The Los Angeles Dodgers have reported to Dodger Stadium; or at least some of them have. There are some who have apparently tested positive for the coronavirus, while others (so far only David Price) has opted to sit out the 2020 season. I am perfectly comfortable with any player or management personnel deciding that it is in their best interests to opt out for the season. I just hope that the respect is reciprocal when it comes to those who choose to play. I know some see it as selfish. I do not. Some choose to “risk” (whatever level of risk that may be) to move forward, while others seem angry that some people are not taking the risk seriously and are threatening others. I read one blog response that these players are putting millions of lives at risk. A little hyperbolic don’t you think?
With respect to David Price opting out, here is how the Dodgers have responded:
“The Dodgers fully support David’s decision to sit out the 2020 season. We have been in constant contact with David and we understand how much this deliberation weighed on him and his family. We know he’ll be rooting hard for the club every day and look forward to having him back with us in 2021.”
Apparently Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, and Ross Stripling have been ramping up and have each pitched three innings of simulated games. Kershaw has said that he is in Mid-March form and expects to be at 100 pitches by July 23/34. Kersh says he feels strong and is ready to take on the league. With Price opting out, I am going with Strip making the initial 5 man rotation. Some will go with May and some will go with Nelson and some will go with Gonsolin. But IMO, Strip has earned that spot.
Kersh said he and his teammates will be ready, but also recognizes that they have a huuuuuuge responsibility to act responsibly. Per an Athletic article,
“Kasten said veteran players’ delivery of that message would be of more importance to young players than his own, or Roberts’ or president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman’s.”
Kershaw, the longest tenured Dodger, indicated he did not think many messages would be necessary.
“I don’t know how much different guys have to harp on that,” he said. “Because if you want to see the season through, if you want to play the season, if you want to give it its best shot, you can’t be stupid.”
The Dodgers are not the only team stressing responsibility and professionalism with respect to the 2020 season. Angels manager Joe Maddon had a call with 120 members of the Angels organization Thursday night stressing the importance of everyone staying responsible.
“Every organization really needs to tighten up their bubble,’’ Maddon says, “and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re asking you to be the best version of yourself and be the best teammate you’ve ever been in your life. We need you to follow the protocols and for you to be the best teammate ever.’’
Other responses in the league include Rangers manager Chris Woodward who said that every team is going to have positive cases, but the key is to minimize all contact. The Boston Red Sox even used suites at Fenway Park for their players to dress in hoping to maintain social distancing.
“We’re not going to be able to go out to bars,’’ Chicago Cubs manager David Ross said “That puts your teammates at risk. That puts family members at risk. We have high-risk teammates. We have high-risk family members at home. That would be an extremely selfish move on their part.’’
MLB has just completed 3,185 tests on players and staff. 31 players (19 teams) and 7 staff tested positive, and must now enter specific COVID-19 protocols before they can rejoin their teams. MLB will not release the names of those that tested positive, but players can identify if they so choose. Approximately 1.2% of those tested, tested positive. Many of those are asymptomatic while others have mild symptoms. There is no indication that anyone tested is hospitalized. To be fair, there is no contrary indication. IMO this is something that should be considered a positive. Only 1.2% of 3,185 tests. With 60 man pools, and players acting professionally and responsibly, 60 games is certainly attainable. I know there are those out there who expect there to be zero cases and a vaccine before they should be allowed to play. I am not one of them. Some who have tested positive and have announced:
- NYY – DJ LeMahieu and Luis Cessa. DJLM is asymptomatic and Cessa has very mild symptoms.
- Phillies – Have probably been hit the hardest: Aaron Nola, Adam Haseley, Christian Bethancourt, Scott Kingery, Hector Neris, Tommy Hunter, and Ranger Suarez. I am unsure if the last four were known before the 3,185 tests.
- Indians – Delino DeShields Jr.
- Rangers – Brett Martin
- Boston – Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor
- Twins – Miguel Sano and Willians Astudillo
- Royals – Salvador Perez
- Braves – Freddie Freeman, Pete Kozma, Touki Toussant (asymptomatic) and Will Smith (asymptomatic).
- Giants – Luis Madero and Hunter Bishop
- Padres – Tommy Pham
- Cardinals – Genesis Cabrera and Ricardo Sanchez
The Dodgers have acknowledged that they do have players who have tested positive, but no names were disclosed. Doc Roberts has also indicated that management is still speaking with players who are considering opting out, but no names were mentioned.
One other negative outcome to the pandemic is the number of MiLB players who have been released. Many teams released players early, while the Dodgers held out until July 1 when 25 players were released.
