Tag: Major League Baseball

Gators News: July 28, 2020

It has not been a great first week for the league and if things don’t shape up soon, we could very well see baseball shut back down again. 

As we wade deeper into another week the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic are becoming murkier and murkier as Major League Baseball battles through the first significant test of its restarted season.

The news coming out of the weekend was that multiple members of the Miami Marlins baseball squad, including both players and staff, tested positive for the novel coronavirus yet still took the field against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, only to have its next two games canceled.

The good news is that so far, no member of the Phillies’ club has tested positive… yet. The bad news is that there has not been a sufficient incubation period for the virus to show up for contact over the past couple of days, making the results a bit less encouraging. Additionally, four more Marlins tested positive over the past 24 hours, bringing the grand total to 17 among Miami’s baseball personnel.

The word from the nation’s top infection disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci? This outbreak could spell doom for the MLB season, but does not necessarily mean the games must be stopped now.

“This could put it in danger. I don’t believe they need to stop, but we just need to follow this and see what happens with other teams on a day-by-day basis.”

It has not been a great first week for the league and if things don’t shape up soon, we could very well see baseball shut back down again.

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New York Mets have fan cutout of Rockets GM Daryl Morey

Morey and his family will have a regular presence at all New York Mets home games in the form of fan cutouts in the empty stands.

Unlike the NBA “bubble” in Florida, the resumption of the 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season during the COVID-19 pandemic involves teams playing in their regular cities and facilities. While MLB’s plan isn’t quite as restrictive as the NBA, they are still playing without fans.

Based on the sheer size of baseball stadiums, with most typically seating 40,000 or more fans, it would make for quite a cavernous backdrop for players and television viewers if those seats were all left empty. The NBA doesn’t have that problem to anywhere near the same extent, since the venues at Disney World are nowhere close to regular capacities.

To mitigate that effect, many baseball teams are turning to cardboard fan cutouts in seats to replicate the normal look. For the New York Mets, one of those fans happens to be Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey.

Morey grew up in Ohio as a Cleveland Indians fan. More recently, he has adopted the defending American League champion Astros during his time in Houston. The Mets are the preferred team of his wife, Ellen. But since the Mets play in the National League, there isn’t much of any conflict between supporting them and also backing the Astros.

So for those watching Mets games on television this season, take a look at the otherwise empty surroundings. Though Morey will personally be at the NBA bubble in Florida with the Rockets, he and his immediate family will also have a very visible presence in New York.

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Gators News: July 23, 2020

Today is the big day for pro sports as MLB kicks off its truncated 60-game schedule tonight after the season was postponed due to COVID-19. 

Today is the big day for professional sports as Major League Baseball kicks off its truncated 60-game schedule tonight after the season was postponed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Four teams open the season today — the other 26 will start Friday — but the matchups should both be good ones, with the World Series Champion Washington Nationals hosting the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers welcoming the San Francisco Giants.

Here is a look at a few of Florida’s incoming recruits.

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USC’s Tommy Milone gets Opening Day start for Orioles this Friday

A special honor for a USC pitcher.

Tommy Milone, age 33, made his first appearance in a Major League Baseball game in 2011. Nine years later, he is still going in the big leagues, now playing for his seventh different team, the Baltimore Orioles.

A select few players are great enough to be immortalized in Cooperstown, New York, at the Baseball Hall of Fame. A broader but still elite subsection of players is extremely good and memorably productive, enough to help their teams win pennants and World Series titles.

It is easy to focus on the all-time greats and the defining key cogs on baseball teams; they’re the ones whose stories are most prominently written about in the pages of history.

Yet, they are hardly the only players who carve out immensely successful careers.

By many central measurements, Tommy Milone has had an immensely successful career. Now that career will be rewarded with a special honor every pitcher dreams of: Getting the ball on Opening Day as a starter.

Milone will take the hill for the Orioles on Friday against the Boston Red Sox. John Means was the originally announced Opening Day starter, but he then came down with a case of “dead arm,” elevating Milone into the Opening Day spotlight against an A.L. East rival.

It is impressive for any professional athlete to enter a tenth season of competition. That is what Milone is doing, a feat he will share with justified pride when his playing days are over.

This season is short and precious, which makes every start and every pitch that much more urgent. The Orioles’ chances of making any kind of run at a playoff spot are remote, no matter how you slice it, but in an environment when merely one good month of baseball can put a team in playoff contention, the Orioles certainly have much more of a chance than they would have had in a normal 162-game season.

Milone could make Baltimore 1-0 on Friday, and if the Orioles can be 1-0, they can then be 2-0. If they go 16-14 in their first 30 games, they will legitimately be in the playoff hunt with only 30 games left in the regular season.

Stranger things have happened… you know, like a pandemic and a 60-game baseball season.

You know Tommy Milone will appreciate each pitch he throws in this most unusual year and this most unusual circumstance for Major League Baseball and the Orioles.

Gators News: July 21, 2020

As we wade deeper into another week, we inch closer and closer to the beginning of MLB’s 60-game season, slated to start on Thursday night.

Another Tuesday has arrived and as we continue to wade deeper into another week, we inch closer and closer to the beginning of Major League Baseball’s abbreviated 60-game season, which is slated to start on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, in the football realm, there is still a great deal of discussion going on over how a college football season can be played in the fall — if it is even possible at all. And if football cannot be played, the economic ramifications could be huge, to the tune of many billions of dollars in lost revenues that stretches from the schools to the local economies to the broadcast networks.

There is still a great deal of uncertainty that lies ahead of us, with some answers expected to come sooner than later, such as with the SEC, which is expected to release a clarified plan before the end of July.

