I Am At a Crossroad
First of all, thanks for putting words in my mouth Bums. What you apparently read into what I wrote is that I think COVID-19 is a hoax. Never said those words. Never hinted those words. But believe what you want. COVID-19 is very personal to me. My son and granddaughter are both considered high risk, as am I having had two significant bouts with pneumonia. Last weekend both my son
First of all, thanks for putting words in my mouth Bums. What you apparently read into what I wrote is that I think COVID-19 is a hoax. Never said those words. Never hinted those words. But believe what you want. COVID-19 is very personal to me. My son and granddaughter are both considered high risk, as am I having had two significant bouts with pneumonia. Last weekend both my son and granddaughter joined us for our camping expedition, as their first time out for fun for four months. On Saturday AM, my daughter in law called to say that the person my granddaughter works for/with tested positive. Everyone was masked up. My son and granddaughter were devastated and felt they had to leave to get tested. One of my daughter in law’s many responsibilities is to educate her casino workers on the virus and their protocols. With her connections, fortunately she was able to get my son and granddaughter tested properly and right away, with priority rushed results. Also fortunately, both tested negative. My wife who was not set to retire until June 30, chose to self shelter-in due to a very close friend she works with having stage 4 cancer. She missed her small but appreciative retirement get-together after 13.5 years at the school. I am being tested for antibodies on Monday. So please DO NOT TELL ME, I think the pandemic is a hoax. Because I believe that the discussion has gone political does not indicate that I think it is a hoax. If I actually believed it to be a hoax, I would not practice social distancing or wear a mask where it is required. I had a long response written, and then I said to myself…STOP IT, JEFF. This is not what you want to do. So I deleted it, and instead chose to write about my future with LADT.
That being said, I crossed my own line, and now have three choices. I wanted a baseball blog as something to carry me into retirement. I enjoy writing, and I love baseball. Combine the two, what can be better. Mark offered, and I agreed to take over LADT. I asked early on that people respect my wishes and refrain from political discussion. That seemed to rankle a few, so I decided to let it go. Some took it to the next level. However, I was true to my word and no post was ever censored in anyway. Unfortunately, I could not help myself and I responded when I shouldn’t have. My Bad for getting drawn in.
Choice One – I can ban myself because LADT is NO longer fun for me. I never signed up to run a political blog. Right wing – left wing. It makes no difference to me. I do not like any of it. There is not a politician that I respect. I think they are all corrupt. I am a believer in the words of Lord Acton…”Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely”. I can turn LADT back to Mark, and he can run it anyway he wants to. He enjoys going head to head with many of you. I do not. It is not fun for me. There are other baseball sites that I can go to and simply respond to the baseball discussion. Or I can listen to my son’s advice who wants to set me up with any number of podcast opportunities. He still has a huge baseball network that he can tap into. I know his connections. They are significant. The downside is that it is not writing, I am just not that social, and it is well out of my comfort zone. But who knows, maybe I will step out.
Choice Two – I will start to delete posts that I deem to be political. Believe me when I say that I never wanted that responsibility. I do not like banning any kind of speech, it just runs contrary to my beliefs and values. But I have the right to set the rules for something I am in control of; something that is mine. If you do not agree, then you should take Bums up and move on to his political forum. And before anyone asks, if I do choose Choice Two, I will not hesitate to delete anything that Mark writes that I believe is political.
Choice Three – Is out of my hands. Maybe Mark likes the tete-a-tete political discussion because it does have a tendency drive up the number of comments. Maybe he chooses to take the site back. It is his right.
If I choose Choice Two, I know the comments will dwindle to few. I am not blind. I see the discussions on other sites, and the comments are way down on baseball discussions. Maybe there won’t be any baseball this year, and that may be a death knell for LADT. My first baseball love, MiLB, has already changed forever, and not for the better. I have never shied away because I was afraid of failure. But the way it is now, I do not enjoy it. If I do decide to go with Choice Two, it will be MY decision as to what I think is political and I will delete it. Yes, Badger and Bums…I will decide. If you do not like my choices, you do not need to stay. You have other choices. Choices are great. Then I have to decide is it worth it for me to be a censor. Right now, I am not sure that it is. If I do decide to leave, it will not be because I am afraid to debate. I have never been afraid to debate, although I do not believe a baseball blog is an appropriate forum for political debate. If I do decide to leave, it will be because it is no longer fun for me, and I respect Mark too much to hinder his blog.
