Tuesday Bantering

I’m glad my computer tells me what day it is, they are all running together here. I have no idea most of the time. Every day is a holiday lately.

Several, on Twitter, were saying that the 2020 season is going to start on July 1. And then Keith Law posted:

I have a hard time believing they could have a plan for July 1 at the moment. I think they will have to see how things go over the next month and then decide. Right now, there are places in the US that you couldn’t make me go with a gun.

It is one thing to think they can keep the players isolated. It is another thing to think they can keep all the support staff needed to run the games isolated.

If the season was to start at some point, compressed get more games into a shorter time, what will that mean to pitching staffs. There would have to be more pitchers used. Ten man pitching staffs? 12?

I’d think it changes the plans for some pitchers. What would you do with Nate Pearson? I’d use him in relief, much the way they used Aaron Sanchez early in his career. Someone who could give us 2-3 innings at a time. I guess the only question is: Do they want to start his service clock in a shortened season?

Baseball America lists 13 breakout players. 13 guys not in their top 100 prospects who they think are likely to move up this year and the first guy listed is

Orelvis Martinez, SS, Blue Jays: Martinez signed in 2018 for $3.51 million, the biggest bonus for a 16-year-old international signing in his class. He rewarded the Blue Jays’ faith in him with an outstanding pro debut, ranking as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League last year. On the cusp of being a Top 100 prospect right now, Martinez syncs up the moving parts in his swing well to be on time, using his hands well and generating plenty of bat speed to drive the ball with plus power. A shortstop for now, Martinez has the hands and arm strength for the left side of the infield, but his first-step quickness and range probably will push him to third base.

Also in Baseball America, they are suggesting that the Arizona Fall League will be different this year. That teams might be sending their very best prospects. For the Blue Jays they this is the group they would like to see:

C—Alejandro Kirk

1B—Ryan Noda

2B—Otto Lopez

3B—Orelvis Martinez

SS—Jordan Groshans

OF—Will Robertson

OF—Dasan Brown

OF—Griffin Conine

SP—Simeon Woods Richardson

SP—Alek Manoah

SP—Adam Kloffenstein

SP—Eric Pardinho

SP—Kendall Williams

They note that the pitching staff would be terrific, while the batting order is weaker/thinner, with some very bright spots. It isn’t who they think will be going to Arizona but who they would like to see in the AFL.

The Big Lead has a post talking about the hopes that sports will be back soon, titled: It’s Tough to Imagine Any Immediate Return of Sports Will Be Responsible. This bit is what I’m worried about:

Perhaps the responsible thing is to gird ourselves against what could just be an inevitability at this point. Sports will be back and they’ll be rushed back against a backdrop where the most vulnerable are seen as an acceptable sacrifice. They’ll be a distraction from the horror show of real life and will reflect either resiliency or a sardonic and twisted worldview, depending on where one sits.

It seems that some, some in my province too, think ‘it is ok that people die’. I’m not built that way, I don’t want to sacrifice people. I’d like to see my parents again. And, from what I’ve read, even some of the ones that survive the virus will never be the same again. I want to watch ball, but I don’t think it is worth people dying over.