 home runs, and notched in 42 RBI. As a result of his stellar performance during those 53 games, the Yankees were once sellers rebuilding to the following season, but Sanchez carried them into playoff contention. Yankee fans know all too well the pain of watching their team get turned away from a playoff run. On the bright side of that season, they knew they had one brick set in a solid foundation for the future of the team.

Hopefully in the shortened 2020 season, he will have that solid foundation to help him assist his team to win big.

4. The Gleyber Days Will Back Soon

With Torres back at his natural position of being a shortstop, I am really excited to see him do his thing at the position. To be honest, it is pretty easy to get lost in the shuffle of stars that the Yankees have at each position, but I would definitely say that Torres is a safe bet for the American League MVP. It is obvious being apart of a team that consist of stars like Chapman; Gary Sanchez; Aaron Judge; Giancarlo Stanton; Gerrit Cole and others, Gleyber is not much of a universal name.

By now, fans know his name, but he is not recognized as much as the names I mentioned above. Although that may be true when we just look at the Yankees, the excellence of Torres’ work can’t be glanced over when the AL voting is be discussed. NJ.com gave five reasons detailing the explanation for that:

1. The Baltimore Orioles: The following numbers are 100 percent real and in no way doctored: .394/.467/1.045, 13 HR, 69 total bases. That’s what Torres did to the Baltimore Orioles in just 18 games last season. The good news for the Yankees: Baltimore will now represent one sixth of the season schedule this year. If Torres feasts on Orioles pitching again, the base to a ridiculous season is there.

Some names to keep an eye on when the schedule emerges, including Torres’ stats vs. each Orioles pitcher:

Mychal Givens: .400, 1 HR

David Hess: .375, 3 HR

Alex Cobb: .500, 2 HR

Hector Velazquez: .600, 2 doubles

2. Position switch: Torres is moving over to shortstop this season to replace the departed Didi Gregorius. If he can man the position well (a likely outcome) it’ll be a boon for MVP chances. Shortstops that can hit at Torres’ level pop. Shortstops that do it on a winning team pop even more. Think Jimmy Rollins winning it for the Phillies in 2007 or Miguel Tejada (a decent comp for Torres) winning it for the Oakland Athletics in 2002.

3. Mike Trout’s uneasiness, anti-Astros sentiment: Don’t discount these factors. In the AL, the yearly MVP award is Trout’s to lose. But based on recent comments from the N.J. native, Trout could opt out of playing this season or choose not to return after the birth of his child in August. As for the Astros? Well, let’s just say that it’s going to take a slam-dunk, no-doubt-about-it MVP campaign to see a name like Jose Altuve, George Springer or Alex Bregman atop the majority of ballots.

4. Youth: In a (very) strange season, Torres has this on his side. No one knows how many players will stay fully healthy and if COVID-19 can be kept out of clubhouses. Assuming protocols work and players take care of themselves away from the park, this reality exists: 60 games in 66 days. That means only a few days off per month. It means having to bounce back and play the next day. It favors young players, not aging vets. When making a MVP wager in 2020, choose upside over the veteran.

5. Natural improvement: Torres hit 14 more home runs in 2019 than he had in 2018. His strikeout rate dropped by nearly four percent. It’s easy to forget, but we’re talking about a star heading into his age-23 season. We may not be close to Torres’ prime, but a jump toward it could happen this summer.

Prior to the truncated 2020 season, Fangraphs’ ZiPS projections had Torres down for 4.9 WAR, 41 home runs. That would be about a 15-homer pace in this 60-game sprint. Let’s guess something closer to 18, with big-time defense and a better-than-you-would expect batting average for the Yankees shortstop.

I like all these reasons and I hope all of them actually ring true in 2020.

5. Matt Blake- The New York Yankees’ Pitching Staff Will Be Under New Management In 2020

With the 2020 baseball season about to kick off later this season, the Yankees have decided to seek a new pitching coach to guide their pitching staff. Letting go of Larry Rothschild, the Yankees are trying to go the analytical route with the acquisition of Matt Blake. I can’t wait to see how that route pans out, especially because ace Cole and Blake have the analytic mindset.

