Cleveland Sports Forum

Absolutely. I would.

Shoot I can be frustrated by it and of course I am. But if I am being honest if MLB plays games I am watching. And I know people who are dying for them to get back.

Dr. Anthony Fauci told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that MLB would be smart to finish up play in September.

This might give the owners a little more ammo in their quest for a shorter 2020 campaign. Fauci believes coronavirus cases will pick up in the fall and winter.

“If the question is time, I would try to keep it in the core summer months and end it not with the way we play the World Series, until the end of October when it’s cold,” Fauci said.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, MLB and the MLBPA are "closing in on an agreement to play the 2020 season."

Heyman notes that his source comes from the players' side of the negotiations and adds that the deal is "expected to be for prorated pay and include expanded playoffs."

The players have also apparently agreed to waive any potential grievances, per Heyman.

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred told ESPN on Monday that he was losing confidence about the possibility of the two parties reaching symmetry on a financial/health pact, but Manfred then flew to Arizona on Tuesday night to meet directly with MLBPA chief Tony Clark, and it sounds like those discussions might have broken the dam.

There should be many more details soon. Hopefully this will go down as a monumentally positive day for the sport of baseball.

I read that Clark and Manfred have an agreement to play 60 games and 16 teams in the playoffs. Starting second half of July.

Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers of ESPN report that the Major League Baseball Association has finalized a proposal to MLB for a season in the neighborhood of 70 games.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the offer is for exactly 70 games. He also reports that the season would begin on July 19 and end on September 30, with spring training 2.0 starting sometime between June 26-28.

Earlier in the week, the MLBPA had released a statement that essentially had said that they were done with proposals, but after a reported productive meeting between Tony Clark and Rob Manfred -- and a proposal from baseball on Wednesday for a 60-game season with fully prorated salaries -- that is no longer the case.

The deal would include a 50/50 split between players and owners for postseason revenue starting in 2021, and $50 million in playoff bonuses; along with the universal DH and forgiveness of the salary advances in March. If the COVID-19 pandemic were to threaten a cancelation of the postseason, the union proposes a neutral site with quarantine to guarantee the playing of a World Series.

Passan and several other analysts believe the deal is likely to be declined by owners, but believes the deal is close enough to express optimism that a 2020 season can be scheduled. Bob Nightengale of USA Today expresses less optimism, however, tweeting that owners are "dead set" on 60 games and would only budge if money is taken out of the framework. To be continued.

The older I get, the more I realize how much the majority of professional athletes
are spoiled brats.

While millions of people are suffering , they fight over salaries that can only
be a fantasy for most fans.

Send them out of their privileged cocoon. The sense of entitlement is
very off-putting.

My level of interest in their endeavors is at an all time low. And I am
good with that.

Let them KMA.

Today would be an appropriate day for the cheapskate himself Dolan to change the name of the Cleveland franchise in the American League.

rocky coltrane wrote:The older I get, the more I realize how much the majority of professional athletes
are spoiled brats.

While millions of people are suffering , they fight over salaries that can only
be a fantasy for most fans.

Send them out of their privileged cocoon. The sense of entitlement is
very off-putting.

My level of interest in their endeavors is at an all time low. And I am
good with that.

Let them KMA.

Add the owners into this post and I would agree - both sides are out of touch with the real world.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads here (I am one of them).

According to USATODAY's Bob Nightengale, MLB players have agreed to report to spring training by July 1 in preparation for a 60-game season beginning July 24-26.

The MLBPA was supposed to respond to MLB's season declaration by 5 p.m. today. According to Nightengale, the two sides are still working out some of the health and safety protocols that are being put in place.

MLB trade deadline moved to Aug. 31, teams can have 30 players on Opening Day roster in latest draft of league proposal
Updated 7:28 PM; Today 7:28 PM


By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
Major League Baseball is considering making drastic changes to its roster rules and league calendar this summer, according to a draft of the league’s operations manual obtained by MassLive.

Under the league’s latest plan for a 60-game season, the annual trade deadline would be moved from July 31 to Aug. 31. The memo calls for teams to begin the season with 30-man active rosters that will gradually be reduced to 26-man rosters by the end of the first month.

Here are some roster-related highlights of the proposal, which is subject to change before the season begins in late July.

* The trade deadline would move from July 31 to Aug. 31, representing the halfway point of the regular season.

* On Opening Day, teams would be able to carry up to 30 players on their active roster. On the 15th day of the season, the active roster limit would decrease to 28, and it further decrease to 26 players on the 29th day of the season. Teams would then have regular 26-man active rosters for the rest of the season and postseason.

* The transaction freeze that has been in place since March 26 would be lifted at noon on the fifth day prior to spring training, allowing teams to start tweaking their rosters.

* The deadline for players to become postseason-eligible would be Sept. 15 (meaning they would have to be in an organization on that date to qualify for postseason play).

* The number of active days required for Rule 5 players would be reduced proportionally to the number of days in the revised season.

* Three days before spring training, teams would submit a list designating the 60 players who will be part of their “player pool” of eligible participants in the season. That pool would include every 40-man roster and a series of non-roster players under contract. Not all of those players will be invited to major league spring training.

Teams cannot exceed 60 players in their designated player pool. To add a player, they must remove another through an improved transaction (including trades, waiver claims, releases, outright assignments, etc.)

Players not on the active roster would report to an alternate training site, which would be close to the team’s home ballpark. Intrasquad games would be permitted at those locations.

* For all road trips, teams would be allowed to carry up to three players on a “taxi squad” -- including one catcher. Those players would not receive major league service time but would be on hand in case teams needed to make changes to their rosters while on the road.

