THE COST OF A LOST SEASON

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1. I like sports, in general. Like you, I enjoy watching the competition taking place on the field. But I can honestly say, I don’t miss baseball. I never think about it and I can’t bring myself to feel any sympathy for all the revenue lost for any team. It might sound crazy to some, but sports are not an essential element of living for me. In many ways, I see sports as an escape for many. An escape from empty lives that have no passion for living in the present moment and enjoying what it means to be alive. It’s not the content of our lives I’m talking about. All of us our filled with content. I am talking about the absence of all that chatter and noise that accompany most folks day and night and lead them into all sorts of opinions, philosophies, and beliefs about what life is and all the morality that comes with it via the culture. To be free of this influence, is to live life differently. We might even be able to enjoy doing nothing equally as much as watching a sporting event. Being alive is in itself a cause for celebration. The small things can become the source of joy and contentment that most of us have been searching for for most of our lives but never comes to a stop to enjoy this present moment. Only a World Series could fulfill us and this fate is what you call happiness? Mookie Betts holds your well being in his hands as well as AF? How insignificant these things are to me. How obsessed the average person has become with the content of their lives, identifying with trivialities that can disappear in the next moment. Does this make any sense to anyone?

   1. Jeff – I in no way meant to imply that baseball has an elevated place in my life. It does not. That said, I love it and I miss the games.

      Several years back my nephew’s 5 year old daughter was diagnosed with Wilm’s Tumor, a rare kidney cancer that affects mostly young children. I love my nephew as if he were my own son. His daughters call me Opa (grandpa in Dutch). Living through that experience and walking along side my nephew during her 6 months of treatment and her ultimate death, produced pain the likes of which I had ever known. During that time period, baseball, and most other things in life were of little to no concern. She was our priority and focus. Indeed everything else paled in comparison. It’s been 5 or more years since she died. I get together with my nephew and his family as often as I can. Once a year, he and I have a “boys’ day out to take in a University of Arizona vs USC or UCLA baseball game. The U of A coach and he are dear friends and roomed together in college. Is the game any less trivial? In the overall scheme of things, no. But for him and me, it’s something we enjoy and the time we have together is invaluable. That’s what I miss about baseball.

      1. 2D2, none of my reply was directed towards you, per se. My post was a generalized view applying more to some and less to others depending on where they are coming from. I’m not against anyone enjoying themselves.

2. Put me in the 2D2 camp on this. I miss baseball. I work to care for my family and to live. Everything we do outside of providing for our family and our faith (for me anyway) is an escape. Some choose to garden. Some choose to take long walks. Some bike ride. Some play golf. Some swim. Some bowl. Some go to movies. Some read. Some draw. Some involve themselves in political discussions. And yes, some watch sports. For some it is NASCAR, while others it is football or futbol, some it is basketball. For me it is baseball. But I also love to walk, listen to music, and read. These activities are escapes from the real world and our familial obligations and life’s distractions.

   I think Jeff may make the distinction between being physically involved in an activity and being a spectator. Not all of us can be physically involved due to a myriad of reasons. I also think Jeff may be obscuring escaping through sports or obsession with sports. Obsession for anything is not healthy, but temporary escapism through sports is not obsession. At least to me. Or at least that is what I choose to believe. It is that escapism that has allowed me to navigate through my personal trials and tribulations without going in a different direction.

   There is no question that I love baseball. I was not talented enough to competitively play past Pony League, as I was an age group swimmer, and swam in high school, rather than baseball. But that lack of talent did not diminish my love for the game. Baseball is something we did as a family. I coached for 15 years, was President of the Little League for 10. My wife ran the Snack Bar. Both my sons played through college, and one professionally. If there is any question as to what to give to Dad or Grandad for a gift, it was easy…something Dodgers or Trojans. I was also the football announcer for my kids’ high school for 10 years. My wife, daughter, and son (not so gently) nudged me to become more involved in this blog, as they know it is part of who I am.

