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Taiwanese baseball ump with the greatest punchout I've ever seen
 
I was kind of hoping for a fight but I'll settle for Joe Kelly scaring the shit out of Bregman and then taunting Correa.

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Joe Kelly - great baseball name. Used to play for the Cardinals.

Some thoughts re this joke of a season...


Baseball needs to end this joke. Got a partial refund from MLB for the part of the season I didn't get to see. My guess - lawyers for MLB are meeting with the networks, streamers, and anyone else they have a contract with to show the games to negotiate a settlement. Often in contracting there's a clause covering acts of God, which this pandemic is. Looks like no such clause existed in the present contracts. But I would make very sure that clause was added in contracts covering 2021 and beyond. You can modify contracts, happens all the time. Rules for private industry to private industry would be different than Government contracts, but should be quite doable.

Ideally, the season stops immediately, as if it never happened. Home runs, wins, losses vanish. Can see issues with player contracts but no choice. Would pay players on the 40-man roster a lump-sum payment for all 60 games, since they were available to play, and dismiss them until 2021 spring training. Have minimum and maximum payouts. Would pay minor-league players a lump sum for what season they were supposed to play. Coaches/managers/scouts/front office would be unaffected. As a rule, their salaries are a small fraction of the combined player salaries.

This approach limits the financial damage to the teams. Then you have to look at networks, streamers, and their advertisers. If you are a contracts lawyer such negotiations might put a lot of bread on your table. Contracts can be very complex to draw up, modify, and sometimes adjudicate. Can also tell you contracting people can work wonders when you really need it. Nobody is at fault here - act of God. Should any disputes end up in mediation/arbitration/court, you can bet the mediator/arbitrator/judge will make the decision based on the act of God.

Some MLB teams could be hurt more than others, likely teams in small markets that draw poorly. But you would still have much the same situation as with the NFL owners - most owners have other businesses and/or lots of money. Teams that would be hurt could get a subsidy raised by "passing the hat" among the more well-heeled owners.
 
Joe Kelly - great baseball name. Used to play for the Cardinals.

Some thoughts re this joke of a season...


Baseball needs to end this joke. Got a partial refund from MLB for the part of the season I didn't get to see. My guess - lawyers for MLB are meeting with the networks, streamers, and anyone else they have a contract with to show the games to negotiate a settlement. Often in contracting there's a clause covering acts of God, which this pandemic is. Looks like no such clause existed in the present contracts. But I would make very sure that clause was added in contracts covering 2021 and beyond. You can modify contracts, happens all the time. Rules for private industry to private industry would be different than Government contracts, but should be quite doable.

Ideally, the season stops immediately, as if it never happened. Home runs, wins, losses vanish. Can see issues with player contracts but no choice. Would pay players on the 40-man roster a lump-sum payment for all 60 games, since they were available to play, and dismiss them until 2021 spring training. Have minimum and maximum payouts. Would pay minor-league players a lump sum for what season they were supposed to play. Coaches/managers/scouts/front office would be unaffected. As a rule, their salaries are a small fraction of the combined player salaries.

This approach limits the financial damage to the teams. Then you have to look at networks, streamers, and their advertisers. If you are a contracts lawyer such negotiations might put a lot of bread on your table. Contracts can be very complex to draw up, modify, and sometimes adjudicate. Can also tell you contracting people can work wonders when you really need it. Nobody is at fault here - act of God. Should any disputes end up in mediation/arbitration/court, you can bet the mediator/arbitrator/judge will make the decision based on the act of God.

Some MLB teams could be hurt more than others, likely teams in small markets that draw poorly. But you would still have much the same situation as with the NFL owners - most owners have other businesses and/or lots of money. Teams that would be hurt could get a subsidy raised by "passing the hat" among the more well-heeled owners.
The MLBPA fought tooth and nail to get a full year service time and prorated pay, if the owners snatch that away now (by making it like it never happened) they'll be beyond pissed and we'll get a strike in 2021, and probably 2022 since the CBA expires at the end of 2021 already. Three years of no baseball? I'll gladly take this joke of a season over something that could potentially kill the sport entirely.

