OK, I Am Shutting Myself Down

Posted By on March 16, 2020

Baseball season might be two months away… if ever.

If AC, DC, Evan, and 2D2 want to continue to write, I’ll continue to support that. However, I am going to back off the day-to-day stuff until I see a clear plan to the start of the season. I’ll probably post at least once a day, but I have some other stuff I have to do during this crazy period of American History.

So, I am going to back out for a while, try and stay healthy and get some other stuff done. I will not be gone, but I won’t be spending much time on THE BLOG.

Evan, DC, and 2D2 can continue to send me their posts and I will put them up. It only takes a few minutes. You are in good hands.

Be safe my friends and if there is a problem, e-mail me @mark@uswatersystems.com

GODSPEED!

Everyone, keep in touch and let us know you are safe.

This is still the best Dodger Blog!

This article has 37 Comments

  1. As always Mark, thank you. We are not as isolated as they want us to be, or rather as we need to be, thanks to you and LADT.

  2. Hey…. what about my DDW?!

    Completely understand. You know how to get in touch. Be safe.

  3. Hopefully this situation will be resolved soon, for now we must be careful, good luck …

  5. Godspeed to you too Mark and everyone else on LA Dodger Talk.

    Thank you for your dedication to everything Dodgers!

    Go Blue!!!!

  6. I wonder if all those people who subscribed to MLB.TV at 120.00 a pop for the season are going to get some sort of discount or refund since they are not going to get close to a 162 game schedule. All Star game is in jeopardy also. At least the stadium will be done! Stay safe and well. Looks like players are starting to leave the facility’s. Turner posted a video on Twitter yesterday.

    1. That’s what I was wondering. I just bought MLB.TV before the delay.

      Maybe one of the attorneys can tell me: Am I entitled to a prorated discount?

  7. I will send something along periodically. It won’t be controversial or even original but may help to keep LADTers connected a bit.

    I unsubscribed to MiLB.TV because it would not accept my password, which was correct, with the intention or re-subscribing so will wait now until things start up again.

    Covid-19 has reached Nova Scotia with three presumptive cases from those returning home. One from California, one from Australia and one from Europe.

  8. Totally understand Mark. In these crazy times, family, friends and other matters most important, especially one’s business. Just want to thank you for everything you do to keep us going forward, keep us out of the doomsday feelings and lighten our day, in particular mine. I hope AC, 2D2, DC and Evan will continue to write their thoughts on here and look forward to staying in touch with you periodically.

  9. Mark, I’m so glad that I found your site. Thank you for all the work you put into it. You and your other writers keep coming up with such interesting articles. I don’t post much (you guys have so much more baseball knowledge than I do), But I sure enjoy reading your blog. I had more knowledge of stats when I was 11 or 12 than I do now…lol. Although I would love to see the Dodgers win the WS again, I just love following them during the season. It is something to look forward to every day.

    Getting Betts and Price was great, but my biggest hope this year was to see Corey get back to his 2016 form. It looked like that might be happening but now, because of this virus thing, we may not find out. Well, let’s hope we get some kind of season in.

    I hope all you Dodgers fans stay well. May God bless you all.

  10. I will probably continue to submit an article a week. Like DC I’ll do my best to not be controversial, though I may slip now and then.

    Take care all, and Mark, I hope that neither your business or you and your family are negatively impacted by the current coronavirus panic and hysteria.

  11. Looks like airlines are going to get bailed out with our tax dollars. Might they be required to provide more leg room is they accept the bailout?

    I felt like Seager, Stripling, Pederson, Betts, Price, Kershaw, Jansen, Ferguson, Bellinger, Buehler, were all going to have a very good year. Urias almost made my gut feel for a good year.

  12. David Waldstein writes: “Whether it’s a secret buzzer planted in a shoe, a smartphone smuggled into the bathroom, a particular flavor of yogurt delivered at a key moment — or just online players using computerized chess programs — chess has perhaps more cheating than any other game in the world.”

    1. I’ve got to say that really surprises me. While I haven’t played in tournaments for years, I have played a little competitive chess. It’s just you and your opponent sweating it out, trying to think 8 moves ahead in several different directions, trying to keep your focus and concentration for hours and not losing your place on the board. I guess it just shows how long it’s been since I have played.

      Anyone here a chess player?

      1. I played but never competitively. I taught a lot of junior high students how to play with chess clubs, which were competitive with other schools, and also just as a non-competitive noon hour activity.

      2. I play, but nowhere near the competitive level. None of my kids ever wanted to learn. They were too busy riding bikes, playing baseball, swimming, and other sports. But I have started to teach my 9 year old grandson (8 at the time) how to play. But first we have to teach him to not be a sore loser.

      3. dodgerrick

        I am an online chess addict. Have played over 120,000 games online since 1999. I stick to one minute games as my patience level is next to nil. My handle on chessclub.com is CrashandBurn

        That handle fits me perfectly most of the time.