“Competition, Competition, COOOOMPETITION”, that is the only way you can view this upcoming season in my eyes. It is the key word for this shortened 2020 season, even more than the previous seasons that have been played. It is a funny statement, but MLB columnist William Leitch said it best by saying, “I really can’t keep watching birds fly around my backyard and pretending to myself that they’re racing. No matter what’s going on throughout the planet, the world is always better with baseball than without it.” I have to agree with Leitch’s statement because he hit the nail right on the head with it.

Corona is managing to seep into everyone’s lives, and now it is taking a strong toll on baseball. Follow this link to see the latest on the Yankees corona update, https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/dj-lemahieu-luis-cessa-yankees-positive-covid-19. Also, many players around majors have decided to opt-out of playing for their own precautions.

In today’s post though, I want to engage in a conversation that should bring a mix of reactions to the plate. There are certain players set for a rebound, so who do you think are the athletes that will bounce back in 2020? To avoid as much Yankee bias that I can in this post, I won’t include any Yankee players. So without further halting, here are my 6 picks:

1. Robinson Canó, 2B, Mets

As you know, there was a bunch of skepticism when the Mets traded for the second baseman. Honestly, I liked him as a Yankee, but in my eyes, his greediness for money sent him to Seattle. In my opinion, New York City sports have been fueled by their hunger to be the best for the longest time. Each of the teams in New York have always relayed on their backbone of developing youths and also the capability to bring over the best veteran acquisitions from other teams. In terms of baseball the Yankees cashed in on George Herman Ruth, Stanton, acquired Masahiro Tanaka, and now Cano has gone to the Mets long term. Let’s just face it, New York is one of the biggest baseball markets in the sports world.

There has to be a reason to think Cano is a good fit for the Mets, I mean I know he was for the Yankees. According to Leitch, “Even with his suspension in 2018, he hit .303 for the Mariners and got on base at a .374 clip. Unfortunately, his rough start in 2019, along with nagging injuries, made him look like the bust many skeptics thought he would be in the first place….” You can look at that as the bad news, but what is the good news? Well, specifically to my friends and family that back the Mets, I will give you them good news. According to Leitch, “…The good news is that he seemed to come on late (.880 OPS in the second half, .646 in the first), and his 37-year-old body only has to withstand two months of baseball, rather than six. He still hits the ball hard. There’s plenty of baseball left here.”

2. Matt Carpenter, 3B, Cardinals

To be honest, being a Yankees’ fan, I don’t really follow other teams as much on a regular basis. Although, with that being said, I will admit that I have been watching other teams’ video highlights recently because there has not been any baseball. I have kept myself entertained by watching videos on MLB’s official website and whatever random YouTube videos I could find. In the process I came upon some videos of Carpenter and I have to agree with what baseball officials are saying about him. Carpenter has had wild swings as a hitter throughout his career. From video content of his years in the majors, you can see that the Cardinals’ third baseman started out as a walk-and-contact guy, then developed power. He then took a step back and didn’t produce the power as much. It took him a little while, but he found his swing that allowed to hit for a lot of power again (leading to a top 10 National League MVP Award finish in 2018). After 2018, he fell off the cliff of production in 2019, putting up the lowest numbers of his career in nearly every category. In the end, he has not had a steady career. I want to believe that a shortened season will give him the persistence to stay consistent, as this season will feel like the normal October hype from the very start.

3. Khris Davis, OF, A’s

You know, I did say I was a Yankee fan, but there are just certain guys in baseball that I can’t help but root for because of their potential. Davis just happens to be one of those guys because many people see him to be an underrated player. It just so happens that Davis had one of the most weirdest streaks in baseball end last year. I mean, the streak has to be the weirdest for any baseball player that experience anything similar. For the first time since 2014, Davis did not hit exactly .247. The problem was not that his batting average was appreciably worse in ’19 (.220), but that his power fell off dramatically as well. He hit 42 homers in ’16, 43 in ’17, an MLB-leading 48 in ’18 — and 23 last year. He is established at the DH position for the A’s this year as he is 32 years old. Hopefully, he can get back into the swing of things when major league action gets underway this season.  Whether or not, Davis returns to his aggressive self, one does hope he can land back on .247 again and hopefully produce higher numbers. During this unorthodox period, having athletes return to their stellar selves might provide some normalcy in this mad world.