- RHP Kieran Lovegrove
- RHP Tyler Ferguson
- RHP Ricky Knapp
- LHP Casey Crosby
- LHP Ben Holmes
- C Jose Lobaton
- C Hamlet Marte
- INF Jake Peter
- 3B Eric Peterson
- OF Blake Gailen
- OF Starling Heredia
- RHP Yeison Cespedes
- RHP Chris Mathewson
- RHP Jeronimo Castro
- RHP Bradley Gonzales
- RHP Riley Ottesen
- LHP Austin Hamilton
- LHP Igor Avila
- C Ramon Rodriguez
- C Cesar Mendoza
- C Tyler Ryan
- 2B Aldo Espinoza
- OF Jaime Perez
- OF Rolando Lebron
- OF Jeremiah Vison
Most of those players were always considered organizational depth, and without a MiLB season, they are certainly not needed. Not one of the above is considered a real prospect, but sometimes someone from a group such as this will get noticed. At least some of these guys might be able to latch onto one of the 60 man rosters of teams without the superior depth of the Dodgers.
What surprised me was the release of five catchers, including 21 year old Ramon Rodriguez. I thought he had a future as a potential backup. But apparently not with the Dodgers. MiLB Catchers now include:
- OKC – Keibert Ruiz and Rocky Gale
- Tulsa – Stevie Berman
- Rancho – Hunter Feduccia and Tre Todd
- Great Lakes – Gersel Pitre
- Ogden – Wladimer Chalo and Marco Hernandez
Diego Cartaya is not currently assigned to any affiliate. How he performs this year in the pool alternate site will go a long way to indicate the level he will play at next year. I would expect that he might start at Rancho and move up to Tulsa in the summer. There were some catchers in the DSL that will be able to fill some spots, and next year, the organization will find some quality backups. It is also possible that LAD will re-sign Rodriguez.
Of those released, the one I feel the most for is 35 year old OF Blake Gailen. He was an undrafted free agent college senior at UNLV who signed with an Indy team in 2007. Blake has played MiLB and Indy ball since 2007 and has never been called up to a MLB team. He is now 35, and his chances of realizing that dream are quickly being extinguished.
With the addition of Devin Mann, the Dodgers now have 52 players on the 60 man pool: RHP (21), LHP (7), C (5), INF (10), and OF (9)
| RHP (21) | LHP (7) | Catchers (5) | Infielders (10) | Outfielders (9) |
| ——————- | ——————- | ————– | —————— | —————— |
| Pedro Baez | Scott Alexander | Austin Barnes | Matt Beaty | Cody Bellinger |
| Walker Buehler | Caleb Ferguson | Diego Cartaya | Omar Estevez | Mookie Betts |
| Gerardo Carrillo | Victor Gonzalez | Rocky Gale | Enrique Hernandez | Joc Pederson |
| Dylan Floro | Clayton Kershaw | Keibert Ruiz | Gavin Lux | DJ Peters |
| Tony Gonsolin | Adam Kolarek | Will Smith | Devin Mann | A.J. Pollock |
| Brusdar Graterol | Julio Urias | Zach McKinstry | Luke Raley | |
| Josiah Gray | Alex Wood | Max Muncy | Zach Reks | |
| Michael Grove | Edwin Rios | Chris Taylor | ||
| Andre Jackson | Corey Seager | Cody Thomas | ||
| Kenley Jansen | Justin Turner | |||
| Marshall Kasowski | ||||
| Joe Kelly | ||||
| Dustin May | ||||
| Jimmy Nelson | ||||
| AJ Ramos | ||||
| Dennis Santana | ||||
| Josh Sborz | ||||
| Ross Stripling | ||||
| Blake Treinen | ||||
| Edwin Uceta | ||||
| Mitchell White |
Currently 39 of the 40 man are included, eight top 30 prospects, and five MiLB non top 30 prospects. The team is being non-committal about who might be the remaining 9 players. Doc and AF were being forthright in saying that they do not have 60 MLB ready players that can help them win, so they will undoubtedly balance it out with some prospects not ready for prime-time.
I mentioned early on that I believed that Michael Grove would be on the list, and I was pleased to see him so named. He is one that is not ready to get MLB batters out, but he needs this time to continue his development. Dodger player development personnel believe he has the potential of mid-top rotation starter. I was certainly surprised to see Andre Jackson and Edwin Uceta named to the pool over Brett de Geus. But I fully expect to see de Geus be named be included in the 60 man pool. I also will be extremely surprised if Kody Hoese and Michael Busch are not named. That would leave six open spots and some of the names I would consider are:
- Bobby Miller (RHP)
- Landon Knack (RHP)
- Gavin Stone (RHP)
- Clayton Beeter (RHP) (if signed)
- Jacob Amaya (SS/2B)
- Miguel Vargas (3B)
- Luis Rodriguez (OF)
- Andy Pages (OF)
- Alex De Jesus (SS/3B)
I have no idea how difficult it would be to get work Visas for those in Central and South America, but I sure would like to see Vargas, Rodriguez, Pages, and De Jesus in US camps this year where they can be monitored. AF was non-committal about whether there would be some MiLB development site for some of the non 60-man pool players to continue with their development (formally or informally). We will need to wait and see how this works out.