I have discussed this with Mark, Harold and Rob (2D2). They can answer for themselves. I do not speak for them. But they all know how I feel.
I will end this with a little baseball news.
There was another Dodger Zoom press conference that included Dave Roberts, and then several minutes later, Ross Stripling.
Doc indicated that neither KJ nor AJ have reported to camp. When pressed about when either of them are due to show up, Doc was not sure, but thought both would report soon. When asked why KJ was not in camp, Doc said he could not disclose the reason. Out of respect for KJ, I would hope all speculations would remain with oneself.
Doc was later asked whether he believed there might be a domino affect if other top tier stars decide to opt out. Doc dismissed the idea and believes there are enough MLB and MLB ready players to get the season started. He did seem to sense that others will opt out, but he did say that he thought KJ and AJ would be in camp. We will see.
Doc was asked if Strip, Dustin May, and Tony Gonsolin were the front runners for David Price’s spot in the rotation, and he grinned and said that was a good start. He strongly hinted that the pitcher who has ramped up the most will be given the spot. Strong speculation is that Strip is maybe the most ramped up pitcher in camp and is ahead of the pack.
Strip commented that he is scheduled to go 4 innings tomorrow at camp. He will be in a position to go 6+ innings for the first series. Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood are two others who are already at 3 innings +. No idea about Buehler or Urias or May or Gonsolin.
Ross indicated that he has been in LA since the beginning of June, and he has been throwing batting practice to others who have been in LA working out at the Stadium. Apparently Corey Seager, JT, DJ Peters, and occasionally CT3 would be there for Strip to throw to. More recently Joc has participated as well.
Strip was asked again about not getting the #5 spot in the rotation. His response was he is prepared to do whatever is asked of him. If they need the last out in the 8th or need 4 innings in long relief he can adapt to it. He likes the role. It is a unique niche that he has fallen into, and he may be the best there is in that role. But he was very disappointed to learn that he was not going to get an opportunity to start through a twitter post. This was after he was told he would be competing for the 5th spot. But very early on in ST, Urias was named #4 and Wood #5, and Strip was not given the opportunity to compete. I believe that both he and Doc think that the #5 starting spot is Strip’s. But nobody is talking.
Strip was asked what it will be like without spitting or licking fingers. Strip offered that he did not know. He did say that it was at the forefront of everyone’s mind. He alluded to a story that when he was warming up with Kersh, Kersh threw a pitch and unwittingly spit. He then reprimanded himself and said he has to stop doing that. Strip said it is part of their muscle memory routine, but all will be cognizant to try and stop. When asked about the wet rag, Strip said he had no idea as to how that is going to be used. He said he does not lick his fingers, so it is not going to be a concern for him. He also indicated that he had no idea how many LAD pitchers did lick their fingers. He did offer that Alex Wood does blow on his hand, and that will probably be disallowed. But they do not know.
When asked as to how the players may have reacted to David Price’s decision to opt out, Strip was absolutely resolute in his response that to a man, everybody considered David Price to be an absolute rock for the clubhouse and as a teammate, and everyone respected his decision as to what was right for him and for his family. Zero reservations, as it should be.
Oh Yeah! Clayton Beeter signed. All six LAD draft choices are now signed.
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Discussion (67)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I see nothing political about that. It’s relevant and Rizzi said, in part:
The defending champion Washington Nationals and reigning American League champion Houston Astros each called off training camp practices after not receiving test results from Friday. The cancellations come amid delays around Major League Baseball, with some players opting out, and in the aftermath of Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle criticizing slow test results and a lack of some personal protective equipment.