* Both position players and pitchers would require 10-day injured list stints and the 60-day injured list would become the 45-day injured list. There would be a separate COVID-19 related injured list for players who test positive for COVID-19, confirmed to have been exposed to COVID-19, or exhibits symptoms requiring self-isolation.

Players on that list would not count against a the active list limit, reserve list limit, or against the player pool limits.

Zack Meisel
@ZackMeisel
·
1m
This would give teams (cough, Indians, cough, Lindor, cough) about 35 games to figure out where they stand, which, obviously, isn't much of a sample size.

Jayson Stark
@jaysonst
·
2m
Here's a wrinkle I hadn't heard before:

MLB has been talking with Nashville about having 2 teams there of unsigned players, sources say.

They would serve as an emergency pool and would make $400/week.

MLB teams would have to pay a fee to Nashville to sign one of those players.

Stirrups Now!
@uniformcritic
·
3h
So MLB games that go extra innings will start with a runner on 2nd. If I’m a pitcher, I’d be saying that counts as an unearned run. Maybe it will.

FAQ: All you need to know about 2020 season


By Anthony Castrovince @castrovince
12:58 AM EDT

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association finalized a return-to-play plan Tuesday night.

In the interest of health and safety for players and personnel, there will be some new rules and procedures, and here is a handy guide to it all:

When does the season start?

After the July 1 report date and an abbreviated camp, the regular season is anticipated to begin on July 23-24.

How many games will be played?

MLB has submitted a proposed 60-game schedule to the MLBPA to review. It has not yet been finalized. To limit travel distances, teams would play a majority of games against their division opponents (40, or 10 against each division opponent) and the rest against their geographic counterpart in the other league (in other words, AL East vs. NL East, AL Central vs. NL Central, AL West vs. NL West).

What is the postseason format?

The same it has been since 2012: Five playoff teams from each league (three division winners, two Wild Card winners), with the winner of the Wild Card Game in the AL and NL advancing to a best-of-five Division Series against the top division winner. The League Championship Series and World Series remain best-of-seven.

Will the designated hitter be used in both leagues?

Yes. Though the universal DH for both 2020 and 2021 was part of a proposal rejected by the players, it remains a piece of the 2020 health and safety protocols. With an abbreviated "second Spring Training," an effort is being made not to overtax pitchers by having them hit.

So for now, it is possible that the NL could return to its traditional rules with pitchers hitting again in 2021.

Where will camps take place?

Most clubs are expected to conduct training at the ballparks in their home cities (not their Spring Training facilities).

Will there still be a Trade Deadline?

Yes. But instead of July 31, it will be Aug. 31. Players must be on a club's roster by Sept. 15 in order to be eligible for postseason play.

What will the rosters look like?

To help ease players into competition, each club will have a 30-man roster for the first two weeks, 28 for the next two weeks, and 26 for the remainder of the season.

Teams will submit lists of 60 players eligible to play in 2020 -- the 40-man roster plus a "taxi squad" of 20 players.

Will there be any in-game rule changes?

With a tight schedule and a desire to limit time on the field, the Minor League rule for extra innings will be in effect. That means every half-inning after the ninth will begin with a runner on second base. The designated runner would be the player who made the final out in the prior half-inning (or a pinch-runner for that player), and the pitcher would not be charged with an earned run if that runner scores (it would be scored as if the runner had reached on an error).

Please note that this rule is only in place for 2020 and only in effect for the regular season. Extra innings in the postseason would not begin with a runner on second.

Anything else related to gameplay I should know?

Yes, a few things to note.

1. Position players pitching: There was supposed to be a new restriction for 2020 that said position players could only pitch if the game was in extra innings or their team was ahead or trailing by more than six runs. There will be no such requirement for this season.

2. Three-batter minimum: This is an offseason rule change for 2020 that will remain. Relievers who enter the game must face at least three batters or finish an inning before being removed (with exceptions for injury or illness).

3. Suspended games: If a game gets cut short due to weather before it becomes official (less than five innings), it will be continued at a later date rather than started from scratch.

What protocols will be in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

Among the most pertinent measures are as follows:

• Players, coaches and support staff will be tested for COVID-19 every other day during Spring Training, the regular season and postseason.

• Players will receive temperature/symptom checks twice per day.

• Antibody testing will be conducted once per month.

• Social distancing will be encouraged as much as possible both on the field and off. Players and other team personnel not participating in the game will be sitting in the stands, at least six feet apart.

• Non-playing personnel must wear masks in the dugout and bullpen at all times.

• No pregame exchange of lineup cards.

• No celebratory contact (high-fives, fist bumps, hugs, etc.).

• No spitting or chewing of tobacco and/or sunflower seeds. Chewing gum is allowed.

• A ball will be thrown out once it has been touched by multiple players.

• Fights are strictly prohibited.

What happens if a player tests positive for COVID-19?

There will be a COVID-19 related injured list, with no minimum or maximum length of placement. A player may be placed on that list based on a positive COVID-19 test or confirmed exposure or if a player exhibits symptoms requiring self-isolation for further assessment. Any player who tests positive will not be allowed to return until he tests negative twice.

What about the regular injured list?

Rather than a 10-day injured list for position players and 15-day injured list for pitchers, there will be a 10-day injured list for all players in the shortened season. The 60-day injured list will be reduced to 45 days.

What if there is a COVID-19 outbreak in a team's city?

MLB has the right to relocate teams -- in the regular season and postseason -- to neutral sites for health and safety reasons.

Anthony Castrovince has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2004. Read his columns and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince.