MLB Return News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/mlb-return/ Minnesota sports, but different Wed, 22 Jul 2020 20:51:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg MLB Return News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/mlb-return/ 32 32 Twins Name Starters for White Sox Series; No Odorizzi https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/twins-name-starters-for-white-sox-series-no-odorizzi/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/twins-name-starters-for-white-sox-series-no-odorizzi/#respond Wed, 22 Jul 2020 20:41:46 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=27601

The Minnesota Twins’ Opening Day is just two days away! Thank the baseball gods too, because I have gone nearly insane without any official Minnesota Twins games to watch or listen to. With that being said, the team has announced their starters for their opening series against the Chicago White Sox… and Jake Odorizzi isn’t on the list.

We already knew that Jose Berrios was to get the nod for Opening Day. He was announced to be the starter all the way back in March for the original season opener, prior to the COVID-19 hiatus.

Berrios will face off against Chicago’s Lucas Giolito in game one. This matchup is can’t miss TV. Berrios is coming off a career year last season and Giolito finished 6th in Cy Young voting a year ago.

THE NEWCOMERS

Outside of Jose Berrios, newcomers Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda will take the mound in games two and three. Jake Odorizzi wasn’t listed, as mentioned earlier. He was assumed to start game two, but he has since been scratched, due to lingering back stiffness. Odo is expected to be ready for the second time through the rotation. He will likely making his first start against the Cleveland Indians on July 30th.

It may be a hard-fought weekend for the Twins too. Not only have they only had three weeks to ramp up for this truncated season, but they also are facing the media darlings and AL Central dark-horse White Sox in Chicago. Although I wouldn’t put much weight behind the “dark-horse” moniker. The Sox are a team full of prospects, so it should take some seasoning before they become a legitimate threat.

For now though, the Twins have one of the best rosters in baseball and it is just good to have them playing meaningful games once more!

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/twins-name-starters-for-white-sox-series-no-odorizzi/feed/ 0 Wed, 22 Jul 2020 15:51:43 +0000 Minnesota Twins Minnesota Twins Not Expecting Any Players to Opt-Out of Reporting to Camp https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/minnesota-twins-not-expected-any-players-to-opt-out-of-reporting-to-camp/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/minnesota-twins-not-expected-any-players-to-opt-out-of-reporting-to-camp/#respond Tue, 30 Jun 2020 01:45:27 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=26585

Players around Major League Baseball are reporting to their respective cities for the start of June 1 “camp” (or whatever you call it), in prelude to the pandemic-shortened 60-game season that starts later the same month. Well, most players are. There are a few guys around the league who are opting not to play in 2020. Reportedly though, the Minnesota Twins aren’t expecting anyone from their roster to opt-out.

There was a story written recently about the Buxton family expecting another baby, and how that might play into his decision to play in 2020. Other players on the club have expressed concerns, too.

Add in the seriousness of the issues Miguel Sano dealt with last week, back in the Dominican Republic… and Twins fans are feeling pretty relieved to hear that all members of the 2020 Bomba Squad will be arriving in the Twin Cities this week.

Minnesota Twins Broadcast Notes

If you are wondering where you will watch Minnesota Twins games this season, you’d better call and be sure your cable provider offers your local Fox Sports North Regional Channel because it looks like that’s where all 60 games will be televised.

No Paycuts, Layoffs or Furloughs for Pohlads

Sherry covered it for us, but “cheap” hasn’t been the adjective to best-describe the Pohlad family over the last couple of years. That especially stands true over the last few months.

Sure, they and the Minnesota Twins organization can afford to bear the financial burden of the Coronvirus pandemic, but that doesn’t mean they have to. Many around sports and on top of other businesses around the world, are facing the same decisions as the the Pohlads… and are going about things in a much different manner.

I will happily applaud them for this move and you should to.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/minnesota-twins-not-expected-any-players-to-opt-out-of-reporting-to-camp/feed/ 0 Mon, 29 Jun 2020 20:45:59 +0000 Minnesota Twins There’s No Spitting in Baseball. https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/mlb-implements-no-spitting-and-runner-on-second-to-begin-extras-rules-for-2020-season/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/mlb-implements-no-spitting-and-runner-on-second-to-begin-extras-rules-for-2020-season/#respond Thu, 25 Jun 2020 01:16:43 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=26320

America’s Pastime is finally back on the calendar! As we have been discussing the last few days, this abnormal season will come with some strange caveats. Whether it is the combining of divisions or the National League using designated hitters, there are a ton of quirks to unwrap.