4. Kyle Freeland, LHP, Rockies

I speak from a fan standpoint when I say, “PITCHING is the most valuable asset on a ballclub. I say that because the Yankees focus on developing and acquiring the best pitchers in the game.” That is my opinion, you can say otherwise if you believe differently. Right now though, I want talk about the Rockies’ pitching staff. I want to specifically go in depth on the Rockies’ lefty Kyle Freeland. According to Baseball Reference’s WAR, Freeland’s 2018 season, which saw him go 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA, is the best-pitched season in Colorado Rockies history, outpacing even Ubaldo Jiménez’s storied ’10 season. 2019 saw a different story for the lefty than what he did a season before. Freeland was, quite simply, one of the worst pitchers in baseball, going 3-11 with a 6.73 ERA. He was even sent to Triple-A for six starts — six starts that went even worse, with an 8.80 ERA. The lefty is a former first-round Draft pick who is only 27 years old and slated to be in the Rockies’ rotation this year. It can’t possibly go worse than it just did. I am not sure that he has completely hit rock bottom, but he is close to it. With that said, the only direction for him now is going up.  

5. Craig Kimbrel, RHP, Cubs

I will leave the analysis of this guy up to a professional. Will Leitch again said it best by stating the following:

“Dallas Keuchel is a positive example of a pitcher missing most of Spring Training while holding out for a free-agent contract and still turning out OK when he returns. Kimbrel is definitively a negative one. Kimbrel didn’t pitch his first game for the Cubs until late June, and he was simply never right, putting up a 6.53 ERA for the year. He was so bad during the pivotal home sweep by the Cardinals in late September, the one that pushed the Cubs out of the playoffs entirely, that he didn’t pitch for the rest of the season. You’d hope 2020 would be better … but it’s not like we had a normal spring this year either.”

6. Justin Upton, LF, Angels

Center fielder Mike Trout is the face of Angels baseball and the Los Angeles Angels just acquired another piece to assist him. Anthony Rendon is that big-ticketed acquisition that will be in the lineup to co-existent with the center fielder. But before Rendon, there was Upton, who was signed in late 2017 for the exact same reason. The first year of that deal went well, but ’19 was a mess. Upton had knee issues in Spring Training and then an injury in an exhibition game kept him out until mid-June. Later on down the road, September saw Upton go through consistent knee issues, which shut him down. Before that though, he was just hitting .215 in 63 games, so it wasn’t like he was producing high numbers from the get-go. He didn’t have surgery in the offseason, but he seems to be healthy. Hey, I would not want to be in the hospital right now with a virus of this magnitude. On the other hand, I have a pretty good understanding of baseball to know that a fielder needs a good range of motion in their knees to move across the diamond and they obviously need to be flexible coming out of the batter’s box. I just hope the guy is set for Opening Day. From my understanding, the Angels got him because they saw that a healthy Upton meant that they were getting an All-Star left fielder.  Upton has three more years left on his deal and baseball experts believe this might be the most important one.  

I want to believe that baseball will soon return back to its glorified self, allowing for these guys and every other athlete to be able to bounce back. Oh COVID-19, how I hate you so. Now more than ever, we need baseball and every other sport to be played. The sports world is just one major way that we could unite the global community. Oh, COVID-19, just allow us all to have a sense of normalcy again.

Ok, so baseball will happen in 2020, but it will come at the expense of new rules and regulations because of the coronavirus. One of the new rules that will be implemented in this year’s July baseball is the idea of a Universal DH.

I take it that many of you know what the term, “Universal DH” means, but for those who don’t, I will do my best to give an explanation.

So, first off, DH, stands for “designated hitter”. A designated hitter’s job is to do nothing but hit, meaning that a team can assign a player in the line up to bat in place of the pitcher and the pitcher only. Until recently, the DH was only implemented in the American League, but because of COVID-19, baseball officials have decided to extend the ruling to the National League. Hence, the term, “Universal DH“.

For now the DH will be used in both leagues, but going forward, there is nothing set in stone yet. Now, that is what I want to talk about today. I will give you my opinion on it, but feel free to disagree or agree with me.