Also Judge has hit 6 homers in the last 5 games and it's been a fucking joy to watch, dude is beyond locked in.
 
The MLBPA fought tooth and nail to get a full year service time and prorated pay, if the owners snatch that away now (by making it like it never happened) they'll be beyond pissed and we'll get a strike in 2021, and probably 2022 since the CBA expires at the end of 2021 already. Three years of no baseball? I'll gladly take this joke of a season over something that could potentially kill the sport entirely.

Also Judge has hit 6 homers in the last 5 games and it's been a fucking joy to watch, dude is beyond locked in.

Three years of no baseball? We should specify three years of no Major League Baseball. There's a old saying who said "nature abhors a vacuum" and could be an opportunity for some people to create a new rival league or having some independent leagues to fill the void and attact some MLB fans with affordable tickets.
 
The MLBPA fought tooth and nail to get a full year service time and prorated pay, if the owners snatch that away now (by making it like it never happened) they'll be beyond pissed and we'll get a strike in 2021, and probably 2022 since the CBA expires at the end of 2021 already. Three years of no baseball? I'll gladly take this joke of a season over something that could potentially kill the sport entirely.

Also Judge has hit 6 homers in the last 5 games and it's been a fucking joy to watch, dude is beyond locked in.

The season feels awful if you enjoy pitching. Braves just lost Soroka, and Folty got outrighted because he's apparently lost 30 pounds and he can barely break 90 on his fastball. I wonder how many other pitchers are shrunken down and nowhere near pitching shape but still going out there and getting hammered anyway for a paycheck.
 
What do they mean by this?
IMG_20200806_204136~2.jpg
 
The MLBPA fought tooth and nail to get a full year service time and prorated pay, if the owners snatch that away now (by making it like it never happened) they'll be beyond pissed and we'll get a strike in 2021, and probably 2022 since the CBA expires at the end of 2021 already. Three years of no baseball? I'll gladly take this joke of a season over something that could potentially kill the sport entirely.

Also Judge has hit 6 homers in the last 5 games and it's been a fucking joy to watch, dude is beyond locked in.

I hear you, but still believe the thing should be shut down. Would be very surprised if MLB, MLBPA, and the networks/streaming services haven't been sitting down, figuring out a way to end the season. Have some contracting background. Very much doubt any of these organizations' contracts have a provision for acts of God, which the pandemic is. MLB is making a good-faith effort to meet their commitments to the players and the networks/streaming services. Should prevent players/networks/streaming services from claiming liquidated damages due to failure to perform. Bet they can't sue for liquidated damages because the games are shit, though.

"My" team, the Cardinals, have played a grand total of five games. This weekend's series against Chicago has been postponed due to the ChiCom Flu. Every other team has played from seven to fifteen games. 27 teams have played from eleven to fifteen games. Fully expect additional postponements as the "season" goes on. How many doubleheaders can one team play, even games of just seven innings each? Can see players filing grievances over having to play so many doubleheaders. Can even see doubleheaders being played two days in a row, not just once but several times. This is not a season. This is just satisfying contractual requirements. Have MLB streaming subscription, but after looking an one inning of a "training" game cannot bring myself to watch this joke.


My proposed solution - end the season now. Give the players their year's credit and pro-rated pay. For the record's sake, teams keep the wins and losses, players keep their individual accomplishments. But the season is terminated. No playoffs, no World Series. Roll over the financial arrangements to next year. Not the best answer but believe the least bad choice of those available.
 
I wouldn't put it passed the MLB to be looking at those 7 inning doubleheaders as a way to shorten the games since they can't keep them under 3 hours with all the pitching changes, and all the slow ass deliveries and rituals players have now. I'm waiting for a batter to start tying his shoes after every strike.
 