Yet, two interesting rules deserve a deeper look. Both could alter the game as we know it, for better or worse.

  1. No Spitting!
  2. Games going into extra innings will begin with a runner on 2nd base.

NO SPITTING

This new “rule” both makes sense, and doesn’t, all at once. It makes sense because of COVID-19, duh! The whole reason this season is shortened (outside of the MLBPA-MLB negotiation debacle) is because of the global pandemic.

We knew precautions would to be taken to minimize the spread of COVID-19. To what extent, however, was relatively unknown. The Athletic , however, obtained the MLB’s proposal on health and safety regulations back in May.

Most of what was agreed to, makes sense. From daily temperature checks to multiple tests per week. However, some things are more borderline. The first controversial rule change surrounds… spitting.

How?

Baseball players are notorious for spitting. Whether it’s tobacco, which is something the league has been trying to curb anyway (good luck), or if it’s just innocent sunflower seeds… don’t do it. You cannot purposefully launch anything from your mouth. That includes plain spit, without an added projectile.

How is the MLB going to enforce this? Spitting is part of baseball. Yes, even if you think it’s disgusting, Karen.

via GIPHY

With baseball being one of the few sports where there is minimal proximity between players, outside of the batter’s box, it doesn’t quite make sense. What if you are the pitcher? You are 60-plus feet from any other player, prior to the pitch. So does spitting on the grass really spread the disease? No.

We aren’t even sure what type of punishment will be handed down, to those who do spit (god forbid). How will they monitor each individual during a game? It is a massive overreach to think putting it in the protocols will curb it. Good luck, Manfred. You’ve been spitting in the proverbial face of baseball fans since you became commissioner.

RUNNER ON 2ND TO START EXTRA INNINGS

Now we are talking! A concept that has floated around the league for years is finally coming to fruition. A runner will start on 2nd base now, during extra innings. Even if it is just for a single season, I’m here for it.

With the regular season starting up on either July 23rd or 24th and ending around September 27th, they have to cram 60 games into 67 days. Not ideal, especially when Mother Nature will likely cause delays, plus some unconditioned players will become fatigued faster. I don’t need to watch another Twins-Red Sox game go 17 innings…

WILL A RUNNER ON SECOND BE EFFECTIVE?

I am ecstatic for this! The Twins have Byron Buxton (*vigorously knocks on wood*). His blazing speed should help end games quickly. Even if he isn’t at 100% or rules stop him from being “the guy”, the Twins have others who could be utilized for their speed, as well.

This rule has been implemented in the minors, for a few seasons, and some have found it to be anti-climactic. Craig Calcaterra of Yahoo! Sports mentioned, that it often leads to the first batter just bunting the runner over, before being driven in by a sacrifice fly. This is great, if you have to be somewhere or have to wake up early… but not the best for those who love the strategy behind the game.

Think of this season as a test run, for the rule. Back in 2017, commissioner Rob Manfred doubted the “runner on 2nd” rule would ever be used in the MLB. Now if this experiment goes well, expect players to lobby for it in the upcoming CBA negotiations.

LET ‘ER RIP!

Sure, spitting isn’t a necessary part of the game. But it does impact how players prepare and has become engrained in some of their routines. As for the runner on second to start extras? Let ‘er rip!

The Twins are poised for greatness, in 2020. I am absolutely game. Especially if it brings the Twin Cities its first major championship since the 1991 Twins.