I believe there should have always been a “Universal DH“. For me, I would like to think that I am not the only one that believes the rule brings uniformity to the game. With that being said, the NL was the only entity not using it. I know many people may disagree with me, while others might agree with my belief. Personally, as a Yankees fan, I am glad that my team does not have to send their pitchers to the batter’s box.

I know for my team, the bullpen is an asset, while the starting rotation has had its ups and downs. In my opinion, pitchers set the tone of the game and the DH rule provides balance to a team.

In other words, what I mean is, the DH avoids unnecessary injuries. Put it this way, who are some of the games elite starters and elite bullpen weapons? Just to name a few, you have Noah Syndergaard, Gerrit Cole, Masahiro Tanaka, Clayton Kershaw, Dellin Betances , Jared Hughes, Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer. All these guys, along with others have worked hard at their craft and in turn their pitching has become some of the most deceptive performances in the game. I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t want to run the risk of having anyone in my pitching arsenals getting injured. Especially, because there is the possibility of an opposing batter getting drilled by a pitch or even having a pitcher getting hurt while running the bases and attempting to steal a base. The way I see it is very simple, if a pitcher gets hurt because there is no DH ruling, then a team loses a hitter and a pitcher. That’s two positions vacated in one shot. What are you going to do then, especially if you depended on them to be available in big games? Your team just gained two voids on their roster, how will they play their best baseball?

I like the DH spot, it offers flexibility. A pitcher doesn’t have to run the risk of pulling a muscle the previous inning, and then have to push on to pitch the next inning. Quite frankly, that might just cause stress on a pending injury, no one wants that. The spot also serves as a rotating day off for other guys on the team. This means guys on defense can get some rest from being in the field, which would also prevent fielders from getting injured. Whether you are a batter or not, being on offense and in the batter’s box can be a sketchy thing, because you never know when a wild pitch can come at you. Also, like I said before, you always have the possibility of hurting yourself while running the bases and even diving to steal a base.

The DH just make sense and that is why I believe it is too risky to play baseball without it. I would like to see the rule stay in place beyond this season.

Major League Baseball has determined a plan of action,

So now the 2020 baseball season will finally be gaining traction.

Baseball is back, after a long debate,

We finally have a starting date,

Unfortunately, new baseball laws will have adhered to because of COVID-19.

On the bright side, baseball is back and the grass outside is so green.

With that said, the sport we love so much is certainly starting late.

Oh!, To Joy, Baseball will be played. That Is Great!!!

Baseball is FINALLY here, and this year, it will certainly will be moving at a faster rate.

The traditional 162 game slate won’t be in place.

Instead a 60 game length will be the newly implemented race.

This year’s baseball will skip the regular season marathon and go straight to the postseason type of hype.

Each team will try to live up to that hype, but I personally want all the glory to be showered upon the team wearing pinstripes.

That’s right, you read right.

I want my pinstriped wearing Yankees to be this year’s reigning champ,

Especially because they were victims of the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox, who I believe are both scamps.

With this year’s baseball being short and intense,

I hope the virus won’t be rapid among everyone in the game because that would be a terrible outcome and the season would be left in suspense.

I realize that many people will disagree with some what I will be saying down below, but hey, that’s why we are sport fans.

As the 2020 baseball will finally be played, we are just about a week away from major league action in baseball. Listen, all this talk about an asterisk being place upon this season, that is all nonsense to me. It is no doubt that this season will be like no other, but come on, every season isn’t the same. Ok, fine this season will have new rules and features, but baseball is one of the many sports that is ever changing.

I get it, baseball is seen as American Pastime and has long been apart of the societal tradition, but like everything nowadays, baseball too has to change to keep up with the time. Now, I am not saying, “I agree with the new guidelines”, nor am I saying that “I disagree with the newly implemented rules”. All I am saying is that we have to make do and accept that baseball has changed according to its time of existence.

Yes, I know people who are reading this will want to be vocal toward what I am saying, so go ahead. That is what I love about sports, especially when it comes to baseball. As far as I am concerned, I get that playing a season that is 102 games less is grind, but that is no reason to put an asterisk next to this season in the baseball records. To me, when that asterisk is there, it symbolizes that someone is at fault, but no one can be blamed for a season that was shortened by a virus.

