5GoldGlovesOF,75

Come on, it's really just those journalists, scientists and medical experts all over the world... and kids who hate school.

The miracle might be that they play a half season...

Not surprising -- as a listener of WEEI, the majority discussion all year is football, even when the '18 Sox were going for it in the postseason... and even in the summer when baseball was the only pro sport and the Sox were great, there was more talk about the NFL draft and training camp. It's hard to stomach for hardballers, but it's true. Sometimes I tune in to WFAN in NY where more callers want to talk MLB. Look at what the top 3 have in common: goals at each end and clocks running out of time, perfect for the fast-paced, always-in-a-rush-to-gratify-immediate-attention-spans... Baseball is just a leisurely walk in the park -- only there's too many strolls at night when it's late and cold. Now, get those soccer balls off my lawn -- they're crowding my collections of stamps, coins and comic books, which I'm giving away as obsolete artifacts from a bygone century!

The owners know exactly what they're doing, setting the stage for the more important battle of a new CBA in another year. Owners know they can turn the public against "greedy players who get paid to play a kid's game". Few fans aspire to be billionaire businessmen, but most think they can swing a stick.

From a selfish stance, I want to watch the MLB again. But as for ultimate safety, it may not be practical; we're not Korea (at least geographically, to leave politics out of it).

Problem is, they're the only deal right now... but Snell -- who won the players' tournament -- may be confusing fantasy with reality (I would insert a crack about fantasy groupies, but we're all pros there).

Disagree -- more fans than ever have been on a level playing field with big leaguers the past three months on MLB: The Show!

It's just different with baseball. Nobody complains about the salaries of singers or actors because most of us can't hold a tune or memorize and deliver a line from a script. Few complain about salaries of pro players in basketball or hockey or football, because few can dunk, skate or run as fast as we can into a 300-pounder running as fast as he can and survive. But all of us, at one time in our lives, could swing a bat -- in teeball, Little League, softball, whiffle ball and beyond -- and most still think we can.

To drill a fastball right between the 1 and 9 on Covid's back and then stand his mound.

Or the year they played with Gorkys, Owings, Cashner, Chacin, Shawaryn...

Thanks, Kimmi. I'm better at baseball than politics; in the former, not as many tell me what I think I'm seeing and hearing is wrong, fake or a figment of my elaboration. One fact I'm still intrigued by is that while Alex Cora was sorry for the subsequent stress he caused the Red Sox, he never actually apologized for his time in Houston. Many of the current Astros had no choice in February, but I have to wonder how many just regret getting caught. While I'm not defending their technique, I tend to think their attitude has less to do with arrogance than with the frustration that they were being made an example of, by merely being more successful at a part of the game always accepted, expected, and engaged in by competitive baseball teams.

I am not a Cora or Springer apologist, but if you're referring to the official MLB report, not one single current or active member of the Astros' organization is named. The players -- who were given immunity for testimony -- did not rat out teammates or superiors. The only names in the report were of guys no longer working for Houston: Cora and Beltran. Make your own inferences. There also exists another report (I posted a link last winter) -- researched by reporters with quotes from several Astros' employees -- that indicates people throughout the organization were complicit to certain degrees in developing, implementing or at least knowing about a "code-breaker" system. The article confirms this was developed by the analytics department before Cora was hired in 2017. Springer has been an Astro since 2014. As for Boston firing -- or even rehiring Cora -- some may recall that the were hints the Sox were prepared to ride it out with AC until scribes like Shaughnessy and Tomase called for his head. After the "axe fell", Sam Kennedy was adamant that it was Cora who walked away. At the same time, all the owners had were words of love. Such reactions are what make us think there's at least a crack in the door... unless the trio is all running for office or wants to be future stars of the Covid thread.

I apologize to Kimmi and everyone on the forum, but does the MLB really have to include political rhetoric only heard in the good ole U.S. of A during this crappy crisis? It's baseball: set the rules, adhere to them, play: nine players on the field, nine innings, three outs an inning, three strikes, four balls, take your temp and wear masks when they tell you. Period. Korea is making it work with mandatory rules and I know there are American players participating there. Sorry, just making a point (sans caps and exclamation marks) and agreeing with Jax the Yankee fan: when even fanatics like us are wary of the MLB, this may be baseball's last chance to matter.