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/mlb-implements-no-spitting-and-runner-on-second-to-begin-extras-rules-for-2020-season/feed/ 0 Wed, 24 Jun 2020 20:18:13 +0000 Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins’ 60-Game Schedule Will Be Very… Central https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/the-minnesota-twins-60-game-schedule-will-be-very-central/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/the-minnesota-twins-60-game-schedule-will-be-very-central/#respond Wed, 24 Jun 2020 02:17:09 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=26282

Baseball is finally coming back on the schedule, after an announcement was made earlier this evening, that the MLB and MLBPA came to an official agreement. It’s crazy to think that, after all that consternation and controversy, baseball will still make it out of the COVID starting gate, ahead of the NBA, NHL and NFL

But not only did we find out that the Minnesota Twins will indeed be returning to our televisions before July is through, but we also know who their competition will be.

Staying Central

In order to keep teams from traveling more than necessary, the MLB and MLBPA have come up with a schedule that will keep teams as local as possible, throughout the season. Each team will play 40 games inside of their division and 20 games vs their National League direct counterpart. In the Minnesota Twins’ case, that means the NL Central.

This makes a ton of sense for health reasons… and it should be fun! Obviously, we are playing just over 1/3 of a full season so the race is going to be HOT, directly out of the gate. Most of that shortened season will be played against teams that are fighting for the same division playoff spot the Twins are. Because negotiations fell through, there won’t be an expanded playoff either. It can’t really get a more exciting regular season for MLB baseball, than this.

Who better to have as an inter-league partner, than the NL Central? You get a couple of cake-walk teams like the Reds and Pirates… but you also get the historic side of that division with games against the Cubs and Cardinals.

Series’ with some of these teams rarely, happen. The Twins and Cubs have only played five series against each other since 2000, even though we are right next door to each other and we play on the south side of Chicago multiple times throughout each summer.

Hell yes! Let’s play some baseball!

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/the-minnesota-twins-60-game-schedule-will-be-very-central/feed/ 0 Tue, 23 Jun 2020 21:17:14 +0000 Minnesota Twins Play Ball! The 2020 MLB Season is Officially Happening. https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/play-ball-the-2020-mlb-season-is-officially-happening/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/play-ball-the-2020-mlb-season-is-officially-happening/#respond Wed, 24 Jun 2020 00:47:17 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=26257

It is official! Major League Baseball is back on the sports menu for 2020! As I discussed Monday, it appears the league/owners and players have finally come to an agreement to play a regular season, ending a month’s long battle.

The MLBPA has agreed to report to training camps by July 1st. The final snag that was encountered today and needed to be worked out, was health and safety protocols, revolving around COVID-19 for players .

According to ESPN’s Karl Ravich, all hurdles have been cleared and baseball is back! Jeff Passan was on the earlier reports, that a deal was imminent.

SEASON FORMAT

As noted above, the season is obviously going to look drastically different from year’s past. With a 60-game season, it will be a sprint and not a marathon.

It will also include two years of a universal designated hitter. Something the players were apparently lobbying for in the last collective bargaining agreement. Expect the next CBA in 2021 to include this rule for good.

You can catch a lot more details on what the season will look like, from what we wrote the other day, when the MLB owners announced they’d be implementing a 60-game season. All you really need to know, is that players will report on July 1 and we will have real baseball games just three weeks after that (god-willing).

I just can’t wait to turn the Minnesot Twins on my TV at night so I can watch Josh Donaldson hit bombas into the empty Target Field bleachers!

We’ll add tweets below, that filter in new information about the season as the night goes on!

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/play-ball-the-2020-mlb-season-is-officially-happening/feed/ 0 Tue, 23 Jun 2020 22:00:06 +0000 Minnesota Twins Owners Force Hand; Major League Baseball is Coming Back… For Real This Time https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/owners-force-hand-major-league-baseball-is-coming-back-for-real-this-time/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/owners-force-hand-major-league-baseball-is-coming-back-for-real-this-time/#respond Tue, 23 Jun 2020 02:11:49 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=26205

After two months of childish bickering, Major League Baseball is FINALLY coming back. Tonight, MLB owners announced their plans to implement a 60-game season, after the MLBPA rejected their latest offer. This time though, it seems we are at the end of this long, drawn out nightmare.

PLAY BALL!

This all happened after the MLBPA voted 30-5 against the league’s latest proposal. That proposal included an expanded postseason and universal designated hitter in 2020 and 2021. It also included the inability for players to file a grievance against the league for lost revenue.