Yes, when it comes down to it, a 162-game season is a marathon, but this this season is not a marathon. The 2020 season will be a full on sprint to the finish line. Joe LoGrippo of http://www.pinstripealley.com said, “When I hear the word asterisk while discussing baseball, the 2017 Houston Astros come to mind, and I’m sure a large portion of others can say the same. The reason for that is obvious: they cheated.” Quite frankly, I agree with him because I feel the same way. Although, a shorten season will raise health concerns for every team, I believe that everyone will take extra precautions to stay 100 percent. I know everyone will like to believe that as well, but all we can do is hope for the best.

Back to this asterisk concept, I know many of you out there believe that this year’s champion will have to be discounted. Now, that my friend(s), is where you and I will have to take part in a debate. I happen to believe that like any other season, there will be a postseason feel to this one as well. Granted, this season will most likely skip the regular season build-up, and just go straight to the October-fest type of atmosphere.

What I believe will happen is there will be two possible outcomes.

At the end of the highly intense race to the finish line, my number one possibility consist of the Yankees and the Nationals squaring off in a seven game World Series match-up. In this scenario, I believe it will be a long-fought battle that will end after seven games with the Yankees hoisting their 28th championship above their heads.

In my second scenario, I have another A.L-vs-N.L match-up. The match-up has been apart of the conversation between baseball analysts before the very first Spring Training. That’s right, I am talking about a Yankees-vs-Dodgers conversation. I think the possibility of the two teams going up against each other is an interesting one. In theory, if the two teams were to go up against each other in a World Series, I got to believe it would be an intense battle as well. I would like to think that the Yankees would come out on top.

With both of those scenarios as a possibility, I don’t see a reason for an asterisk to be placed upon this year’s championship holders. A shorten season won’t change what the postseason normally feels like, and for that reason I would like to believe this year’s baseball action gets straight to the point of postseason action. In a corona-free world, when all is said and done, the regular season doesn’t matter once you turn the calendar page to October. I know I will get some heat for my next statement, but with that being said, “The virus has brought us to the climax of a regular 162 game season.”

The 2020 baseball season is getting closer and the predicted match-up that will supposedly kick it off is expected to be packed with intense entertainment.

To all the baseball fans out there, “Can you come up with a better way than what the baseball world has planned for the sport during this virus? I bet there can’t be a better suggestion out there than was is set for Opening Day. After all, no one could really ask for much better to start a new season during this time.

In terms of getting the 2020 baseball season on track, the New York Yankees will travel to the Washington, D.C. to face the Washington Nationals for Opening Day in MLB’s new season, according to a report from the New York Post. 

The game is expected to be on Thursday, July 23, that is if conditions allow  baseball to proceed with the newly agreed upon 60-game season. With the game currently set for then, I am sure I am not the only one that believes that it will be one of the biggest games/series of 2020. If all goes well with the virus, game one between the two teams will feature an epic starting pitching duel.

Two of the game’s best starters will clash on the mound, as Gerrit Cole will finally get to step onto a major league mound in his new pinstriped uniform. He will be going up against Max Scherzer.

The two pitching studs are familiar with each other, as they were competing against each other in the 2019 World Series. We all know that Cole’s Astros fell to the Nats in the 2019 World Series. The two dueled against each other in Game 1 with the Nats emerging victorious, I just hope The Cole Train helps the Yankees emerge on top on July 23rd. With that being said, I am confident that he and the Yankees will acquire another championship to add to the organization’s trophy cabinet.

As both teams are expecting to be in the hunt for the 2020 World Series crown, this Opening Day should be very interesting. The Nats, of course, are defending their title and have one of the best rotations in baseball. The Yankees fell short in the ALCS with a star-studded lineup that included a dominating and healthy Aaron Judge. It also included a healthy Giancarlo Stanton. With almost everyone healthy and the addition of Cole, this Opening Day should be a historic one.

With this match up, fans will get a glimpse a possible World Series clash on Opening Day. I believe both teams will provide a well fought battle against each other and a shorten season with a postseason hype should bring out the best in both teams, as this will be both clubs’ first look at major league action of 2020.

It has long been awaited but,

Here you finally are.

Baseball, Oh Baseball!

