July/August game thread

staz

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The cradle of the game.
Real, actual, live broadcasts of scheduled MLB games with 2 different teams somewhat trying to beat each other begin tonight:

NYY at NYM 7:10 ET (ESPN2)
CLE at PIT 7:30 ET (MLBN)
 

Sad Sam Jones

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Great job by MLB... I'm an Indians fan living in the Cleveland market, and apparently I can't watch their first live game in four months. It's on the MLBN schedule, but I'm getting a studio retrospective of the '86 World Series. It's not like anyone can attend the game and there's no local coverage (the Indians' local network is showing Game #3 of the 2016 ALCS for about the 200th time this year), so I can't imagine the reasoning for a blackout. I guess I'll just go right back to not giving a damn about this season.
 

InsideTheParker

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You get Cole vs. Scherzer next Thursday on 'Opening Day'. but neither tonight. Michael King against Rick Porcello, just like a typical mid-March game.
Scherzer was bad this afternoon vs the Phillies. Saw Gregorius hit a homer wearing a mask. And some folks claim they can't get enough air in them.
 

staz

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The cradle of the game.
White Sox @ Cubs Summer League live on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball

Looks like the White Sox are again trotting out a new uniform/logo - predictably, both are as bad as all their previous failures. (Imagine being a fan of both the White Sox and Cleveland Browns.)

Edit: the 80s "batter" logo is on the uniform fronts, the new iteration of that drek is on the cap (or maybe just warmup cap).
 

InsideTheParker

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The top of the Dodgers lineup is just frightening. Bottom of the 1st inning

Betts: Walked
Muncy: Walked
Turner: Single
Bellinger: Grand Slam
Whenever I see a sequence like that, I wonder if the pitcher was having trouble finding the strike zone, and eventually, just threw one down the middle in an effort to find it. Especially in "spring training."
 

Rough Carrigan

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So, will having no fans diminish home field advantage?
If you don't have 35,000 people at Fenway cheering the Sox on, do the Sox players play quite as well?
If there aren't 35,000 people at Fenway cheering against visiting teams, do they play a little better?
If there aren't 35,000 people at Fenway cheering every call that goes in favor of the Sox, do the umpire call a game that no longer has a slight edge toward the Red Sox?
 

jon abbey

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So, will having no fans diminish home field advantage?
If you don't have 35,000 people at Fenway cheering the Sox on, do the Sox players play quite as well?
If there aren't 35,000 people at Fenway cheering against visiting teams, do they play a little better?
If there aren't 35,000 people at Fenway cheering every call that goes in favor of the Sox, do the umpire call a game that no longer has a slight edge toward the Red Sox?
All good questions, complicated by the fact that BOS was much better last year on the road (46-35) than at home (38-43).
 

bsj

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Question. I thought one of the covid measures was the players to sit in the empty stands 6 feet apart. I dont see that happening anywhere. Dis MLB just decide to bail.on that recommendation?
 

nvalvo

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Question. I thought one of the covid measures was the players to sit in the empty stands 6 feet apart. I dont see that happening anywhere. Dis MLB just decide to bail.on that recommendation?
Its happening in the As-Giants game I’m watching. Most of the bullpen pitchers are in the stands, each spaced out with a few seats between them, and a few of the position players, too.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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Question. I thought one of the covid measures was the players to sit in the empty stands 6 feet apart. I dont see that happening anywhere. Dis MLB just decide to bail.on that recommendation?
Its happening in the As-Giants game I’m watching. Most of the bullpen pitchers are in the stands, each spaced out with a few seats between them, and a few of the position players, too.
They installed tents over the area near and around the Owner's Box at Fenway for the players and coaches not in the dugout to sit, but be close and protected from the sun. Removed many of the seats usually there so they have room to move around. Also on the 3rd base side, IIRC
 

DeadlySplitter

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Gavin Lux was optioned. Seems like a weird move, does service time manipulation exist after a rookie year? No, right?
 

jon abbey

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Gavin Lux was optioned. Seems like a weird move, does service time manipulation exist after a rookie year? No, right?
Yes, it always exists until free agency. I don’t know if George Springer has options remaining, but he needs one day of service time to be a FA. If HOU sent him down for the whole season, he wouldn’t be a FA. The flip side for this season is that he could play game 1 and then go home for the season and be a FA this winter.

Lux got to camp late and booted some balls yesterday and LA is super deep, so there are baseball factors too in this case.
 

Lowrielicious

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Yes, it always exists until free agency. I don’t know if George Springer has options remaining, but he needs one day of service time to be a FA. If HOU sent him down for the whole season, he wouldn’t be a FA. The flip side for this season is that he could play game 1 and then go home for the season and be a FA this winter.

Lux got to camp late and booted some balls yesterday and LA is super deep, so there are baseball factors too in this case.

I did see an article in the NYPost about those playing time targets. Paxton from memory doesn't have many days to hit FA either.
I've been doing a little digging on this and couldn't find anything definitive on this. Can players opt out at any time through the season?

Also can they opt back in?
 

jon abbey

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I did see an article in the NYPost about those playing time targets. Paxton from memory doesn't have many days to hit FA either.
I've been doing a little digging on this and couldn't find anything definitive on this. Can players opt out at any time through the season?

Also can they opt back in?
Players can opt out at any time, I am not sure about opting back in.

Yeah, Paxton does not need much time to qualify but he does have to show he is healthy and can stay on the mound to try to get a big deal this winter, he has said explicitly he is not opting out this season (also it's different in terms of potential player motivation, Springer was manipulated by his current team, Paxton by his previous one).
 

JCizzle

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Fuck the Yankees 2020. Rooting against them will sadly be the likely highlight of the season.
 

Lowrielicious

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Players can opt out at any time, I am not sure about opting back in.

Yeah, Paxton does not need much time to qualify but he does have to show he is healthy and can stay on the mound to try to get a big deal this winter, he has said explicitly he is not opting out this season (also it's different in terms of potential player motivation, Springer was manipulated by his current team, Paxton by his previous one).
It is an interesting dynamic with the shoe potentially being on the other foot this season as far as potential service time manipulation, albeit for a very small specific set of players.
Of course, teams are still doing their side of it also this year (e.g. Nate Pearson for the Jays).
 

jon abbey

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Of course, teams are still doing their side of it also this year (e.g. Nate Pearson for the Jays).
Actually this year the teams are kind of forced into doing this for the simple reason that if a guy like Pearson was on the Opening Day roster and then the season is cancelled in a week or two, they would get a full year of service time. So you will see a lot of top rookies called up in a week or so.
 

Lowrielicious

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Actually this year the teams are kind of forced into doing this for the simple reason that if a guy like Pearson was on the Opening Day roster and then the season is cancelled in a week or two, they would get a full year of service time. So you will see a lot of top rookies called up in a week or so.
Good point, hadn't thought of that.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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I hate it, but will root for him anyway. I still love the Sox, but I'm well past my laundry at all costs days.
Ditto except that he, JoKe and Roberts are the only Dodgers I am allowed to root for. San Francisco is similar to Boston in that LA is loathed so much that we don't even allow any of our local Little League teams play as the Dodgers.
Always enjoy watching Cueto's showmanship on the mound.
Cueto is so fun in the Bob Ross stage of his career.