   To say “to be free of this influence, is to live differently.” We are all influenced. The source of that influence is different for everyone. Most of that influence emanates from one’s own life’s experiences. Jeff does not need baseball or sports in his life, and I think that is great. I don’t know about need as much as I WANT baseball in my life. It gives me enjoyment.

3. Interesting reads to start my morning. Erudite is a word that comes to mind.

   I read an intriguing piece in the Athletic by the new Rams beat writer Jourdan Rodrigue. If you are a subscriber I recommend you read it. Several things she referenced struck me where I find myself these days – struggling to remain in the moment. A Ron Rivera quote squared it up – “Be where your feet are”. I all too often find myself remembering and restructuring the past. Things I wish I’d done better, things I didn’t do at all but wish I had. At 72 I find myself becoming more of an observer of life than the participant I once was. A friend recently asked me “Rory, what brings you joy?” I thought about it a moment and realized the answer was obvious. Play. All my life, interrupted by 3 miserable years in the Marine Corps, what I did in my spare time was play. I didn’t take school seriously (C- average in high school) until I went back to college at age 26. I did well there, got a teaching credential, did some coaching. Didn’t last long. But I took play seriously until I was in my 60’s. I skied, swam in lakes and rivers and ran in nature all over the west. I played tournament softball for decades and participated in the MABL Over 30 Redwood Empire League until I was 56. I could still hack, with an OPS over 1.100 my last year. I climbed three 14ers (and 13, 993’ Mt Humphreys) after 60. But now? Over 70 and I’m basically in house arrest reading, gardening, meditating and watching movies. Play is done cerebrally now and admittedly I am no where near as adroit with that as I usta was.

   I like coming here. I find the folks here kindred spirits. I also find your thoughts thought provoking. For that I thank you.

   One last thing before I go for my second cup of coffee. Pedro Moura writes about where the Athletic computers would have the Dodgers if the season was in play. Third place, with David Price and Brusdar Graterol on the IL, possibly out for the year. May is down with elbow inflammation. Buehler, Ferguson, Jansen and Kershaw are doing well, but Urias, Wood and Taylor are not. Gonsolin has a 7.48 ERA at OKC, Kelly has struggled and Treinen has been unlucky. Bellinger was extended, 6 years $124 million, he, Muncy and Betts are all OPS’n over 1.000. Hitters are hitting and the team does lead the league in run differential so the season is still “altogether plausible”. The Dodgers haven’t given up on signing Betts but he’s asking for 9 years @ $37 million per year.

   1. I read the Alternate Universe Season by The Athletic. An interesting read for sure. I really liked that Corey Seager was hitting .331 and leading the league in RBI’s. I will take the over as to what it would cost to extend Belli. It was interesting to note that the Athletic’s computer algorithms did not take Scott Boras being his agent into account.

      If Betts was willing to sign with the Dodgers for 9 years at $37MM per, he will be a Dodger.

4. I was missing baseball until my wife had a stroke ten days ago and is beginning the initial steps of what will be a long recovery. Baseball means zero to me now. Priorities.

   1. Rudy, my heart aches for you and your wife. She will be in my prayers. And obviously your priorities are well placed.

      1. Thank you Jeff.

         1. Rudy, you and your wife and family will be on my prayer list. Having experienced a spouse’s recovery period with a stroke, I understand and agree what your priorities are. God bless.

   2. Sorry Rudy. I’ll send a thought out into the universe for both of you.

      Professional baseball does a take a back seat to the far more important issues facing the world as a whole and people as individuals. I would like to be able to follow my team but obviously it isn’t essential. I too don’t care about the financial loss. They’ve been raking it in for decades. A little humility might be good for them.

      1. Thank you, Badger. Spending her 65th birthday/retirement day in the hospital wasn’t what we had planned, but she’s strong and ready for the upcoming challenges.

         1. You can make it up to her Rudy. Create a memory that will allow her to laugh about this.

   3. Hope you and your wife make it through this time!

   4. Rudy, I’m so very sorry to hear about your wife. Please know that I’m praying for her full recovery and for strength for you as you care for her.