You are America’s Pastime.

In my eyes, you’re this land’s HEART and SOUL.

As you do every season, you finally return another year.

Here you finally are in 2020.

You will be played, they finally say. It has been long awaited.

Oh, but what a pity, a virus will take away the simple joy of going to the ballpark. Oh, how it will wreck the tradition of the game

Socially distant, everyone must stay.

New RULES, the fans and players must abide by.

Oh must we complain?

No we shall try not to.

America’s game is back,

And baseball is its name.

Through the tragedy of CORONA,

It shall be played .

Soon, the home plate ump will say,

“PLAY BALL!!”

And only he and his umpiring crew will make the calls of the game.

WE, as fans, can only hope that they make the calls

“PLAY BALL!”, those are the words I been waiting to hear this year.

But health and safety have to be assured before this year’s World Series champ can rise.

We know now,

JULY will be the summer month that baseball will be played.

Oh, what a joy it will be,

To see baseball back on the TV

It has been long awaited, but the 2020 baseball season will finally kick off next month.  MLB announced yesterday that a 60-game season would begin on July 23 or 24.

This year has been a tough year on all fronts for everyone, but we are finally getting some sense of normalcy with the return of baseball. The MLB Players Association agreed to report to training camps by July 1 and with the league’s health and safety. Everyone probably knows by now that very little has been let out about the 76-page safety and testing protocols, but the league reportedly gave in to player requests for greater access to medical and training equipment. It is nice to hear that the two side are cooperating a little better now.

According to Commissioner Rob Manfred, “Major League Baseball is thrilled to announce that the 2020 season is on the horizon. We have provided the Players Association with a schedule to play 60 games and are excited to provide our great fans with baseball again soon.” The proposed schedule will largely focus on divisional play, with teams also playing against their opposite league’s corresponding geographical division to lessen travel.

The decision reached Monday was done by unanimous voting. I don’t get why it took this long for the owners and players to settle on something that was already in the works. After back and forth debating, the two sides agreed upon the March 26th agreement, which is what I believed should have been done from the beginning.

The league asked the MLBPA to confirm that players could report to training camps by July 1, which the union agreed to on Tuesday. MLB is working with a variety of public health experts, infectious disease specialists and technology providers on a comprehensive approach that aims to facilitate a safe return.

Now that baseball will return to the diamond, players will undergo COVID-19 testing upon arrival, then begin workouts if they test negative. 

 Players, coaches and support staff will be tested for COVID-19 every other day during training camps, the regular season and postseason. Anybody testing positive will be quarantined. Two negative tests are reportedly required for a return. I am very glad that things are moving along and it is encouraging to hear that the organization is being diligent with their employees. The players are being monitored via temperature/symptom checks at least twice per day, and antibody testing will be conducted approximately once per month.

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com:

“MLB has submitted a 60-game regular-season schedule for review by the Players Association. In order to mitigate travel, the schedule would include 10 games for each team against its four divisional opponents, along with 20 games against the opposite league’s corresponding geographical division (for example, the AL East will play the NL East, and so on)….”

So with baseball back on the field, plans have to be put into effect to have players ready for major league action.

Feinsand discussed those plans by providing the following information in the piece he wrote:

“For the vast majority of teams, Spring Training 2.0 will be held in the clubs’ Major League ballparks, as recent spikes of the coronavirus in both Florida and Arizona caused all 30 spring facilities to be shut down for deep cleaning…”

“…Pitchers and catchers will report first, followed by position players. Teams will be allowed to invite 60 players to big league camp, with only those players eligible to play during the season. Each team’s 60-man list must be submitted by Sunday afternoon. Teams will have the ability to send up to 20 players who are not on the 40-man roster to an alternate site…”

Also with America’s Pastime returning to the field, the DH rule is coming back into the lime light. I am probably not the only one, but I have always wondered why the DH rule was only in one league. I always didn’t like having pitchers in the batter’s box and thank goodness that is no longer an issue to worry about.

The designated-hitter rule will be used in both leagues in 2020, part of the league’s health and safety protocols for this season. Going forward, there hasn’t been any mention of whether the rule will stick beyond the 2020 season.