LAD intrasquad games are scheduled for next week.
Discussion (59)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Had a real good time at our pickin on the porch get together yesterday. Kept our distance and nobody was wearing a mask. Had 6 of us on the porch, so it was not crowded. About 10 people showed up to watch, main reason for that was the threat of rain. Well, y’all have a great day. I am heading to the lake in a little bit to dip a line.
Interesting read about MLB, testing and players concerns,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/07/05/sean-doolittle-nationals-testing/
Looks like Beeter has signed
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCSKd-qAUnu/?igshid=18rcz4xxbiusy
6 of 6
When I was growing up corn hole had a completely different meaning.
Watching the Dodgers Red Sox extra innings game.
Just finished a three episode History Channel series on George Washington. Quite a story.
How was camping Mark?
Good looking group.
Masks in the camper?
shhh. 🙂
Love The Eagles.
I played a couple of their songs yesterday at our jam. Peaceful Easy Feeling and Tequila Sunrise. I liked the original lineup best. They got a little more edgy when Joe Walsh joined them. He had been with The James Gang. Vince Gill has also toured with them. Wise choice. Great guitar player, and a awesome voice.
I know we have a lot of music fans in here. For the next 3 hours, ESPN is showing the Eagles concerts from the Forum in LA from 2018, I believe.
Enjoy!
Didn’t Posey just make a big deal about not being selfish? I must have misread it, I thought he was encouraging teammates to play, but be disciplined about not risking exposure.
I lack reading comprehension skills I guess.
When and where I grew up, I would have been instantly knocked to the ground by my mother if I had ever said “corn hole.” A couple years ago I moved from CA to TN, and they play the game at church gatherings. Oh my goodness. I’ve lived a sheltered life.
I do not know what he said before, only what was posted yesterday. I think he has some young kids at home, and he has concerns. But him not playing weakens the Giants even more. Kenley Jansen is not at camp. No reason given. A friend of mine who lives in a senior center plays corn hole there. All it is is bean bag toss.
I do all my political posting these days on facebook. A friend of mine opened a type of open forum for all political topics, and amazingly, it has been pretty civil in there. Here is for baseball. Posey thinking about opting out.
Bobby… I tried a little Vegan in between surgeries and the results could be measured by the AQMD of Orange County… Tremendous gaseous bouts that had my wife threatening to leave me… That being said I retired my Vegan pursuit…. Ya Know, I never a real good Vegan dish to speak of…
The following would better be commented from folks in the Midwest or South….
Been watching some odd sports on TV and ran into a beauty… American Corn hole lg.
I recognize it to be a good game to drink to in the early days… Yep, if it goes professional
I can see a corn holer H.O.F. based out of lets say Indy…
haha. Yes, vegan diets, especially if they include lentils, legumes, etc, can definitely accentuate the gaseous bouts.
The Lakers actually sent us a Lakers corn hole set once as a season ticket holder Xmas day gift. You’re right; it’s a good game if alcohol is involved.
Never meant to be a dig Mark…
Mea Culpa big guy and I never, repeat never cloak in public….
Thanks for the invite, Fred. I’ll take a look.
Here in the Netherlands, and in Europe in general, the most notable things about Covid are 1) it’s not politicized, and 2) the numbers of cases and deaths are way,.way down. That’s not coincidental. Here, Covid is treated for what it is, namely, a public health problem, and not a bludgeon with which to beat the other side. As a result, there is a minimum of drama, and society can reach consensus. And consensus is based on following the best expert advice. Of course, experts aren’t perfect, and our understanding of Covid is still emerging as more and better research is conducted. However, there is social trust here. People here think of science as the objective pursuit of knowledge, not as something political. And based on the facts, in so far as they are obtainable, they take appropriate precautions. In other words, people here trust that the government is acting in the interests of the public, and that experts have no ulterior motive other than the public good. Here, the threat is taken calmly, seriously, and soberly. Is it too much to ask that our country does the same? It starts with us, with the kind of dialogue we have with each other.
Well put,. The key point being “science is the objective pursuit of knowledge, not as something political“. That has always been my experience working with people both here and abroad.
It’s a common sense approach. Something we lack.
Why me??? I like talking Dodger baseball and of course bantering with M.J.T…
Will we be able to watch games if not a member of Spectrum???
just thought you might like to comment there. Sorry.
Thanks for the invitation but will pass and try to limit my political comments on this blog although I did not think I said a lot of political stuff.
