Play Ball: Almost Time for Spring Training 2020
The Super Bowl is over, so let’s play ball!
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy following football, mostly because of the competitive nature. I also realize football surpassed baseball in terms of popularity a long time ago. Although the year it occurred is a bit blurry, I shed a tear every time I imagine any sport other than baseball being thought of as the national pastime.
Now, thankfully, the sports cycle turns toward what I will always consider the most interesting sport. Spring training is right around the corner, and the all-too-familiar refrain of “play ball” is nearly upon us. But before we turn the page, let’s take a quick look back at the 2019 season.
Looking Back to Look Forward
The Washington Nationals were a great story. Now, after almost 100 years, Washington holds the championship title of the baseball world. Yes, they had fantastic pitching with Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg leading the way. They got offensive contributions from a variety of sources: the expected (Anthony Rendon), the veterans (Ryan Zimmerman and Howie Kendrick), the young (Trae Turner) and the very young (Juan Soto). The Nationals came from behind in every series, including winning the last two World Series games on the road. In fact, the road team won all seven games for the first time in history. I recall the Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as the New York Yankees and Houston Astros, fighting it out to the very end, so they could gain “home field” advantage throughout the playoffs. How’d that work out? By the way, the Nationals were a Wild Card team.
Baseball can be very unpredictable. That’s one things that makes it interesting and exciting. Come playoff time, the slate is wiped clean. However, a team has to earn its way into the playoffs. That potential playoff spot is played out during the grueling 162-game regular season. Only one team can be crowned champion. In theory, all 30 MLB teams have a chance at the top spot. It’s almost time to play ball!
Prediction: All 30 teams will win 1/3 of their games and also lose 1/3 of their games. It’s what a team does with the middle 1/3 that will be the difference. (The late, great Earl Weaver said that.)
Alright, some teams are much stronger than others and, realistically, have a much better chance. Teams that rise to the top will have consistent hitting, pitching and defense, and will know how to win one-run and otherwise close games. They will have talented players, and they will compete for a championship with a top-to-bottom, on-the-same-page mindset. A team needs chemistry. Yes, great players are an absolute necessity, but the players have to play together. They must all know their roles. They must be heading in the same direction and be playing with the same goals in terms of winning for the team. There needs to be leadership on the part of the manager, but also from key players on the field.
Offseason Movement and Embarrassing Firings
There was some major movement of players during the offseason. Washington announced soon after the World Series they couldn’t keep both Strasburg and Rendon. Unfortunately, because of the money involved, this has become the reality in all sports, and it’s challenging to hold a championship team together. The Nationals re-signed Strasburg and lost Rendon, who signed with the Angels. Perhaps, Rendon and Mike Trout will be that winning combination the Angels have been searching for.
The other big-name free agent was Gerrit Cole, who pitched spectacularly for Houston in the postseason. He ended up going to the New York Yankees. I don’t think anyone was too surprised. They do have a lot of resources and money, but as we’ve seen, sometimes that’s not enough. There was one other big move: Mookie Betts moving from the Red Sox to the Dodgers. Betts is entering the last year of his contract, and Boston decided to trade him now rather than attempt to re-sign him at his sky-high demands. There were other minor player moves, but some may turn out to have quite an impact.
The “sign-stealing” verdict was handed down by MLB. It was big news because three managers, A.J. Hinch (Astros), Alex Cora (Red Sox), and Carlos Beltran (Mets) and one GM (Astros) ended up getting fired due to this. Remember, it’s not against the rules to try to steal signs, it is against the rules to use any electronic devices while doing so. Who knows if any games were affected, MLB just wants to make sure it doesn’t happen in the future and to ensure a level playing field for all teams. One thing is for sure, it’s not the traditional way to play ball.
New Rules for 2020
There were also some new rules being instituted for the 2020 season. All MLB rosters are being expanded from 25 to 26 players on each team. The biggest initial impact is that there are 30 more jobs being created on the major league level.
However, there is another new rule change that should have a major effect: “Any new pitcher who enters a game, must face a minimum of three batters.” No more left-handed specialist coming in to face the opponent’s star left-handed hitter, and then leaving the game after that one batter. I’m all for strategy, but it was getting ridiculous and, in my opinion, the game was suffering because of it. I realize not everyone will like this new rule, especially baseball purists. It will be interesting to see how it’s received by players and fans. I like the sound of it, but let’s see how it plays out.
I’m very excited about the 2020 MLB season. It promises to be interesting, exciting and, as usual, a lot of fun. Let’s play ball!
