Passion for the Pastime

The first weekend of baseball is in the books and i never realized how much I've missed the big fly. Well we were spoiled with homeruns last season, but a couple of the big flys have been majestic, you can't help but admire them. Stanton got the party started and kept it going. It seems like every homerun hit this year has a different sound and go 450 plus. There was also the return to the mound with Otahni taking the mound for the first time since 2018. I think he may have forgotten how to pitch because he couldn't even get one out. Finally, Covid news, as more players around the league are testing postive, with a possible outbreak with the Miami Marlins. Now the question can be asked, how many is enough?

The first day of the regular season did not disappoint one bit. We had a first pitch that summed up 2020 as a whole. Rain storms and floods, debuts of Cole and Mookie, and proof that Pennywise may exist. This is only the first of many strange days of the 2020 season. I'm just lucky to be alone for the ride.

We have made it! It is finally Opening Day. After waiting for month for the start of the season. No this is not a dream. It is reality and with that reality comes changes. Our world, our game looks a little different in 2020. Amid Covid-19 and social inequality, this season will surely be one to remember. Blue Jays are homeless, no fans, players kneeling, new season format and rule changes. This season will defiantly look and feel different. I think i speak for everyone when I say, I cant wait to see what this season brings. I mean it has already brought some money to Mookie Betts bank account, as he will call LA his home for the next 13 years, and the season hasn't officially started yet. If that doesn't get you excited, you might want to check your pulse.

Its ironic that during these times, some say, stand for what is right. What is i told you, by kneeling, it is standing up. Is it a hard concept to grasp. Do people just not want to listen. Bruce Maxwell tried it a few years ago in 2017, and not all but some booed him for it. Now fast forward to 2020, on that very same field, players along with Gabe Kapler, manager of the San Francisco Giants, took a knee to stand up for social inequality and police brutality. Again we have these conversations, because this isn't an overnight fix. In this showing, there are sides for and against. Not all players took a knee, but those who didn't did speak out on why and also stating that doesn't mean there aren't for the cause. It did show unity, it showed that players and managers alike have respect for one another. MLB backed its players, with so much backlash all over social media. To show a strong united front is what the country needs right now. This not the first showing, and it definitely will not be the last. Today I tell you, I am proud to be a baseball fan.

With Opening Week upon us, we are only a few days away from the start of the regular season. As the day is coming closer, some last minute changes for mlb clubs. Some approved and others denied. But if a team needs to relocated, how important is home field with no fans? Update for players with Covid, the former Atlanta Brave, Yasiel Puig has tested positive and will no sign with the Braves. So was he even a Brave? Speaking of Braves and Covid, Freddy Freeman spoke out on his experience with Covid, and it was a powerful message. While all this news happend, we did have a peak into what 2020 baseball will look like as intrasquad games and exhibition games were broadcasted. No fans, cuts outs, pumped in sound noise and walk up songs.

With Opening Day just one week away, a superstar outfielder has finally found a home. Yasiel Puig will be heading to the ATL, joining the Braves. If Jermaine Dupri's "Welcome to Atlanta" isn't Puig's walk up song in his first at bat of the season, I will be very, very disappointed. Good for Puig on finding a home. Not all can be said for a few clubs, facing certain uncertainty entering into the final week before the season begins. Multiple teams due to Covid response may need to relocate, including the season's first game between the Yankees and Nationals in DC. With Covid surging, it makes the season start look uncertain, but MLB is continuing forward amid the circumstances. So we will at least have a start to the season, so might as well try to win some cash while we can, as MLB.com is holding a Opening Day Pick em' where you can possible win $100,000. Count me in!

We have made it through another week of summer camp and that puts baseball fans one week closer to the start of the season. Before we get there , we have some Covid-19 updates. MLB released their stats on Covid testing since testing started on June 27th. 83 total positive cases since then, with 66 something from the initial intake testing and only 17 since then. A large number but it all depends on how MLB moves forward to keep the virus from spreading. It wont be a easy road but it isn't impossible. With testing and life challenges, players continue to Opt out, most notably Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants. Everyone is trying to adjust to the new normal. North of the border, Blue Jays are to enforce fines and punishments to any player who violates quarantine restrictions. In the Bay area, Matt Chapman preps for no fans in 2020, something he says he is actually already normal to. Nonetheless, MLB will continue to transform as we move closer to Opening Day, which is only two weeks away. Enjoy!

Baseball has returned for Summer camp and not even a week in, there are problems across the board with Covid testing. Testers not showing up, tests results being delayed, long wait periods between testing, making all who are involved at ask. Sure, problems were expected, its a new process, but MLB really needs to kick it into gear before more players opt out. Will more players opting out each day, those who are on the fence, may be leaning away from the game, than toward playing. If MLB can figure it out, because all problems are fixable, we do have a schedule. With some key must watch matchups, you can only hope the season gets played. But MLB must make it safe for everyone. The clock is ticking.

Teams are back home and ready to begin Summer Camp. As ball park cams show us the workouts and batting practice, you cant help but get excited for baseball to finally be back. But i guess we missed some baseball along the way. As some players played in a sandlot style game during quarantine. Thanks for the memo. But as we await to release of the 2020 schedule to be released next week, we have some things to address. Blue Jays will be in Toronto for Summer Camp, but where will they play their regular season? National league now has the DH, which has been a topic of conversation for years, and it may be here to stay. Safety protocols that will change the look of the game in the pandemic era of baseball and much much more. 2020 has been rough, but this season will be one to remember.

Spring Training 2.0 is HERE! Or should I say Summer Camp? Whatever you want to call it, the bottom line is that baseball is back. It defiantly won't look the same. No I don't mean camp fires and smores. I mean the among of top prospects joining the rosters. We are expected to see some of the top talent at some point this season and that just adds to the excitement if you weren't jumping for joy to begin with. With Covid still surging, some are skeptical that there will even be a season. Not all players will be at camp, as some have already opted out of the season. One being Ian Desmond who left a powerful message on Instagram on he reason for not returning. There will be more like Desmond that opt out, as the season nears. We need to remember these athletes are people first. Finally, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues, and I hope you all join with me as I tip my cap for all those who came before us, that paved the way.