Like DBM, I thank you for the invitation but I will also pass. Surely you’ve noticed that I don’t post too much on this site. I’m a two finger hunt and peck typist. It would take me 20 mins. to type what most people on this site could type in 3 or 4 minutes.
William, Jeff, Hodges, Peterj, Bobby, David, DBM — you are invited to add your political thoughts at http://www.HelloFred.com. Others are welcome but might not like it there.
What about MP?
Oops, Musherspop, you’re invited too, although nobody needs an invitation to participate.
Thanks for the invitation.
For those of you that watched Joey Chestnut do his thing yesterday, here’s the nutritional data on the 74 hot dogs (with buns) that he consumed in 10 min:
22,200 calories
1702% of recommended daily value of TOTAL FAT
2220% of recommended daily value of SATURATED FAT
888% of recommended daily value of CHOLESTEROL
2368% of recommended daily value of SODIUM
814 grams of protein.
My blood pressure rose just typing this
I may have eaten 15 hot dogs in my lifetime but I grew up on bologna sandwiches.
My record at Dodger Stadium is 4 Dodger Dogs in 1 game. My blood pressure hated me for a week (if not more).
I could eat a Dodger Dog right now. I could eat them in my Dodger seats that I got when they became available when DS replaced the original seats. Gold, #s 4 and 5.
Ingredients of a hot dog: whatever hits the floor in the slaughterhouse. It’s called pink slime and meat slurry. They scrape it up then pour a bunch of sodium nitrates on it so it doesn’t kill you – right away. That takes a few years.
I actually watched them do it in Nebraska. Football players had their choice of working the slaughterhouse, which was indoors, or the brickyard, which was outdoors. I took the brickyard. Cold as Canada, but was a great workout for linebackers.
Badger, I forgot to mention, in my forever quest to get healthy, I decided to give a 6 week trial to a vegan diet.
So far, I’m not noticing any added increase in energy or belly loss. I have, however, noticed my blood pressure is lower (which is probably the biggest win of all). I”m aiming towards not touching animal products thru July and see how it goes.
I’m sure I’ll eventually add fish back into the diet and see how that goes. Either way, no Dodger Dogs anytime soon.
Good for you Bobby. Your body will thank you, your karma will lighten, and the critters will be grateful.
Mine too by reading it.
I know he has not been released and is 25, but wondered about the status of Ryan Moseley, RHP.
DBM – as far as I have been able to find out, he still is in the Dodger Organization. The last transaction I could find involving him was on 02/23/20, when he was “assigned” to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In transaction speak, I do not know what that means.
Thank you 2D2. Hope it means that they will keep him.
A big season from Pages, Stripling, and Pederson would be fun for Dodger fans and painful for Angel fans. Works for me.
Suck it, Arte
I don’t know where Pages will be able to have a good year but I hope he gets to work on his development somewhere and somehow.
You can find Pages in the Senate. You can also find them in the Antifa handbook.
More optimistic myself. I think there will be baseball. Maybe not the entire 60 game schedule, but they would not have allowed them to practice at Dodger Stadium if they were going to shut it all down. Turner all for piping in crowd noise. He said in an interview it was better than no sound at all and it got his adrenaline up. King Felix the latest to opt out. He had been having a resurgent spring with the Braves. Buster Posey is also considering not playing. Stripling goes from being traded, or almost traded to the #5 starter. That is quite a leap. I believe Pollock will probably opt to not play also. We probably will hear more after the holiday is over. Going to play music with my friends today. Have been looking forward to this for quite a while. Matt Kemp sure looks weird in a Rockies uni.
I didn’t know that David Price had opted out. That’s a shame because we all were looking forward to see what he could do this year. Oh well, I guess we’ll have to wait until ST 2021. Honestly, I still don’t think that there will be a season as planned for this year. I hope I’m wrong. We’ll just have to wait and see.
I agree, I don’t think Newsom will allow any type of restart in all sports, pro, college, HS, or below in the state. Too much politics, too much politics.
Too much Covid 19
Really. You do not think politics has anything to do with this? Wineries are shut down all through the state EXCEPT for Napa where Newsome has four wineries. Yes, after that became known, the family shut down PlumpJack Winery due to “logistic reasons”, but plan on re-opening on Tuesday while all other wineries are shut down for at least three weeks. Nothing about his other three Napa wineries. They were presumed to be open over the holiday weekend. Surprisingly, the very “balanced” press chose not to pursue this matter any further. No LA Times or SF Chronicle OP ED pieces. But it is not political.
Newsome has said that singing and chanting are now forbidden in churches. A place of worship that already has limited the number of parishioners who can congregate, who must practice social distancing, and are required to wear masks, but Antifa and BLM protests in front of LA City Hall with no social distancing and where masks are not required is totally acceptable.
You are right, there is nothing political about this at all. Or maybe the Truth does Hurt.