  13. I will occasionally write as well. It will not be political or Covid-19 related. I will just not go there. But I cannot say it will not be controversial. Sometimes baseball stories (and baseball players) are controversial. There are a number of paid baseball pundits that still have access to some personnel, and they will occasionally write something that will pique my interest, and I will discuss it.

  14. With a shortened season basically a given, the attached article proposes two scenarios for games.

    https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/1965169

    Personally I’d get rid of inter-league play this year to go along with a lower number of total games. Depending on available time/venue availability a season consisting of just intra-divisional games might be warranted.

    1. Last week I proposed a schedule of 108 games, beginning June 1. I do not know if June 1 is possible, but a 108 game season is fairly easy to propose. Obviously there is going to need to be geographical considerations for scheduling.

      My proposal:
      1. Each team would play 2 home and away 3-game series with teams in their division – 12 games times 4 teams = 48 games.
      2. Each team would play 1 home and away 3-game series with interdivision teams – 6 games times 10 teams = 60 games.
      3. No Interleague games.
      4. That would support 2 days off per month for June, August, and September. It would also allow for 4 days off in July…just in case their is an All Star Game.

      That would take the season to September 30, three days after the original schedule end date.

      1. Missed your original proposal. What you have listed sounds reasonable. The wild card is when can the season actually start and how long a shortened spring training will take.

  15. 4 Brooklyn Net players, including Kevin Durant, have tested positive for the virus. Naturally the last game the Nets played was last Tuesday, at Staples Center vs the Lakers.

    Naturally I was at that game. I wonder if the virus can fly way up to the cheap seats??

  16. I like that schedule, AC. It will cut down on a lot of traveling and hope the All Star game is still possible. Glad to hear you and 2D2, and DC still with us. THANK YOU!

  17. M.T. – Do what you gotta do and we’ll catch ya after the beginning after the season begins…
    Really like AC’s schedule, now just let it happen…
    I agree on the ixna on the corona… Definitely not a hoax…
    I really can’t shake the loss March Madness and what it meant to a lot of seniors who knew they weren’t going to the NBA, but had a shot at the Dance…
    Oh and by the way, I hate my physical therapist, but hopefully get over it!?
    Watford my Man, did you survive your rave???

  18. Survived Pete – been celebrating St Patrick’s Day with a few pints big Guinness.

    Can’t believe the miserable Irish Government shut all the Bars & Restaurants in Ireland just 24 hrs before the big day. Everything still open in England.

    Still desperate times and all that.

    Hope you’re on the mend….

  20. Your proposed schedule looks great to me AC but if I were in Vegas now I’d bet the over (meaning later) on a June 1st start. I wonder if MLB has come up with a number/date at which point they say it doesn’t make sense to play the 2020 season. Hope I’m wrong but I think we’re just looking at the tip of the iceberg today with regard to how this is going to spread and the time it will take to let everyone get back to their normal lives.

    1. If the season was to start on July 1, there are 92 days in July – September. I can make an 88 game schedule work. There may have to be a few doubleheaders to get more days off, but maybe the MLBPA will allow that.

      1. Still have each team play 2 home and away 3-game series with teams in their division – 12 games times 4 teams = 48 games.
      2. Each team would play 1 home and away 2-game series with interdivision teams – 4 games times 10 teams = 40 games.
      3. No Interleague games.

      They could reduce the travel by allowing for one 4-game series with the interdivisional teams with five series being home and 5 series being away. It could work that all NL West teams would play the 5 NL Central teams at home and the 5 NL East Teams away. The NL Central would play the NL East at home.

      NL West – NL Central (Home); NL East (Away)
      NL Central – NL West (Away); NL East (Home)
      NL East – NL West (Home); NL Central (Away)

  21. The Dodgers are continuing to pay their minor leaguers. And arrangements are also in the works to help the stadium staff. Realmuto and the Phillies have suspended extension talks. But the big news of the day in sports is Tom Brady not going back to the Patriots. Since there is so little to report, this thing is getting massive media over kill on ESPN. 2nd Yankee minor leaguer tests positive. This day in Dodger history. March 17th , 2008. Dodgers played their last spring game in Holman Stadium in Vero Beach, their training home for 60 years. In 2009 they relocated spring training to Camelback Ranch in Arizona.

  22. If the season has only 100 games, does that change the rotation? Young arms can pitch throughout that short season and the playoffs.

    1. I would think it changes nothing. They are not paying those older guys to sit on the sidelines. I still think it is Kersh, Buehler, Price, Urias and Wood. But they might be willing to let Urias pitch into games a little deeper. Brady is signing with the Tampa Bay Bucs…you kidding me? Rivers is moving on to the Colts.

Comments are closed.