BASE-BALL

[jeffandnicole]

In what seems to be very odd timing, or a statement that baseball will go on, the MLB release the 2021 schedule today.

[NWI_Irish96]

In what seems to be very odd timing, or a statement that baseball will go on, the MLB release the 2021 schedule today.

Can't sell tickets for this season, so trying to capitalize on the anticipation of the current season by having tickets to sell for next season.

[jeffandnicole]

In what seems to be very odd timing, or a statement that baseball will go on, the MLB release the 2021 schedule today.

Can't sell tickets for this season, so trying to capitalize on the anticipation of the current season by having tickets to sell for next season.

Maybe...if tickets go on sale very soon. Most teams don't sell individual game tickets until late February or early March.

Teams will sell season tickets at virtually anytime, but I seriously doubt you're going to get many people to commit to a multi-game commitment in this current environment.

[NWI_Irish96]

In what seems to be very odd timing, or a statement that baseball will go on, the MLB release the 2021 schedule today.

Can't sell tickets for this season, so trying to capitalize on the anticipation of the current season by having tickets to sell for next season.

Maybe...if tickets go on sale very soon. Most teams don't sell individual game tickets until late February or early March.

Teams will sell season tickets at virtually anytime, but I seriously doubt you're going to get many people to commit to a multi-game commitment in this current environment.

Getting any people to commit is better than none. Also, most season ticket holders have been given the option to get a refund for 2020 or apply their credit to 2021, and perhaps the schedule is an attempt to nudge them towards not taking the cash.

[bing101]

https://pagesix.com/2020/07/15/jennifer-lopezs-mets-bid-could-bring-out-teams-glam-side/?_ga=2.42069349.1901266709.1594870501-1315934973.1594870501
Speculation over who gets the Mets come into play.

[NWI_Irish96]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29488579/blue-jays-not-allowed-play-games-canada

Blue Jays not going to be able to play in Canada. Buffalo a poor option due to lighting. Florida a poor option due to being a hotspot.

Don't know the other northeastern AAA parks enough to know if any of them would be options.

[Takumi]

Put them in Charlotte or Nashville to see how the local market reacts to a major league team being th-...wait, never mind.

[Max Rockatansky]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29488579/blue-jays-not-allowed-play-games-canada

Blue Jays not going to be able to play in Canada. Buffalo a poor option due to lighting. Florida a poor option due to being a hotspot.

Don't know the other northeastern AAA parks enough to know if any of them would be options.

But yet the NHL gets an exemption, what a shock...  This might not be apparent to some people from the Sunbelt States but the NHL is a pretty good analog in popularity to the NFL in Canada.  Baseball doesn't really register much of a blip on the radar and only got any real attention when the Blue Jays were winning World Series. 

[NWI_Irish96]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29488579/blue-jays-not-allowed-play-games-canada

Blue Jays not going to be able to play in Canada. Buffalo a poor option due to lighting. Florida a poor option due to being a hotspot.

Don't know the other northeastern AAA parks enough to know if any of them would be options.

But yet the NHL gets an exemption, what a shock...  This might not be apparent to some people from the Sunbelt States but the NHL is a pretty good analog in popularity to the NFL in Canada.  Baseball doesn't really register much of a blip on the radar and only got any real attention when the Blue Jays were winning World Series. 

The NHL has to play the entire rest of the season in Canada so there will be no travel back and forth across the border. Blue Jays can't play at home without having both them and their home opponents crossing the border.

[Max Rockatansky]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29488579/blue-jays-not-allowed-play-games-canada

Blue Jays not going to be able to play in Canada. Buffalo a poor option due to lighting. Florida a poor option due to being a hotspot.

Don't know the other northeastern AAA parks enough to know if any of them would be options.

But yet the NHL gets an exemption, what a shock...  This might not be apparent to some people from the Sunbelt States but the NHL is a pretty good analog in popularity to the NFL in Canada.  Baseball doesn't really register much of a blip on the radar and only got any real attention when the Blue Jays were winning World Series. 

The NHL has to play the entire rest of the season in Canada so there will be no travel back and forth across the border. Blue Jays can't play at home without having both them and their home opponents crossing the border.

Yes, but they are still allowing non-Canadian players to travel there on an exemption.

[Max Rockatansky]

So with the vastly shorten season has there been any talk about shortening pitching rotation down from five to four or three?  I would assume that in such a short year a four man rotation might be feasible but three might be pushing it.

[NWI_Irish96]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29488579/blue-jays-not-allowed-play-games-canada

Blue Jays not going to be able to play in Canada. Buffalo a poor option due to lighting. Florida a poor option due to being a hotspot.

