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MLB’s proposal pits owners against players

Rockies news and links for Wednesday, May 13, 2020

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Clock is suddenly ticking on MLB’s 82-game season proposal | New York Post

As of Tuesday afternoon, the proposal to start the MLB season is in the hands of the players association. The players reps will likely convene to discuss the proposal and draft a response, thus beginning a negotiation period that will probably need to wrap up within two or three weeks for a chance at the proposed start date in early July.

There’s a lot going on in this proposal, some of which we discussed in yesterday’s Rockpile, and some of which you can read about in a million other places.

So instead, let’s talk about the aspect that for some reason isn’t being talked about as much despite this being a health crisis: health.

Rockies player rep Scott Oberg talks owners’ proposal for 2020: “Number one issue is going to be health and safety” | Denver Post ($)

So many of the articles I’ve read in the past few days have amounted to the writers being irritated by “greedy millionaires fighting with greedy billionaires.” And yes, the financial issue is a major concern for both sides.

But this isn’t a collective bargaining agreement. This is a proposal to begin playing a sport during a global pandemic. Sure, most of the players are healthy and young and thus in a lower risk category. But what about their families? And the coaches? And the hotel workers, cleaning staff, food prep people, bus drivers, airline personnel, clubhouse attendants, media people, muffin bakers, photographers, fishmongers, and whoever else is necessary to make games happen?

Some risk will have to be accepted. That’s a given. But how much? For players whose immune systems already attack themselves (Scott Oberg) or who don’t really have immune systems at all due to not really having spleens at all (David Dahl), the risks are pretty high.

Personally, I don’t really care who wins the money battle if we risk losing this:

Colorado Rockies Photo Day Photo by Rob Tringali/Getty Images

Or this:

And I don’t think we can reasonably expect the players union to accept any plan that doesn’t address how we’ll look out for the fishmongers of MLB.

The most important aspect of any MLB restart plan | Sean Doolittle on Twitter

Yes, I’m including a Twitter thread in my Rockpile. That’s the world we live in now.

Sean Doolittle breaks down the health risks players and their families are being asked to expose themselves to. And because this disease is so new, there’s a lot we don’t even know about the risks—including the long-term implications.

This stuff is sort of important.

Passan’s 20 questions: Why financial battle over 2020 MLB season is about to get really, really ugly | ESPN

As Jeff Passan predicted, this week got ugly. Players are fighting with owners. Fans are fighting with fans. Sportswriters are fighting with sportswriters. And Jeff Passan is going a little stir crazy.

Aren’t we all.

Beyond perfect: Armando Galarraga, 10 years after the call | The Athletic

Hey, you know how there’s no baseball and everyone is arguing over money and stuff in the middle of a global pandemic?

Why don’t we instead talk about the good times in baseball?

Like remember that time Armando Galarraga threw a perfect game?

...

Oh. Right.

‘Hamilton’ Coming To Disney+ On July 3, Bypassing 2021 Theatrical Release | NPR

This has nothing to do with baseball. But you know what? We all needed some good news, and national treasure Lin-Manuel Miranda has answered the call.

★ ★ ★

Well, we already talked about who was the ugliest (it’s the owners). So now let’s address who’s the prettiest.

Best Glamour Shot: Germán Márquez

It’s Germán. Germán is the prettiest.

Colorado Rockies Spring Training Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Most Likely To Be Phillip Diehl: Phillip Diehl

I really thought Ian Desmond was going to win this one.

Colorado Rockies Spring Training Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Best Cucaracha

Remember when we were all cucarachas? That was fun.

Cucarachas never die.

1. Garrett Hampson

Miami Marlins v Colorado Rockies Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

A cucaracha in his natural habitat.

2. Sam Hilliard

Colorado Rockies v San Francisco Giants Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Sam seems a little hesitant about the whole cockroach thing.

3. Ian Desmond

Miami Marlins v Colorado Rockies Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Ian is demonstrating the slow cucaracha, which is like a slow clap, but for cockroaches.

4. Trevor Story

Arizona Diamondbacks v Colorado Rockies Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Trevor’s cockroach has apparently broken one of its antennae.

5. Nolan Arenado

MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Nolan has evidently never seen a cockroach. But somehow this is kind of adorable?

6. Daniel Murphy

Colorado Rockies v Milwaukee Brewers Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

I don’t what’s going on here, but that’s definitely not a cockroach.

Poll

Best Cucaracha

This poll is closed

  • 44%
    Garrett Hampson
    (32 votes)
  • 4%
    Sam Hilliard
    (3 votes)
  • 11%
    Ian Desmond
    (8 votes)
  • 6%
    Trevor Story
    (5 votes)
  • 12%
    Nolan Arenado
    (9 votes)
  • 20%
    Daniel Murphy
    (15 votes)
72 votes total Vote Now