After another week when it seemed promising that Major League Basbeall owners and players association would finally work all their issues out, we still are not any closer to knowing if baseball will actually happens this season.
If the league were to resume somewhere around the Fourth of July, the clock is nearing midnight for baseball to get its act together. June is starting on Monday, and teams will need at least two if not three weeks of a second spring training to be ready to play again. Maybe, finally forced up against a hard deadline, they will make their decision one way or another.
States are starting to open up, and some players have started working out together at Dodger Stadium. Chris Taylor was on “Live from the Sunset Strip”, a live Instagram show with pitcher Ross Stripling, and talked about who had been taking advantage of being close to Dodger Stadium while quarantining.
“I’m good. I mean, I guess as good as I can be. We can finally get into the stadium the last couple weeks, so that’s been good. … It’s been me, Seager, Barnes, J.T., DJ (Peters), Kenley, Woody and Scotty. They basically let two to three guys come in at a time and we get like two hours.”
Enrique Hernandez, Cody Bellinger, and Julio Urías have been working out at Camelback Ranch. Urias, Alex Wood, Scott Alexander, and Kenley Jansen have all taken advantage of being able to pitch off the mound ahead of a possible start to the season.
In other news, hundreds of minor league players were released from their teams, and hundreds more will be released in the coming week. While there are always players released in this way, this is especially devastating to players who will not be able to realize their dream of playing in the big leagues. There will most likely not be any minor league games this season with the pandemic wreaking havoc on the league. Major league rosters will be expanded if there is baseball, adding to the difficulty of fielding minor league teams.
There is no word of which Dodger minor leaguers were released, if any. The Dodgers organization has pledged to continue to pay their minor leaguers through the end of June. Each will be given a weekly stipend of $400.
In an incredible act of generosity, pitcher David Price is going to donate $1000 of his own money to all players within the Dodgers farm system not currently on the 40-man roster. Reportedly, Price did not want this to be publicized, but a minor leaguer leaked it. For someone who has not pitched a meaningful game yet for his new team, it just goes to show what a class act the Dodgers acquired in the trade with the Boston Red Sox that also included Mookie Betts.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
And he hasn’t even played a game for the Dodgers. How can you not be a David Price fan! Welcome to LA David. Can’t wait to cheer you on when the season finally begins.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great gesture by Price and also by Choo in Texas. More guys who are making that kind of money should think about doing something like that. An extra thousand bucks means a lot to those minor leaguers and it’s pocket change for Price. He’ll be giving away about $220,000 out of his $30MM salary this year but it lets those guys know he cares.
On the other hand, the A’s have been incredibly short sighted in trying to save what amounts to pennies even for a low budget team like they are. It will cost them in future years because players will feel they don’t have their backs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Impressed with what Price has done. Other multi millionaire players should follow his example. But so far only he and Choo have stepped up to the plate. Basketball set to resume in July.
LikeLike
A few feel good story’s in the news would be nice. But that is not the way the main stream media works anymore. Nothing but bad news. 2 American astronauts sent into space this morning on a privately funded space craft. Sometimes I wish I was up there with them.
LikeLike
The world is going to shit. People turn a terrible situation with a bad cop into justifying riots and looting stores as a form of protest. It infuriates me. If I was an owner of a business that was being robbed I would have no hesitation blowing some thugs head off. Not to get political but the Democrats love this. They will somehow try to blame Trump for all this.
LikeLike
Thanks for not getting political Alex. I’m a Democrat and I hate it. Looting is inexcusable. As is sitting on a guy’s neck until you kill him because he passed a $20 counterfeit bill which he might not have even realized was counterfeit.
Trump is responsible as are the rest of us to one degree or another. People refuse to get along with each other.
And Putin is sitting in Moscow laughing his ass off.
One thing we agree on. The world is going to shit. We are destroying ourselves because we think we’re completely right and the other guy is completely wrong. Until we realize there are shades of grey in this world, we are doomed.
So who do you think we should use as our leadoff hitter this year?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent response, Jeff. We have people of all political persuasions reading this, and we cannot assume what anyone is thinking right now. Let’s all just join in on our love of Dodgers baseball and agree it’s a sad state in the world right now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mookie Betts if they ever play. I’m afraid we will never see him in a Dodger uniform and basically traded Verdugo and Downs for nothing.
LikeLike
And apologies Jeff I really don’t mean to offend with the political talk. We are just fierce Republicans down here where I’m from because our livelihood is the oil industry. But I’ll fly a damn Obama flag on my F-250 if it means getting to see some baseball! I hate this.
LikeLike
No need to apologize Alex. All our tempers are a little frayed right now. You are certainly entitled to your political views as I am to mine but we should still be able to discuss the subject (not here, of course) and remain civil, which as you can see we are both doing a good job of at this point.
Now, as far as Mookie is concerned, I think we have a good shot at signing him long term if we don’t play this year, but I wouldn’t bet my house or an oil well on it. I’ll start looking around for that Obama flag to send you if they actually start playing this year. 🙂
LikeLike
Well, I am not going to get dragged into a who is responsible argument. The officer in question is being charged with 3rd degree murder. If anything, the strain everyone is under is enough for many to snap, but that is no excuse for the destruction of private property. I lived in LA during both the LA Watts riots and the Rodney King debacle. Seems some think that those kinds of things are a license to steal and destroy. I place some blame on the Governor of Minnesota for not immediately deploying the National Guard. Our country has a festering wound. And until that wound is healed, we are going to see this kind of thing. I am glad I live far from this kind of irrational behavior. Things are peaceful and quiet in my little town.
LikeLike
Draft day is approaching. To tell the truth I have no clue who any of these guys are.
LikeLike