Can't you just hear psychotic unmasked Americans, a hundred years later: "Bet it was Cora's grandfather, masterminding the scam to pass the germs and weaken the competition... wait, what? Minorities weren't allowed to play MLB then? But they still worked on the trains!"

Yes!

I think this represents similar fears and reluctance of workers in -- and patrons of -- businesses all over the world right now. At the same time, it's appalling there are actually people in charge who counter with "low mortality rate" as a reason to open back up certain industries.. like even schools -- nice job, Rand Paul -- at a time when an increasing number of children are showing complications from Covid (I hope that all here agree that any child mortality is too high).

Unusual times call for unusual measures... even compromise. Does the baseball players union somehow fear owners will be able to turn them back into what Curt Flood called "well-paid slaves" before free agency? I totally understand if it's a warehouse or processing plant and workers fear for their safety, but if this latest MLB dispute is more about convictions, then it's about as sensible as people suing governors during a health crisis for ruling it's non-essential to buy weapons that can't really shoot Covid droplets out of the air.

I agree entirely with your second sentence. Not seeing many Sox fans talking about trading JD, though, except for speculation he may be on the block because of his opt-outs. I do think there are less fans that actually want him traded than want him kept from playing the outfield.

Thanks for the clarification. This will present tough decisions for some college players: sign for a fraction of what many expected, just for a chance to play pro ball (over a year from now at the very least), or refuse to sign and hope they'll get a chance to increase value if there's a college season in the fall or the spring of 2021... if there's even college.

I like that -- some of our youth baseball coaches started a little tradition after every game of presenting a teeball or hardball to the player of the game; it's cool recognition in front of the team... and the good coaches make sure to recognize each player on the club by the end of the season. One guy even passes around a pen and has the entire team autograph the ball for the player (then a parent adds the date and maybe a memorable stat or feat). As for trophies for parents, I only accept them with a cork or screwtop; capped bottles require an opener, but the Sox sent Brewer to the minors (hey, since there ain't none now, maybe he'll be back up).

I'm just thinking hypothetically (and ignorantly)... but if say, only 150 players are drafted this year, instead of 1,500, does that mean that rich teams like NY, Boston and LA can then open their wallets to lock up the next best 1,350 -- if they want, of course. Every club has its limit, but is free spending capped like the draft, and let's face it, the 40-man (by the tax)?

I can appreciate your post. I never won a trophy in youth sports, and almost turned out alright... But I can say when I finally won my first medal -- a bronze in a state high school track meet -- it meant a lot. Then again, TV sports helped turn the entire American society into winning-obsessed since the 1970s; there are sports champions piling up in title games all year long, in every season, on many channels -- and kids can't help but notice. You must know how much they care about which team "won" any competition, every day at recess. Unfortunately, even the fed. govt perpetuates the hysteria: "We're Number One in testing!"

I certainly am. It's not about winning; they don't even keep score in my son's "minor" league soccer or baseball games, and these are 9 and 10 year olds (but some players always keep track). There are no winners, losers, records, standings or playoffs. I'm totally against the "tradition" of rewarding young athletes with a trophy, medal or ribbon for just wearing a uniform and playing. Such awards should be earned -- like they always were before a few decades ago -- and growing up striving for goals that kids know are attainable by effort and determination can't hurt their character development. Plus, what's wrong with just having parents praise their children for participation, and coaches rewarding them with Dairy Queen, and the intrinsic value of just being part of a team sport, playing together for the respect of peers, friends and foes?

Except soccer -- watching kids soccer is like watching... well, it's not as bad as T-ball. And the tradeoff for a lot of parents is that at least soccer makes kids run and expend energy. And in soccer, you can't strike out. Let's give them all a trophy!

So... might this be an opportunity for savvy clubs with the resources to scout, sign and stockpile bodies to grow their farms? I know there's a cap on "draft" money each team can allocate, but what about just signing guys off the street?