While owners could have gone with a 50-game season, as previously thought, they appear to have taken the high road (or that is what they will say). Instead, they’re offering the same 60 games they did in their last proposal, even though the players rejected it. In theory, this “olive branch” also decreases the players’ likelihood of filing any legal action against the league and owners, for negotiating in “bad faith”.

Two hurdles that still remain….

  1. The league asked the union if players would be ready to report IN SEVEN DAYS (July 1).
  2. Will players agree to the Operating Manual that lays out health and safety protocols for the season. Remember that COVID-19 is still a thing.

But ONE FUCKING WEEK to get ready? Way to play hard ball…

WHAT ABOUT THE TWINS?

This isn’t the best case scenario for the Twins. They are built for a marathon, not a 60-game mad-dash.

While they could absolutely dominate in this type of season, there is so much variation to put any tangible faith in it. Just look at how they performed during certain 60-game stretches last year.

Ok, nevermind. Bring your parka. It’s cold here in November.

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/owners-force-hand-major-league-baseball-is-coming-back-for-real-this-time/feed/ 0 Mon, 22 Jun 2020 21:11:53 +0000 Minnesota Twins 100 Games in 120 Days – The Path Back to Professional Baseball This Summer https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/the-path-to-getting-professional-baseball-this-summer/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/the-path-to-getting-professional-baseball-this-summer/#respond Tue, 19 May 2020 19:34:55 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=24096 Strange times we live in. The world and normalcy has come to a halt starting earlier in the year. When it comes to sports, one major 2020 season has yet to begin, America’s favorite past time, Major League Baseball (MLB).

Sports fans are itching to watch anything competitive, especially Twinkies fans after the club had a historic 2019 season.

Arguably one of the most exciting Twins seasons since they moved into Target Field; the 2019 Twins left Minnesotans wanting more. Unlike the recent offseasons, the front office has now added some key pieces to an already stacked roster. 

Just as Target Field was dusting off the snow and the stadium staff were weeks away from a great summer, all major sports leagues in North America postponed their seasons due to the outbreak of COVID-19. 

How can MLB resume games not only in a safe environment, but also give the players, coaches, and fans what they want? A (shortened) season!

How it would look

Here’s how the Twins can play 100 regular season games and make a run at a pennant. 

If the league started before or on July 4th, which would be a great day to kick off America’s Pastime, and ended on Halloween, that would give MLB 120 days to squeeze in a 100 game season. A normal big league baseball season is 162 games per team (sometimes 163) in 185-190 days. 

League Setup

There would be two “conferences” named after the spring training leagues. This scenario has been discussed by the MLB, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The 15 teams that have facilities in Florida would play there and the teams who have facilities in Arizona would play there. No traveling from AZ to FL and vise versa.

Grapefruit League (Florida)Cactus League (Arizona)
BravesAngels
OriolesAthletics
Red SoxBrewers
TigersCubs
MarlinsDiamondbacks
CardinalsDodgers
AstrosGiants
TwinsIndians
MetsMariners
YankeesPadres
PhilliesRangers
PiratesReds
RaysRockies
Blue JaysRoyals
NationalsWhite Sox

With two warmer states, baseball’s regular season could be extended into late October. Schedule makers would be putting in overtime trying to schedule an odd number of teams per proposed conference while working in possible doubleheaders and minor league games. 

As for Minor League Baseball (MiLB) each team would have a farm system team play the same schedule but play 4 to 5 hours before. The value to having a MiLB system is to call up and send down players due to injury, fatigue or maybe sickness (hope not). 

Playoffs

As for a playoff format, the top six teams from each conference would move on. The two winners from each conference would meet up in the World Series with a Super Bowl like site in November.. neutral stadium with a best of seven series. Hopefully by then fans will be allowed to attend games and with this World Series idea, it would be a fan appreciation event while Major League Baseball can still crown a champion during what seemed like a lost season.

Warm weather, easy travel, and the abundance of fields in the spring training states makes this framework logical. 

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Stay safe and Go Twinks

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/the-path-to-getting-professional-baseball-this-summer/feed/ 0 Tue, 19 May 2020 15:03:58 +0000 Minnesota Twins