So my take is - as a celebratory event sports in times of pandemic doesn't work. At least their starts. The curiousity of whether or not is going to work overshadows anything off the field that usually draws interest. The protests/demonstrations, the "We're back!" commercials, the visit from the commissioner in the booth. It was all secondary to "Juan Soto tested positive! What does that mean!?", "Are those guys getting too close?" and "Hey it's raining, shouldn't they cancel this right away? How are they distancing?"
However, as a "thing going on in the background that you can focus on" which is what baseball is from the day after Opening Day until the stretch run, it works just fine. The baseball was baseball. The lack of fans is a little weird but more so because the pumped in crowd noise can't exactly match up with what's going on. Cut outs worked a little better but it's not like we've never seen the rich seats empty behind the plate. I think once we get to the weekend and we're looking at it as the every day foreground noise and not as the big thing to focus on it'll feel pretty normal.
The game itself was a dud (as was the Dodger / Giant game after that - but that was expected). Max both was and wasn't sharp. At points he struck out 3 and 4 guys in a row. At others he gave up meatballs or 4 pitch walks. You can piece together yesterday in a way that has him giving up 1 run instead of 4 so I'm not too worried other than the end. But pitchers away from the game for 7+ months getting tired a bit earlier is probably going to be a thing we see a lot for a few weeks.
Cole wasn't as dominant as the line would have you believe. There were a number of decently hard hit balls that went at 'em. But he didn't lose control like Max did and that ended up being the difference. Cole's one hit, the Eaton smash, was a solo job, and there was never anyone else on for him to worry about.
No Nats (or Yankees) game today because even in a shortened pandemic season MLB can't help but have dumb scheduling. Plenty of other games though Mets Braves is probably the most compelling. Also Giolito is pitching Opening Day. See you on Monday
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7 comments:
I think Max will be fine. He had great stuff. He didn't have great placement. And he always gives up a home run in the first inning -- so why not give up a 460 foot bomb?
But the line-up is weak, and unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to change it. No Rendon, no Zimmerman, no Soto. Without them, the Nats have a very ordinary team with a bunch of league average hitters, except Howie -- if he can come close to replicating what he did last year.
Looking forward to Strasburg's start tomorrow night.
Yeah without Soto, this offense is REAL weak. Can't have duds like that from Max on a regular basis if they want to get a good spot in the playoffs (because let's be realistic, with 16 teams, they'd have to try not to make it)
Watched every game last year, if they want to kneel I will not watch anymore, or contribute
to their sponsors. My loss, as I look forward to the games, but I believe they are ignorant.
PF / CP - essentially no Soto no Rendon was the lineup that helped get the Nats to 19-31 last year. Let's hope Soto gets that negative that makes us believe it's a false positive. Because without him this is going to be a long season. A long short season.
They can miss it. I mean that in there could be a situation where a team real close to .500 misses (I looked back through 2014 and the best team to miss a playoffs was an 83-79 team) and in a short season some bad breaks can put a good team around .500. But with Soto playing 50+ games and no SP issues? I think they make it.
MJ - That's fine! We all make choices. I will say that the vast majority were not kneeling for the anthem if that's what bothers you, but in a moment of silence before. I believe more reckoning, not less, with race relations will be the norm so it may be tough to find outlets that aren't doing something but there are thousands of ways to spend ones free time so hope you find something you enjoy to replace the sports you lose.
This taking a knee is symbolic cowtowing and showing obediance to the Kaepernick crowd that claim America is to be despised, made over, "re-imagined", and who have no patriotism. No wonder no fans there as this would have been BOOED and crowds would have LEFT. LOOK what happened to the NFL. It DOES NOT MATTER that it was "before" the Anthem.
We do not go to baseball games to be told we are racists and we need to change America.
ALSO I doubt any player has this disease although they might have had a bogus test positive. Baseball players get an abundance of Vitamin D naturally and this virus doesn't do well against that. I think any player who did not play simply refused to take a knee.
2020 the year America lost its everloving mind. Need a win today so we’re not 0-5.4.
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