Besides the addition of a universal DH rule, several other rules will be implemented during this shortened season:

• Teams will open the season with a 30-man active roster; it will be reduced to 28 players after two weeks, then to 26 after four weeks.
• The Trade Deadline will be Aug. 31.
• To be eligible for the postseason, a player must be added to the Major League roster by Sept. 15.
• Teams will be permitted to carry up to three taxi-squad players on the road during the season, though if a team carries three such players, one must be a catcher.
• During extra-inning games in the regular season, each half-inning will begin with a runner on second base. The batter who made the final out in the previous inning (or a pinch-runner for that batter) would be that runner.
• There will be a 10-day injured list for both pitchers and hitters, though the 60-day IL will be reduced to a 45-day IL.
• There will be a separate IL for players who either test positive or have symptoms/confirmed exposure to COVID-19. There is no maximum or minimum days for this IL.
• MLB’s transaction freeze, which has been in place since the season was suspended, will end on Friday at 12 p.m. ET.
• In addition to COVID-19 testing every other day, some other health precautions are as follows: Team personnel and players not likely to participate in the game (for example, the next day’s starting pitcher) will be sitting in the stands or another area designated by the club, at least six feet apart; non-playing personnel will wear masks in dugout and bullpen at all times; no spitting or chewing tobacco (gum is permitted); no celebratory contact (high-fives, fist bumps, hugs, etc.).

With some many things changing in the world because this pandemic, baseball players have one thing to be happy about. After a long battle between the two sides, both the players’ union and the owners have agreed upon a full prorated portion of their 2020 salary based on games played. This will equal approximately 37 percent for the full season.

My Take

I would just like to say that, I am one of the people that believed from the beginning that there was going to be baseball in July of the 2020 calendar year. I can’t wait for Opening Day and as a biased Yankee fan, I am so excited to see my team’s newly acquired ace, Gerrit Cole, take the major league mound in pinstripes. All signs point to the Yankees winning a World Series in this shortened season. I don’t care if there is an asterisk next to this season, a win is a win, and I believe the New York Yankees will get their 28th championship this season.

“PLAY BALL!!!” is what I am hoping to hear soon from the home plate umpire, but first I want to hear that it is safe to play baseball.

This 2020 virus plagued season has lead to the baseball world being divided. In such a tragic time of worldwide lost, everyone needs to put their differences aside and try to live in understanding. If you have been following baseball lately, you know there has been division between the owners and players. From an outside perspective, I have come to understand both sides’ concern. I won’t dig into that now, but I will tell you that Commissioner Rob Manfred’s plans to impose a 60-game season.

After more than a month of negotiations between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA), the two sides can’t come to an agreement. The players voted against a 60-game proposal from the league yesterday, in turn, the owners voted unanimously to grant Manfred the power to implement a season. 

This means the 2020 MLB season will most likely be scheduled despite the fact that the owners and the players union can’t see eye-to-eye yet.

So how did end up in this complicated mess?

According to https://www.cbssports.com/, “We’ve kept a running timeline of each significant move (whether it was a step forward or a step back) in MLB/MLBPA talks since they began on May 12.” With that being said, I have provided a link to the actual article that provides a break down of the timeline. Just in case you need a reminder of what has been going on in baseball, please click here: https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-2020-season-timeline-of-how-testy-negotiations-led-to-owners-voting-to-impose-schedule/

At this point, I would guess that this is the most optimistic shot at starting a season. Honestly, I don’t understand why it took until now to get something down that would impose a game plan for the start of a 2020 season. I just hope that a season can get underway that will be safe for everyone.

There still needs to be an agreement between the two sides on safety regulations and a start date. In my opinion, I would have to agree with the information that Jim Bowden tweeted out. In the tweet, he said the following:

Jim Bowden✔@JimBowdenGM

So let’s set our expectations:

1. Opening day between July 15-20th
2. Full Prorated Salaries
3. 16 Team playoff format for 20 and 21
4. Universal DH
5. Geographic Schedule
6. Both sides agree no grievances
7. Play between 60-70 games
8 Regular Season ends 9/27
9 WS ends late Oct

Hopefully these points or something close to them will be the ones that will provide a 2020 baseball season. Now that Manfred has stepped in, I am also hoping that the void between the two sides will be filled.