Well…MLB players are expected to report July 1 to their home fields for COVID-19 testing and to initiate ST 2.0. Camp is due to begin July 3. As is usually the case with “normal” ST, pitchers and catchers will report first, with position players due to follow. It is expected that the players will report to ST on a staggered basis, and that they would be on the field at…
I want to be clear from the start. I am now, and I always have been on the side of the players when it comes to salary. They are entitled to whatever they can get. Scott Boras and Gerrit Cole can convince NYY that Cole should be paid $324MM, and that becomes his Fair Market Value (FMV). But Scott has no right to dictate to the owners as a group…
With the 60th pick in the MLB player draft, the Los Angeles Dodgers select Landon Knack, a 5th year senior right-handed pitcher out Eastern Tennessee State University, where he majored in accounting. Knack comes from Dodgers area scout Marty Lamb’s territory, joining Bobby Miller, Walker Buehler, Will Smith, and Matt Beaty as recent notable draft picks Lamb scouted. Lamb was also responsible for scouting Clayton Beeter. When I first read…
Right-hander Gavin Stone was selected by the Dodgers in the fifth and final round of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft. He was the penultimate selection in the draft at No.159 one pick before the 160th and final selection. He was rated the 303rd best-prospect in the draft by Baseball America. He is third-highest Central Arkansas MLB draftee in school history, and highest since 1992. He is the 23rd Bear to…
https://www.mlb.com/video/dodgers-draft-c-taylor-no-130?t=mlb-draft Draft night is always an exciting time because of what might be in the not too distant future. It was especially exciting this year as it came in the midst of a world without baseball. Since there were only five rounds, it was a different kind of draft not leaving teams much room for error and providing a less take-a-chance atmosphere. That would be true for most teams, but…
MLB completed its draft yesterday and we learned a couple of things: First, I have no special talent for mock drafts. I struck out on all of my choices. Not to worry though, I still enjoyed myself some Mocha Latte Gelato. Second, there was no discernable strategy employed by teams that was different from prior years. As in the past, several high school talents, that figured to be tough signs,…
We are on the eve of the one meaningful positive news event thus far for the 2020 MLB season. Even the event has warts as we have reduced the number of draft picks from 40 to 5, but it still lends to something good to look forward to. We have all read and heard what a throw of the dice the draft is, and with 6 picks, how does that…
May 14, 1998 started as a very special day in my household. It was my oldest son’s 18th birthday. We had some special plans to celebrate his birthday, once he finished with his school day. The big news of the day was that Frank Sinatra had died. Sad news certainly, but not anything that affected our family in any significant way. That afternoon, by the time I went to my…
A long time ago when the earth was young – well maybe not that long ago – I visited the Cape Cod region of Massachusetts. It was almost 45 years ago and it was a whirlwind visit as a day trip from East Bridgewater, a small community about 30 miles south of Boston. My wife and I were visiting relatives in the East Bridgewater area and they took us on…
Monday was a bittersweet day for me. On the positive side, it was my wife’s and my 46th wedding anniversary. It also marked the 16th anniversary of Andy’s MLB debut. However, it also marked our first anniversary without our son Kris. Kris was a nomad, but no matter wherever he was, he would ALWAYS call his mother on May 25 and wish her a Happy Anniversary. Never failed. I have…