“We will not sacrifice the health and safety of our players, staff and their families,” Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said. “Without accurate and timely testing, it is simply not safe for us to continue with summer camp. Major League Baseball needs to work quickly to resolve issues with their process and their lab. Otherwise, summer camp and the 2020 season are at risk.”
Astros general manager James Click said the delay in testing results and the contagious nature of the coronavirus led to the decision to cancel a full day of workouts.
I think that testing can be done in hours, not days – This is relevant and germane to baseball. MLB has to get that fixed!
Jeff, I really hope you don’t hang it up. I think you’ve done a terrific job and I appreciate what you have done. Maybe it can become fun again if we all help out. Some self policing on our part would make your job much easier. I have followed posts without contributing a thing during the past few weeks. It’s hard to separate comments about the virus as it has effected baseball but the political banter is out of control. I suspect we are all more fatigued, bored and edgy than ever.
Also over the top are the number of posts a day by 2 or 3 guys (not named Jeff or MT) who dominate the sight with posts; many pointless babble. They must really love to read their own posts and have way more time on their hands than I do. Maybe quality over quantity would be a good idea.
I love the baseball stuff that is shared here by very dedicated and knowledgeable fans and with a little discipline, we can keep it at that. I hope you stay, Jeff.
AC,
I had added the above comment but then saw Mark’s posting. Since I had just posted it, I hit the delete post which it said it had done. Is there an issue with the delete post option on the site?
It is an interesting dilemma, and I realize the difficulties, and appreciate your discussion of them. It is hard to just discuss “how will the Dodgers do,” when some of it is tied up in whether there will be a season, whether it should be halted if some players test positive; whether we can manage to have a sport where some players do not want to play, and some others will decide that during the season. It is really inextricable. Of course, that can probably be discussed without bringing politics in, although some in politics have various comments to make about professional sports. So it is very unfortunately hard to untie.
I think that if the season actually starts, people can focus on the game results, how the players do. It’s been a very grueling and depressing time for all, and frustration and emotions run high, and it’s not just as simple as, “let’s play baseball!” But I well understand that back and forth political arguments are not very fruitful, particularly on a sports blog. However, I wonder if issues like “Is the virus becoming more or less dangerous?,” “What can be done to reduce the number of cases?: are political? As I noted yesterday, it is very unfortunate that virtually everything has become political, even whether the planet is warming at a dangerous rate. To my mind, it either is, or it isn’t, it is not political, just like gravity or the laws of motion are not. So–and I am just musing here–maybe those who seem to have a vested interest to devolve science into political arguments are in essence trying to weary people to the point that they lose interest in them, and do not do anything about them.
But those questions are not central to a Dodgers blog. My thought would be that I hope that most of the discussion is about baseball, specifically the Dodgers; but that comments about the nature of the virus; what actions on the field might be riskier than others; whether this whole experiment will fall apart by midseason; and what messages, good or bad, are implicitly sent by MLB wanting to try to have a season, are relevant as well. I get very tired of reading political things in general, though I think I have to read some of it, and of course want to express an opinion, maybe offer a perspective others might find interesting. I would like a baseball season, but I wonder how excited I will be about it. I respect David Price, and would never presume to tell him what he should do; but I do think that his deciding not to play at all, is a blow to the Dodgers, and a blow to the efforts to have a season. Right now, it is looking more like a pick-up game on the sandlots, anybody who feels like playing can, and anyone can walk off the field at any time. Maybe that’s the best that can be done, or maybe it was not a good idea to try it. And again I will suggest that most of this nightmare could have been avoided, which some might see as a political comment, but which I think is just based on science and data from other places, and as a potential guidepost for what we must do now to deal with things, both in and out of baseball, as the potential season progresses.
I am among those who have refrained from commenting here in large part due to the mostly political nature of the discussion. I do check the site several times per day to see if there’s anything new and what people have to say.
As I have commented before, I have ideas and leanings of my own but do not think that this is the appropriate forum in which to discuss them. While the discussion has been mostly civil, there are other places for this type of discussion.