   5. I will pray for you and your wife. My wife has had 2 major strokes and life hasn’t been the same since. I have some idea what you are going through.

      The good news is that my wife is still alive, although fragile and very disabled, and I treasure each day that I have to spend with her.

      Remember that you only have control over what you can control – your response to this horrible news. How you handle it will make all of the difference, not only to yourself, but more importantly to your wife. She will need you more than you know.

5. 2D2,Thank you for a very interesting read.

6. Badger pointed to an article in the Athletic by Pedro Moura, published May 4. Very good article. Today, Andy McCullough and Pedro Moura wrote about Ross Stripling. Strip made some interesting comments about the potential of the 2020 season. He thought that the initial plan of sequestering players in Arizona for four months, was literally a joke. He called it inconceivable. But he does believe that MLB and the MLBPA can and should come to an agreement for an abbreviated season whereby teams are playing in their home stadiums in geographically designed divisions. The stadiums will be empty of fans, at least initially. He believed an 80-100 game schedule was certainly feasible.

   He also addressed (questioned) some of the same points many of you have made.

   Strip was quoted; “The thing is, how many guys have to get it again before baseball gets totally shut down?” Stripling said. “If a guy does get it, what does he do? Is he just self-quarantining for two weeks? I know we want those answers and expect to see that in any kind of proposal, what the contingencies are if players do start to get sick.”

   He also pointed to the financial negotiations yet to be made, and was also quoted; “I’d like to think that both sides can agree that baseball needs to be played and can come to an agreement,” Stripling said. “The last thing you want to see is billionaires fighting millionaires. When it comes down to money, it just seems, at a time like this, put that aside and have pride in the product on the field and go play baseball. And give people something to look forward to.

   Chicken Strip has been a favorite since being drafted. I’ve often said I love Texas pitchers. He talks about his status with the Dodgers and whether he believes he was given a fair shot at a rotation spot. He does say that he loves being a Dodger.

   Strip has his own podcast, The Big Swing, and it is well worth a listen.

   1. Who in the Dodger organization calls Stripling Chicken Strip? Is that just an LADT thing?

      I thought that keeping teams in their Spring Training facilities the best idea because there would be no air travel and every team is very familiar with the surroundings. Now I hear it’s inconceivable. May I ask why? Is it because the players don’t want to be away from their families? Hey, most all of you are on vacation with your families 4 months out of every year. This off season has been about 8 months. You are paid millions to play a game for a living and we fans are footing the bill. None of us have 4-8 months off (well, actually I do, but didn’t for 60 years) so how about you just cowboy up and put in 3-4 months worth of work for us? Do it first to earn your corpulent pay checks but also do it for the national élan vital. (I’m not entirely sure what that term means but I heard it once and it sounds like it fits.).

      TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM DAMMIT!!

      Ok, sorry for my emotional outburst there. I’ll take one of my anti-anxiety meds and lie down for a while.

      That reminds me of a Rodney Dangerfield joke:

      Guy calls his doctor freaked out and says “Doc, I’m scared here. I think I just overdosed on my sleeping pills.” Doc says “Relax, you’re gonna be fine. Have a couple drinks and call me in the morning.”

      1. During the first players weekend (where the players get to choose a nickname to put on their uniform jerseys), Stripling chose “Chicken Strip”. He has been Chicken Strip ever since.