Marcus Stroman just opted out after accruing *just* enough service time to be a free agent, meaning his entire Mets career was those 10 games he started for them last year. On one hand I feel bad for Mets fans but it's hilarious to see a player manipulating service time for once. The real dick punch for Mets fans will be when he signs with either the Yankees or the Phillies next year. Not even a global pandemic can stop LolMets.

 
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The Cards have all their games postponed until at least Thursday. Haven't played a game all month, have played only five games total. Looking at September, after the 3rd, the Cards are scheduled to play 28 games in a row, no day off until the 28th. Far as I'm concerned, at this rate no way in hell will the Cards play 60 games. They may be lucky to play 30 games. Long since time to call it a day and come back in February.

Added: Cannot believe that MLB, the MLBPA, and the networks/streamers cannot come to some sort of agreement to terminate this joke of a season. If I cared enough and had the money would sue all these entities for providing something that, while it may satisfy contractual requirements, is such a poor product.

Cardinals still have played only five games this season.

MLB has released the following "schedule" for the Cards for the rest of the season. ANYONE who actually believes the Cards will play all these games is fucked in the head. Doubt they'll even play half of these games.


MLB releases Cardinals' updated schedule

By Anne Rogers @anne__rogers
1:44 PM CDT

ST. LOUIS -- A lot of baseball is scheduled for the Cardinals for the final month and a half of the regular season.
Major League Baseball announced rescheduling updates Friday for the Cardinals after a coronavirus outbreak had affected 18 individuals in the organization and paused the team’s schedule for two weeks. Play will resume Saturday in Chicago against the White Sox in a doubleheader that is set to begin at 12:10 p.m. CT. After a single game vs. the White Sox on Sunday, the Cardinals will play two doubleheaders against the Cubs, on Monday and Wednesday at Wrigley Field sandwiched around a single game Tuesday.

Here were the scheduling updates:
• The three-game series originally scheduled for this past weekend between the Cardinals and Cubs at Busch Stadium will be rescheduled as part of three doubleheaders at Wrigley Field: Monday starting at 4:15 p.m., Wednesday starting at 1:20 p.m., and Sept. 5 starting at 4:15 p.m. The Cardinals will be the home team for the second game of each doubleheader.

• The three-game series originally scheduled for this week at Busch Stadium will be rescheduled as part of two doubleheaders: Aug. 27 at Busch Stadium starting at 2:15 p.m. and Sept. 18 at PNC Park starting at 3:05 p.m. The Cardinals will be the home team for both games on Aug. 27 -- which was a mutual off-day for both teams -- and the home team for the second game on Sept. 18.

• The two-game series against the Twins in September is now scheduled to be played as a doubleheader on Sept. 8 beginning at 2:15 p.m. This was done to create an additional off-day for the Cardinals in September.

• The postponed doubleheader against the Tigers that was supposed to be played Thursday will be rescheduled later.
With this new schedule, the Cardinals will play 21 games in August, including four doubleheaders, and 32 games in September, with seven doubleheaders. As of Friday, the Cardinals will squeeze 53 games in the remaining 44 days of the regular season, with two off-days in September.

Every doubleheader will be seven innings long, and teams are permitted a 29th player on the roster. For Saturday’s doubleheader, the Cardinals will likely designate lefty Ricardo Sánchez as their 29th player, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Thursday. Sánchez will join a host of players joining the team from the alternate training site in Springfield, Mo., including top prospect Dylan Carlson, first baseman John Nogowski, right-hander Seth Elledge and lefty Rob Kaminsky.

When the Cardinals get to Guaranteed Rate Field on Saturday, it will be the first time that they’d gathered as a team since Aug 6, and 17 days since they played a game -- a 3-0 loss to the Twins on July 29. Individualized workouts have been allowed at Busch Stadium the past few days for players to be on the field one at a time with a coach and a trainer.