The country seems to be evolving into an increasingly divided place. And the divisions are less and less civil. The thing about sports is that it (used to) be a thing that brought communities together and provided a diversion from the hardships of real life. There is far too much politics inserting itself into sports an entertainment – it is pervasive at ESPN, for example.
If it now pervades my favorite Dodgers blog, that will be a big loss as far as I am concerned. I don’t need another forum for people to yell at each other about politics. And I for one won’t participate in it.
Happy National Fried Chicken Day to all of you! I, as a vegan for 25 more days, won’t be partaking this year (or maybe I will on Aug 1). But if I were in Denver today, I’d go to City O City; amazing vegan chicken and waffles!
DELETE DELETE DELETE.
Conversation may dwindle, but eventually it will return. This is an ebb, the tide returns.
This site is full of country music fans. In a very sad note, one of my favorites, Charlie Daniels, has passed due to a stroke today. I believe he was 82. I would expect Bear to have some very poignant comments on Charlie. RIP, Charlie. You will be missed.
“The Devil Went Down to Georgia”.
Based on numbers from the Future Dodgers spreadsheet, Beeter seems to have been signed for $1,196,500 which is about $193,000 over slot. Looks like we stayed about $800 (for the 6 signings) under the penalty which takes effect at 5% total over slot. Good work front office. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to see a couple of these guys at some point this pre-season or maybe even during the season.
(This post has been self-reviewed for political and Covid related content and has passed the review. See, I’m trying.)
Love this site! Two of us can look at the same thing and arrive at two different conclusions. Example: Bum’s site. Most would probably say it is “Hello Fred”, but some might see “Hell of Red”. Without punctuation it could be either.
OK, so the reason there were delays in getting test results back to the players was because of the holiday. Makes sense, the holiday has only been around for 244 years. Just kind of sneaks up on you when you least expect it.
Finally official: July 23, Giants at Dodgers. 7pm. ESPN
Oops. Jimmy Nelson to undergo back surgery tomorrow. No further details yet.
Busy day at work today, and haven’t been able to post earlier. I have expressed my feelings to Jeff in a private e-mail, but I’m glad to read that most of you, with a few expected exceptions, want to keep this a baseball blog, as do I.
I don’t come to a blog like this to fight or argue. This blog, like baseball, is a stress release for me and I enjoy coming here to talk baseball with knowledgeable Dodger fans. I have always enjoyed the articles written by Jeff, Harold and Mark. I may not always agree with them, or with some of the comments made in response to their articles, but who cares. Like Harold wrote awhile back, opinions are like noses, we all have one.
I have also come to learn how much work and effort goes into keeping a blog like this going. Jeff puts in alot of time, as did Mark before him, scheduling articles and getting them posted. I just write an article and send an e-mail to Jeff. He then takes care of the rest. I have always appreciated him, but I have come to do so even more since he’s taken over.
PRESS RELEASE:
DODGERS ANNOUNCE 2020 60-GAME SCHEDULE
LOS ANGELES – Major League Baseball today announced its schedule for the 2020 season, with the Dodgers playing 60 games against divisional opponents and American League West clubs during a shortened season.
Los Angeles will kick off the 2020 season on Thursday, July 23 against the San Francisco Giants on Opening Day presented by Bank of America in a nationally televised 7:08 p.m. game at Dodger Stadium. It’s the first of 40 divisional games against the Giants (7 home, 3 road), D-backs (3 home, 7 road), Padres (4 home, 6 road) and Rockies (6 home, 4 road).
The Dodgers will also close the season against a rival, with their regular-season finale on Sunday, Sept. 27 against the Angels at Dodger Stadium. The Southern California rivals will face off six times in 2020 (3 at Dodger Stadium, 3 at Angel Stadium), and the Dodgers’ west coast schedule also includes Interleague games against the Astros (2 home, 2 road), Athletics (3 home), Mariners (2 home, 2 road) and Rangers (3 road).