         1. Oh. He chose that. I think I would have gone with Strip Tease. But that’s just me.

7. 2D2, Thank you for the article which was very interesting and made me think about the financial loss the Dodgers would suffer if the season was cancelled. On a personal note, I really miss the baseball games and miss seeing how the new players do and the olders ones improve. I really wanted to see Betts play and hope we will see that happen if they can get a season together. Hope so

8. I need an clear, concise summation of this piece in the Atlantic. William, Harold, Jeff, Rick, STB, d2, heck, anybody in here could help. Thanks.

   https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/pandemic-confusing-uncertainty/610819/

9. Another article in The Athletic speaks of the Dodgers’ commitment to nutrition as part of its player development program. A brief excerpt:
   “The individual attention and education Lewis cited is part of an overall plan for the Dodgers’ player development system, according to Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman. “Our organizational goal is to have an individualized approach in all aspects of player development. Proper nutrition is a major point of emphasis across all of our teams, and we understand that each player will require a different meal plan to best fuel their body,” Friedman said. “We feel this sometimes undervalued piece is a big component of our players performing at their highest level throughout the season.”

   In previously-mentioned Ross Stripling article, Strip talks about the Dodgers’ efforts to help him with his changeup:
   “As an eight-year member of the organization, he is particularly pleased with the coaching staff’s investment in his development. This spring, assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness helped re-work Stripling’s changeup, which was serviceable but unspectacular in the past. The data on the pitch looked fine, but hitters could see it out of his hand. So Stripling twisted the ball slightly in his hand before throwing it. Edgertronic cameras confirmed the improvement.”

   What really impresses with the Dodgers are their use of their financial resources to lead the way in player development. The results are obvious.

10. I have mixed feelings. I miss baseball, and particularly as the Dodgers were likely to have really good season. And of course theaters are closed, concerts are canceled, and it would be nice to have something to watch. On the other hand, my sense is that doing baseball this year would mostly be a means of recouping financial losses, and that the whole thing might be rather hollow. Of course, we would not know until we saw it; but I imagine empty stands except for the players spaced out in the first few rows. The only sounds would be bats sometimes hitting balls. If the manager wanted to take the pitcher out, would he just signal, no conference? Would there ever be a meeting on the field among players and manager, discussing strategy? I am thinking of August on some field in Arizona, Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati, still scoreless after four innings, we’ll be back after these commercial messages.

    Is some form of baseball better than nothing? Very possibly, though I think that the current efforts to “reopen the country” are ghastly, because the consequences are likely to be extremely bad. How did science somehow become political? Back to baseball, what if some team finds that two of the players test positive, does that immediately end the season? There are some powerful people who want there to be some form of baseball this season, and so I guess there might be. I suppose I would watch the Dodgers, at least, none of the other games except for playoffs. But if there is no baseball, while I would miss it, along with the other things that are shut down, I would certainly understand, and just hope that next year is better in all respects.

11. I miss live baseball as do most of the rest of you but I find myself surprisingly uninterested in watching reruns of old games. Since I’m in Badger’s (Rory?) age group, I also find myself doing far more observing than participating these days but am grateful for the ability to do that.

    As I watch the world around me, I try to take a moment every day to think about how lucky I am compared to so many other stories I hear out there. Rudy, my very best wishes to your wife for a strong recovery.

    As I have mentioned previously, as has William above and has also been voiced by Strip, what happens when one or more players catch the virus? Our conversations have revolved around whether there will be a 2020 season or not. I read a story in the L.A. Times this morning that says the original virus mutated sometime in the last 2 or 3 months and the latest version seems to be more contagious than the original. Fauci and others in the medical/scientific community have thrown out numbers that say some of this could be with us for anywhere up to three years. The medical community is doing their very best work to come up with a vaccine, but what if the mutated version needs a different vaccine? What if it mutates again?

    I suppose we just need to try to get a bit of joy out of every day and if that ultimately includes actual MLB baseball, all the better. We just need to be prepared that when it finally starts, just as the stock market, it’s going to probably be volatile and may go through periods of stops and starts.

12. Hmm. I just posted an article from the Atlantic and it appears to have disappeared. If I go back a few clicks, it’s still there. Whahappen Jeff? You don’t like the Atlantic?

    Yep, I posted my name Jefe. I’d give you my last name, but then you’d google it and I would have some explaining to do. I’ll save the board the trouble and just say I was acquitted of those charges.

    1. Badger, I cannot answer what happened. I did not put it on hold, but I did release it.

       1. Thank you Jeff.

          I notice nobody has responded to my request. You want to take a shot patrón?

          1. I will have to take a look at the article later this afternoon.

             1. Clear your head before you do.

             2. Badger, I read the article you referenced, and I am no more educated about Covid-19 specifically or coronaviruses in general. The one thing I did get out of the article is that nobody knows everything. It also is apparent to my simple mind that if some want to wait until there is a vaccine to re-open society, we may be waiting for years. Virus vaccines do not come easy, and as the article indicated, it takes a long time before the scientific community is satisfied that the result is properly vetted. We are still waiting on a vaccine for HIV, SARS, MERS…So if we are waiting on the scientific community we might as well forget about large arena sports, or concerts, or other similar venues for quite awhile. or if we are waiting for a vaccine, maybe never again. It took 6+ years before AZT was determined to be helpful in combating HIV. It was not perfect, it was done with only one trial using humans (and for only 19 weeks), not the approved scientific method of three long human trials. But the death rate for those taking the placebo were mounting faster than was acceptable with a potential drug to help alleviate it. Will the same scientific community allow for expedited trials of questionable drug cocktails to help prevent some deaths, or are we to wait until all doubts are scientifically eliminated?

                The most poignant line in the entire article was…” “For a lot of people, what is true is what the people I’ve chosen to trust in my community say is true.” For me, I recognize my ignorance on this subject and do not choose any community to follow.

             3. Interesting take Jeff. Thank you.

                I was left with a similar overall conclusion. Leadership on this is lacking, the community that deals with this is underfunded and scattered, and vital steps to managing this, testing and a vaccine, are months down the road. The life force of capitalism is dynamic, it’s essence is activity. The same can be said for this virus. It needs us to mingle. The bottom line for me is simply this – I worry that we really don’t know how to do this.

13. Great article on the Athletic about last year’s 4th round draft pick, Brandon Lewis:

    https://theathletic.com/1794275/2020/05/05/how-the-dodgers-brandon-lewis-remade-his-body-and-became-a-fourth-round-pick/

    Gives some insights as to how the Dodger player development operates in the area of nutrition, etc.

14. If the baseball season is cancelled or played in AZ, could the dodger recoup some of their losses but renting their stadium out for anything?

    1. Perhaps, but given the current restrictions against any gatherings with more than 10 people, I would doubt they could. They would have greater chance by making a claim against the business loss or interruption provision of their insurance policy.

       1. There seems to be a major question as to whether business interruption insurance policies will pay for losses caused by the pandemic. Apparently after the SARS situation in the early 2000s most insurance companies started inserting exclusion paragraphs if the loss was caused by virus or bacteria.

          It looks as though there will be lots of litigation around this and attorneys are already advertising to that effect.

          Full disclosure: I have absolutely nothing to do with the insurance industry so anyone here who does, feel free to let me know I don’t know what the heck I’m talking about.

       2. I don’t have an insurance agent, but I have an old high school friend in insurance here. I’ll drop him a line and ask.

15. *by renting*

16. A sincere thanks to all who sent good wishes for me and my wife.

    1. Rudy – just checked in and learned of wife’s stroke. So very sorry for your situation with nothing to do to help except include you and your wife in our prayers. There is power in prayer. It is a mountain to climb but you will climb it together.

17. For you Mark. “Water is life and life is water.” I like your logo.

18. The Article in The Atlantic is one I think I posted here Sunday.

    I haven’t had the TV on in weeks. I don’t watch old baseball games.

    I am just busy writing and working.

    Some of you know what the solution is, but most think they know what the solution is. I don’t, but If everyone sheltered in place for the next year, or until a vaccine is developed maybe 200,000 lives would be saved. But that does not go far enough. Ban fast food, power tools, guns, fossil fuels, electric plants, cattle, horses, tobacco, sugar drinks, soda, alcohol, and outlaw obesity and you might save up to 10,000,000 lives a year! That would show how much we really care. Yeah, let’s go back to the caveman days. It would be better for everyone.