Enough of the bad news, here is some good news from yesterday on Gators Wire.

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Gators News: July 13, 2020

A new week is upon us and given the events that preceded the weekend we are in for one heckuva few days as we roll into the middle of July. 

A new week is upon us and given the events that preceded the weekend we are in for one heck of a few days as we roll into the middle of July.

It is expected that sometime later today the Southeastern Conference will make its announcement concerning the shift to conference-only schedules already taken by the Big 10 and PAC-12, as well as the Ivy League’s decision to cancel all fall athletics. The Patriot League is also canceling its 2020 fall athletics season, according to a source.

In other news, Major League Baseball is currently struggling with its restart due to numerous reports of positive COVID-19 cases while the National Basketball Association is trying its hardest to keep its bubble from being burst.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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Gators News: July 7, 2020

Continuing to delve deeper into the summer doldrums the ugly head of COVID-19 continues to pervade areas of our society, including sports. 

As we continue to delve deeper into the summer doldrums, the ugly head of COVID-19 continues to pervade all areas of our society, including sports.

For the time being, the powers that be have every intent on moving forward with a college football season this fall, but many are becoming more and more skeptical. Some believe that time is running out for the season to begin as scheduled and others just do not think the season is going to happen — not for a lack of trying, however.

Professional sports have also been struggling to get their protocols perfectly implemented as well as dealing with the “human factor” with some among the game who may not be reliable in complying with safety measures or may pose potential threats themselves. For Major League Baseball, once such example appears to be umpire Joe West.

However, alluding back to the earlier topic: if you want college football (or any sports), please wear your masks and practice social distancing. If we all work together as a team, we can get through this pandemic and have our sports again.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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Gators News: July 6, 2020

A new week is once again upon us with concerns over the reopening of sports growing by the day as MLB conducts its “summer camp”.

A new week is once again upon us with concerns over the reopening of sports growing by the day.

Currently, Major League Baseball is conducting its “summer camp” in hopes of getting in a 60-game schedule over the next few months, though that process has gone anything but smoothly so far. Long story short, some players are opting out and teams have suspended their practices until the results of Friday’s testing come in — which were delayed due to the holiday weekend. So far overall, MLB’s testing regime has been incomplete and certainly has a ways to go before it reached mid-season form.

In other sports news, Louisville Courier-Journal published an opinion piece this morning explaining the virtues of pushing the college football season back into the spring of 2021. Given the sharp rebound of the virus after the accelerated re-opening, this is very good advice.

Here is the rest of the news from the weekend.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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MLB plans return: What we know and updated World Series odds

MLB plans to return with a 60-game 2020 season tentatively set for late July. We look at the details and updated World Series betting odds.

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred scheduled a return to baseball for late July, several high-ranking officials told USA TODAY Sports Monday night. A 60-game regular season is tentatively set pending players union approval of the health and safety protocols.

Below, we’ll look at all the key dates and details, as well as the updated 2020 World Series betting odds at BetMGM.

New 2020 MLB schedule

  • “Spring” training 2.0 will start July 1. Teams will train at their home ballpark facilities, with the possible exception of the Toronto Blue Jays, who may need to use their spring training complex in Dunedin, Fla.
  • Opening Day is expected to be during the July 24-26 weekend.

What will the 2020 MLB game-play look like?

(Photo Credit: John David Mercer – USA TODAY Sports)

It is likely no fans will be permitted at games amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The postseason will remain at the 10-team format, including one play-in game in both leagues.

Regular-season games will adopt the minor-league rule for extra innings of beginning with a runner on second base for every half-inning after the ninth. The designated runner would be the player that made the final out of the previous half-inning.

2020 MLB World Series betting odds

2020 World Series odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday, June 23 at 4:30 p.m. ET.

  • New York Yankees +350 (unchanged)
  • Los Angeles Dodgers +375 (was +380)
  • Houston Astros +800 (was +700)
  • Atlanta Braves +1400 (was +1100)

Pro tip: New to sports betting? A $100 wager on the Yankees to win the World Series at +350 odds profits $350 if the Yankees do so. Place your legal sports wagers online in Colorado, Indiana, New Jersey and West Virginia at BetMGM.

  • Minnesota Twins +1600 (unchanged)
  • Washington Nationals +1600 (unchanged)
  • Tampa Bay Rays +2000 (unchanged)
  • Chicago Cubs +2500 (was +3000)
  • Cleveland Indians +2500 (was +3000)
  • New York Mets +2500 (unchanged)
  • Oakland Athletics +2500 (unchanged)
  • Philadelphia Phillies +2500 (unchanged)
  • St. Louis Cardinals +2500 (was +2000)
  • Cincinnati Reds +3000 (unchanged)
  • Chicago White Sox +3500 (unchanged)
  • Los Angeles Angels +3500 (unchanged)
  • Boston Red Sox +4000 (was +3500)
  • Milwaukee Brewers +4000 (was +3500)
  • Arizona Diamondbacks +5000 (unchanged)
  • San Diego Padres +5000 (unchanged)
  • Texas Rangers +8000 (unchanged)
  • Toronto Blue Jays +15000 (was +10000)
  • Colorado Rockies +22000 (was +30000)
  • Kansas City Royals +50000 (unchanged)
  • Miami Marlins +50000 (unchanged)
  • Pittsburgh Pirates +50000 (unchanged)
  • San Francisco Giants +50000 (unchanged)
  • Seattle Mariners +50000 (unchanged)
  • Baltimore Orioles +100000 (was +50000)
  • Detroit Tigers +100000 (was +50000)

Get some action on the 2020 World Series and 60-game MLB season by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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