 
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Jays are about to start their "home" opener in Buffalo in a few minutes. Naturally they had their moment of wokeness before the anthems, including telling George Foreman, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery to "Rest in Power" and talking about systematic racism against "African-Americans, Indigenous-Americans and other POC". Hopefully this will be the last of these stupid guilt trip/humiliation displays for the season.
 
They handed down the suspensions for the Laureano-Cintron incident. 5 games for Laureano, 20 games for Cintron. Retarded Astros fans on twitter acting like this is unfair. Like their hitting coach isn't a jackass for challenging a pro athlete 10 years younger than him to a fight and then hiding behind his own players when the guy he's taunting says "ok, let's go".

The Cards have all their games postponed until at least Thursday. Haven't played a game all month, have played only five games total. Looking at September, after the 3rd, the Cards are scheduled to play 28 games in a row, no day off until the 28th. Far as I'm concerned, at this rate no way in hell will the Cards play 60 games. They may be lucky to play 30 games. Long since time to call it a day and come back in February.
If they get postponed again I think the league is seriously going to have to tell them "sorry guys, you're out". The dumbass players breaking safety protocols aren't helping.

>Plesac from the Indians sneaks out of his hotel to party in Chicago
>Gets caught, suspended for a week
>Clevinger publicly defends him
>Couple days later it turns out Clevinger went WITH HIM that night, didn't tell anybody, and flew back with the whole team to Cleveland
So if the whole AL Central has a COVID outbreak about a week from now we'll know why.
 
There's a old saying who said "nature abhors a vacuum" and could be an opportunity for some people to create a new rival league or having some independent leagues to fill the void and attact some MLB fans with affordable tickets.
Minor league teams can be a low-cost alternative with decent baseball.

As part of an event I attended years ago, there was an option to catch a minor league game at a field a short drive away. Parking, tickets, a program, and even concessions were all reasonably priced compared to their major league counterparts. With many players hoping to get the call to the next level, they actually played hard and competitively, so the on-field product was watchable. If MLB goes on strike while minor/independent leagues operate and are able to admit fans, more people -- especially families -- might start watching those games instead.

Also working against the MLB players is the fact many fans have been impacted by COVID-19 and lack the money they might normally spend at the ballpark. Those fans won't be very sympathetic to a strike if the players union uses it to demand more millions on top of what they players already receive while their fan base is struggling to make ends meet.
 
Tatis Jr hits a grand slam against the Rangers on a 3-0 count and the scrub he hit a bomb off of tries to plunk Machado the next AB because....you're not supposed to try to hit home runs if you're already winning? And then then Tatis' own manager threw him under the bus and made him apologize? I love baseball but this unwritten rule shit is retarded. 99% of the time it boils down to "it hurts the pitcher's feelings". I've never even heard of San Diego's manager before this but I hope he gets fired at the end of the season. Imagine not backing up your superstar player because he had the audacity to hit a grand slam in a situation that might make the opposing pitcher/team feel bad.

And of course boomer retards like Russo are defending the Rangers on MLB Network. And MLB wonders why they have trouble connecting to young fans. Maybe it's because you actively encourage and literally pay people to criticize a star player for doing what he's supposed to do. When was the last time you saw Inside the NBA criticize Lebron for dunking?
 
Tatis Jr hits a grand slam against the Rangers on a 3-0 count and the scrub he hit a bomb off of tries to plunk Machado the next AB because....you're not supposed to try to hit home runs if you're already winning? And then then Tatis' own manager threw him under the bus and made him apologize? I love baseball but this unwritten rule shit is retarded. 99% of the time it boils down to "it hurts the pitcher's feelings". I've never even heard of San Diego's manager before this but I hope he gets fired at the end of the season. Imagine not backing up your superstar player because he had the audacity to hit a grand slam in a situation that might make the opposing pitcher/team feel bad.