    Rudy, Godspeed to your wife and you. Hopefully, they got her some TPA quickly.

    Side story: In 1997, I was so broke I could not pay attention. I secured a commissioned sales job with a company called ARS in Indianapolis. The first year, I made more than the CEO, and they cut my commission every year until I left 4 years later. Shortly after that, I started US Water Systems in my garage. ARS is nearly bankrupt and on Friday, my wife and I and 4 of our executives meet to negotiate to buy their building.

    Patty told me : “If we end up there, you will have come full circle.” Ain’t life grand and strange! Here’s the building and our US Water Logo would be right at home:

    https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/25-Woodrow-Ave-Indianapolis-IN/18432579/

    I am so happy to see Jeff and everyone carrying on at LADT!

    1. I’m gonna leave that one alone.

       There are red flags popping up all over the place. The latest is Dr Bright’s whistle blower complaint. I don’t claim to know what to do, but I do know this – the people that are supposed to know apparently don’t. The politicians are clueless and the scientists are befuddled. This is not going to end well.

       1. My point is that I don’t know what the solution is. I am not going back to “normal” nor do I think there will ever be a normal again.

          Reuters had this today: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-germany-estimates/german-study-suggests-infections-are-10-times-the-number-of-confirmed-cases-idUSKBN22G1BW?fbclid=IwAR1JGsA9bFrEC5v6rDwPcmEKmbKS3R7wY76cOu-Eh3YwoerVqG6HYSc7O1E

          1. I should have mentioned that Atlantic article was the same one you posted on the dead thread. As I recall nobody but me commented that they had read it, and I believe it’s one of, if not the most important piece of journalism I’ve read on the subject. My apologies for my oversight.

             As for your post, ok, I’ll speak to it. I found the rant about what to ban next unhelpful. Ban horses? Ban obesity? Ban guns? Who are you speaking to with this oration?

             This is the most serious health scare this nation has seen in years. And as Yong wrote about in detail, we are not handling this with the intelligence and precision that is demanded.

             As for the rest of your post, congratulations on your success. I’m happy for you that at this time global stress you can absorb failing businesses. Especially those guys. I remember when that happened. If memory serves, I had just moved to Napa. And I too am not interested in re-run games nor am I interested in Korean baseball.

       2. Don’t worry, Badger, the 1% are fully in control!

          1. Good point Jeff.

             Let’s ask Mark to float us a low interest loan, with deferred payments until after we are vaccinated.

    2. Failure can stem from success and often does if expansion’s fixed costs are too high. Be careful.

19. Sorry to hear about your wife Rudy. Is she home with you?

    1. Hopefully in the next week or two, Bum. Then the out-patient therapies (physical, occupational and speech) will begin. I appreciate you asking.

20. If you are interested, here is a very interesting article:

    https://www.livescience.com/why-covid-19-coronavirus-deadly-for-some-people.html?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=17546&utm_content=20200505_Coronavirus_Infographic+&utm_term=4416763&m_i=V5aez7phN_19KNUoxYEyogbsJfiu6aU2IL4JWj5iNCn15eJy552NfroxyCBznXl0sGFoECZ4T5IpbyYkC_HT8iK8K1lRL7

    1. A lot of reading there, including references to the funding behind LiveScience.

       Several articles listed below. Copious Covid consumption come-at-ables.

       So if I read that right, old people and people with pre-existing conditions are more susceptible to Covid. Check. Also people who have blood. Check. And people who smoke and people with genetic codes in their blood. Check. Im guessing alcoholics are easy targets too.

       I think that’s a lot of people.

       Obviously the more I read the more dumbfounded I become.

       I think I should warn you that I’m likely not going to be very helpful in the coming days. Not that I’ve added clarity to the discussions in the past.

       I think I’ll have a cup of fresh brewed Major Dickinson’s then brush the cats. Try to be useful this morning.

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