2020 MLB Running Thread

HanSenSE, Spartan Squad and Baron Scicluna are like SJ's Murderer's Row. Talk about bringing the good stuff three consecutive posts. You can't hit it any harder.

 

I hit a single. Baron torched a pitch that still hasn't come down.

 

I think the bubbles are essential for the playoffs and I'm glad they're doing them, but if I may nitpick ... If the season ended today, there would be exactly one AL team physically located in the West to make the playoffs that are now scheduled to be played on the West Coast (three Eastern teams and four Central teams). What made them decide to put the AL playoffs in San Diego instead of, perhaps, Atlanta, which (like Texas) has a new stadium, or perhaps St. Louis, which is rather centrally located and reduces travel for basically all teams involved?

Also, is it odd that they chose an NL stadium to host the AL playoffs and vice versa? What went into the decision making on this?

 

I think part of it is where facilities could most easily accommodate teams and possibly marketing.

But the NL going to AL parks and vice versa is to give a more neutral field for teams. It avoids Dodgers, Padres and Astros from getting home field when no one else does (Yeah Rangers but they're so far out of it isn't an issue).

 

I would assume going out west has a lot to do with weather. With such a tight window, the unpredictable rain/cold in the east could wreck things.

Arlington is the new ballpark this year, guessing a showcase for the World Series.

 

There are plenty of central or eastern locations that would have been suitable, weather-wise. Truist Ballpark, outside of Atlanta, for instance, is relatively new and would likely have good weather. Marlins Park would certainly be suitable. St. Louis usually has good weather for October baseball.

Home field advantage isn't going to be a thing with no fans in the stands, so it would make sense to think first and foremost about travel. I guess given how long they're going to stay in the locations, travel fatigue won't be an issue. But it still seems silly to make seven teams travel about as far as possible when there are other locations that might have made more logistical sense.

Again, it's a nitpick, but it San Diego doesn't make a ton of sense.

EDIT: It does occur to me that hotel space could possibly be an issue with so many teams and support staff members coming in, but given how badly travel has been affected by COVID, I think not. Certainly Miami and Atlanta would have enough hotel space.

 

No clue why Florida was not included because the bubble in Orlando is working, but who knows. However, unlike the NHL and NBA who have uniform surfaces, with or without fans, there is a home field advantage for teams that play 81 per season in one park. How to pitch, what the ball does, how to shade in the outfield. There is an advantage. Fans play a huge part, but there are park nuances that are unique.

 

I'm definitely just guessing. You definitely make good points.

 

Agreed, but you can't realistically consider park factors. If the Yankees are built to take advantage of a short porch in right but the Astros are built for a short field in left, you can't realistically select a ballpark that is going to be equal to all teams.

Money is the top priority (obviously) and, tangentially, COVID health is the next priority. Travel fatigue is quite a bit farther down on the list and park factors probably weren't discussed.

 

I’m guessing because of the bubble, they are not reseeding after the first round. So if the top seed advances, the lowest seed they would play next is 5, no matter what happens in the other bracket.

 

But they’re only traveling once instead of playing games in two cities so probably less fatigue than in a normal series.

More of a factor could be no off days, so teams will need five starters.

 

Weather in San Diego over the next month or so should be perfect for baseball — mid-70s, next to no chance of rain, games starting on East Coast time will still have some daylight.

In Atlanta you’d have more rain chances, and Florida in general and South Florida in particular have done such a half-assed job of dealing with COVID-19 that they’re eliminated by default. St. Louis is far enough north that colder weather could sneak in.

You also have both AL division series in fair-weather NL parks that are relatively close to one another geographically. Not sure where you’d find another pairing like that, and I suspect that went into MLB’s thought process.