And of course boomer retards like Russo are defending the Rangers on MLB Network. And MLB wonders why they have trouble connecting to young fans. Maybe it's because you actively encourage and literally pay people to criticize a star player for doing what he's supposed to do. When was the last time you saw Inside the NBA criticize Lebron for dunking?
At least most people are unanimously behind Tatis on this one. Tingler and Woodward are getting shit on by everyone online.
 
Tatis Jr hits a grand slam against the Rangers on a 3-0 count and the scrub he hit a bomb off of tries to plunk Machado the next AB because....you're not supposed to try to hit home runs if you're already winning? And then then Tatis' own manager threw him under the bus and made him apologize? I love baseball but this unwritten rule shit is retarded. 99% of the time it boils down to "it hurts the pitcher's feelings". I've never even heard of San Diego's manager before this but I hope he gets fired at the end of the season. Imagine not backing up your superstar player because he had the audacity to hit a grand slam in a situation that might make the opposing pitcher/team feel bad.

And of course boomer retards like Russo are defending the Rangers on MLB Network. And MLB wonders why they have trouble connecting to young fans. Maybe it's because you actively encourage and literally pay people to criticize a star player for doing what he's supposed to do. When was the last time you saw Inside the NBA criticize Lebron for dunking?
It's always seemed stupid to me too. The game was pretty well decided (10-3 at the time) but it's not even like this was some sort of laughable blowout like a 17-3 game or whatever. And frankly, for the stupid amount of money that players make I want them trying to do their best at all times. The most unathletic person in the world could go up there and take a pitch when it's a 3-0 count. I expect a guy at the highest level of the sport to be looking to smash a pitch that deserves to be smashed.
 
It's always seemed stupid to me too. The game was pretty well decided (10-3 at the time) but it's not even like this was some sort of laughable blowout like a 17-3 game or whatever. And frankly, for the stupid amount of money that players make I want them trying to do their best at all times. The most unathletic person in the world could go up there and take a pitch when it's a 3-0 count. I expect a guy at the highest level of the sport to be looking to smash a pitch that deserves to be smashed.
It could be 300-3 and I would still think it's stupid to give up a hit. If a guy is throwing bad pitches then he should be punished for it. Maybe it will make him better the next time around, which is just a net positive for the sport. Also it's a more interesting show for the audience watching to see a guy hit a grandslam over being walked which should always be more important than "unwritten rules"
 
It could be 300-3 and I would still think it's stupid to give up a hit. If a guy is throwing bad pitches then he should be punished for it. Maybe it will make him better the next time around, which is just a net positive for the sport. Also it's a more interesting show for the audience watching to see a guy hit a grandslam over being walked which should always be more important than "unwritten rules"
it isn't even a matter of The other pitcher being shit, with all the "analytics" going on in the game now you have to be stone, blind..stupidly retarded to not pump your stats as much as you possibly can because that affects your god damn payday later down the line.
 
Tatis Jr hits a grand slam against the Rangers on a 3-0 count and the scrub he hit a bomb off of tries to plunk Machado the next AB because....you're not supposed to try to hit home runs if you're already winning? And then then Tatis' own manager threw him under the bus and made him apologize? I love baseball but this unwritten rule shit is retarded. 99% of the time it boils down to "it hurts the pitcher's feelings". I've never even heard of San Diego's manager before this but I hope he gets fired at the end of the season. Imagine not backing up your superstar player because he had the audacity to hit a grand slam in a situation that might make the opposing pitcher/team feel bad.

And of course boomer retards like Russo are defending the Rangers on MLB Network. And MLB wonders why they have trouble connecting to young fans. Maybe it's because you actively encourage and literally pay people to criticize a star player for doing what he's supposed to do. When was the last time you saw Inside the NBA criticize Lebron for dunking?
If he hit into a double play, the pitcher would have been praised for getting him to do that by only throwing a ball. It's all so ridiculous.
 
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