100% of Not Enough
The sh*t hits the fan as MLBPA calls MLB’s “we are 100% going to have a season this year” bluff and says they are ready to play just tell us where and when. Meanwhile, players, team executives, the League, and associated businesses take steps both big and small to address systemic racism in MLB and in their own lives. Alex Cora speaks up at long last and accepts his responsibility for the Astros cheating scandal, but makes it clear they were all responsible.
The sh*t hits the fan as MLBPA calls MLB’s “we are 100% going to have a season this year” bluff and says they are ready to play just tell us where and when. The League instead counters with a requirement that players waive their rights to legal claims against them. With all the instances of bad faith on the part of the owners, the remaining question is will Rob Manfred resign or be asked to leave? Meanwhile, Florida is bursting with sports bubbles, hosting the NBA, the MLS, and the WNBA as they start seasons later this summer. The WNBA players, as an example of how professional sports might work in a pandemic, are receiving their full salaries while playing a shortened season. So noted that they already aren’t being paid what they are worth, but the point is there.
Meanwhile, players, team executives, the League, and associated businesses take steps both big and small to address systemic racism in MLB and in their own lives. The Red Sox acknowledge racist incidents at games, call out the fans responsible, and vow to do better. Directors of Baseball Operations for all 30 teams seize the attention of the draft to express a message of “Black Lives Matter. United for Change.” The words are backed up by $1 million in donations to organizations working to end racial injustice, and by commitments to address recruiting and hiring practices. Even those teams like Cleveland with “complicated” histories with race. We muse that perhaps Atlanta fans might lose upper body strength with this extra time off, rendering that f*%king chop impossible. More players examine their own lives and publicly move to make change, like Collin McHugh looking at who has been on his podcast and more importantly, who has not. Louisville Slugger “recognizes the symbolism of nightsticks” and ends production of commemorative versions for the Louisville Metro Police Foundation. A coalition of 1,400 current and retired athletes, coaches, general managers, staff members of NFL, NBA, MLB sign on to a letter to Congress supporting the Amash-Pressley bill to end qualified immunity, which makes it difficult to sue police officers for brutality. Many of our boyfriends, including some cross-training BFs (Hi, Baker!), are included.
Alex Cora speaks up at long last and accepts his responsibility for the Astros cheating scandal, but makes it clear they were all responsible. Everyone in the organization during that time period. In related scandal news, we all look to the shiny thing that is a letter from Rob Manfred to the Yankees from the 2017 investigation into their sign-stealing. At the time, they were fined, but the details were kept under wraps. Now a judge says this letter must be made public and the team is pushing back hard. Bring on the popcorn.
In the CPBL, the standings tighten and the stands fill to 50% capacity with a system for contact tracing in place. Professional baseball will start soon in both Japan and Australia. One day we will be able to have nice things again too.
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