Dodger Stadium will also host three exhibition games in preparation for the season on Sunday, July 19 and Monday, July 20 vs. the D-backs, and Tuesday, July 21 vs. the Angels.
With the exception of several exclusive national broadcasts, Dodger games (exhibition and regular season) will be televised on Spectrum SportsNet LA. SportsNet LA, the Dodgers 24/7 regional sports network, is now available to AT&T TV, DIRECTV, U-verse TV and AT&T TV Now customers as well as Spectrum customers in Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii. All games, including the three exhibition games, will be broadcast on radio on AM 570 LA Sports (English) and KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish).
Based on the health circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic along with governmental directives prohibiting large gatherings, Dodger Stadium will be unable to host fans at the start of the season. At this time, the Dodgers are providing ticketholders with an account credit for 2020 tickets, parking and All-Star Week events, which along with a 10% bonus credit can be applied towards tickets and prepaid parking through the 2021 season. More information will be sent to ticketholders shortly, including instructions on how to request a refund. The organization remains optimistic, and should circumstances change to allow fans at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers will announce a ticketing policy at that time.
A printable version of Los Angeles’ 2020 preliminary schedule is attached and can also be found online at http://www.dodgers.com/schedule.
Wonder what is going to happen with fans who paid in advance for MLB.tv for the 2020 season, like me.
Jeff please choose door #2. I think political debate is a fraud. No one ever changes sides and truth is only found when someone agrees with someone else of similar persuasion – whether it is right , left or center. I skip over all the political posts so I won’t miss them at all.
We are all here because of our love of Dodger baseball. Your knowledge and insight would be greatly missed. If you left, I’m afraid there are many others that would follow you out the door.
Thanks to all of the LADT bloggers that spend their free time providing Dodger content for the rest of us to enjoy and discuss.
Went to the lake today, and we caught our limit. The lake was gorgeous. Come home and the first thing I see is the loss of a legend. Charlie Daniels was one of the most talented musicians I ever saw. And he put on a hell of a show. At his peak, Charlies concert caravan featured 9 semi trucks, and 5 buses. He always carried a portable stage with him in case the town he was booked in did not have one. I got to go backstage and meet him and the band at The Crazy Horse Saloon in Santa Ana. One of my biggest thrills. Charlie was a flag waving patriot and proud of it. And his songs reflected that pride. Most know him for The Devil Went Down to Georgia. But his music was so much more than that. It was Americana personified. One of his albums, Me and the Boys, had a song about the American Farmer, as well as a hot fiddle tune called Louisiana Fai do do. And there was a gripping song called MIA. Did not get any airplay because of it’s controversial subject matter. The abandonment of MIA’s in Viet Nam. But every time I hear that song, I get cold chills. Charlie was not afraid to take on the establishment. And he never once did not speak his mind if he thought something was wrong. How many artists could write a song about a car breaking down outside a red neck bar, and make it a hit. Ballad of Easy Rider. He did a reprise to that song where he and his buddy end up in a gay bar. All American. Multi talented. RIP Charlie. Will miss you a lot.
Let’s look for some good news:
1. Several companies are racing to develop a vaccine and about 4 or 5 are close and in clinical trials. Maybe in September… or sooner
2. Remdesivir is showing great promise in treating COVID-19.
3. Hydroxychloroquine is back as treatment and is being successfully applied. In fact, I have heard of many people recovering quickly with this medication. If I had COVID-19, it would be on the short list!
4. Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech shows positive results.
5. India has six companies developing COVID-19 vaccines and are saying they may be rolled out by August 15th. Do not underestimate India!
6. In China, Sinovac is starting late-stage trials.
7. Moderna is in late-stage trials and maybe the leader.
8. AstraZeneca’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine, developed by researchers at the University of Oxford, and China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) are the only other candidates in late-stage Phase III trials.
All-in-all, there will be a vaccine, whether it is short term or long-term very, VERY soon. Technology has exponentially increased in the vaccine arena and a vaccine is imminent!
This is not political. It’s about life and living… and hopefully about completing the baseball season!