Don't know the other northeastern AAA parks enough to know if any of them would be options.

But yet the NHL gets an exemption, what a shock...  This might not be apparent to some people from the Sunbelt States but the NHL is a pretty good analog in popularity to the NFL in Canada.  Baseball doesn't really register much of a blip on the radar and only got any real attention when the Blue Jays were winning World Series. 

The NHL has to play the entire rest of the season in Canada so there will be no travel back and forth across the border. Blue Jays can't play at home without having both them and their home opponents crossing the border.

Yes, but they are still allowing non-Canadian players to travel there on an exemption.

Right but once they get there they have to stay until their season is finished. They can't go back and forth.

[Roadgeekteen]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29488579/blue-jays-not-allowed-play-games-canada

Blue Jays not going to be able to play in Canada. Buffalo a poor option due to lighting. Florida a poor option due to being a hotspot.

Don't know the other northeastern AAA parks enough to know if any of them would be options.

It can probably be any stadium that can hold them since no fans will be attending anyway.

[NWI_Irish96]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29488579/blue-jays-not-allowed-play-games-canada

Blue Jays not going to be able to play in Canada. Buffalo a poor option due to lighting. Florida a poor option due to being a hotspot.

Don't know the other northeastern AAA parks enough to know if any of them would be options.

It can probably be any stadium that can hold them since no fans will be attending anyway.

The ESPN story says that their are objections to Buffalo due to poor lighting. I have no idea if that's specific to Buffalo or common to other AAA parks in the area.

[Takumi]

There's a solution to the poor lighting in Buffalo, but it's not the best for ratings: day games.

[Big John]

Could they put in portable temporary lighting, like they do in college football when there is a night game?

[Alps]

Could they put in portable temporary lighting, like they do in college football when there is a night game?

I'm sure Buffalo plays night games. It seems ilke the most likely scenario.

[SEWIGuy]

There's a solution to the poor lighting in Buffalo, but it's not the best for ratings: day games.

Which wouldn't be popular with anybody.

It not only has to be a place with decent lighting, but one that can accomodate a full television production.  If MLB knew this earlier, they probably would have just put them in New York and had them rotate home stadiums between Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.

[jeffandnicole]

There's a solution to the poor lighting in Buffalo, but it's not the best for ratings: day games.

Which wouldn't be popular with anybody.

It not only has to be a place with decent lighting, but one that can accomodate a full television production.  If MLB knew this earlier, they probably would have just put them in New York and had them rotate home stadiums between Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.

I wouldn't be surprised if they have contingency plans. A lot of what they're doing is based on the hope that the teams can play in home stadiums, so I would imagine nearly every team had some for a contingency plan just in case.

[tchafe1978]

So with the vastly shorten season has there been any talk about shortening pitching rotation down from five to four or three?  I would assume that in such a short year a four man rotation might be feasible but three might be pushing it.

That would be up to  each individual team to set their rotation to what works best for them. The five man rotation isn't like a set in stone rule, it's just become the norm over the years as what seems to work best over the course of the season. I'm sure a team like the Brewers that has used starters to go only 4 or 5 innings most games the past couple seasons might be able to get by with a 4 man rotation, especially if a 5th starter doesn't establish himself. That would be 5th started could then be used out of the bullpen. A 3 man rotation seems like a stretch, though, as there are limited off days.

[rickmastfan67]

It's looking like Toronto will possibly play their home games here in Pittsburgh @ PNC Park.
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/07/20/report-blue-jays-considering-pnc-park/

[ET21]

Well it was nice to watch some baseball last night. Crosstown series will actually have some meaning as both Chicago teams are in the same division

[NWI_Irish96]

Well it was nice to watch some baseball last night. Crosstown series will actually have some meaning as both Chicago teams are in the same division

Sox beat the Cubs 6-3 with their #8 starter vs Cubs' #1 starter.

[Henry]

It's looking like Toronto will possibly play their home games here in Pittsburgh @ PNC Park.
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/07/20/report-blue-jays-considering-pnc-park/

To have the Blue Jays in Pittsburgh would be supercool! And according to this story, the Pirates are run by a couple of former Jays execs, which would also be an added bonus.

[jeffandnicole]

One of the fun things about pre-season baseball are the teams can do pretty much whatever they want. In tonight's Phils-Yankees game, the Phillies wanted to keep their starting pitcher out there even though there were 3 outs. He gave up a home run and it counted. And the result of the game...a 2-2 tie. While ties aren't terribly unusual when in pre-season, usually the broadcast team is told if they will end the game or continue on...

https://www.thegoodphight.com/2020/7/20/21332155/everythings-made-up-and-the-points-dont-matter-phillies-2-yankees-2