Trump Administration Ran An Eight-Month Simulation Of A Pandemic in 2019; Final Report Written Roughly 2 Months Before Covid-19 Appeared

Beginning in January 2019 and continuing for eight months, the Trump administration conducted a scientific public health research study (code-named "Crimson Contagion") testing the United States' response to a potential global pandemic. The simulation was conducted in Washington, DC, and 12 states.

The final report (written in October 2019) concluded that the country was woefully underprepared, not properly financed, and poorly coordinated. The simulation created such chaos and confusion that the Trump administration ordered the report "not to be disclosed".

Roughly two months later, in January 2020, the Trump administration was briefed on what became the Covid-19 pandemic.

The New York Times reports:

What the scenario makes clear, however, is that [Trump's] own administration had already modeled a similar pandemic and understood its potential trajectory. ... [It] demonstrates that the government had considerable knowledge about the risks of a pandemic and accurately predicted the very types of problems Mr. Trump is now scrambling belatedly to address. The October 2019 report in particular documents that officials at the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, and even at the White House's National Security Council, were aware of the potential for a respiratory virus outbreak originating in China to spread quickly to the United States and overwhelm the nation.

Congress was briefed in December 2019 on some of the report's findings, including the inability to quickly replenish certain medical supplies.

While the administration tried to keep this report a secret from the public, Trump was lying at a furious rate over the last two weeks:

March 6, 2020: "But it's an unforeseen problem. What a problem. Came out of nowhere, but we're taking care of it."

March 11, 2020: "We're having to fix a problem that, four weeks ago, nobody ever thought would be a problem."

March 14, 2020: "It's something that nobody expected. ... It's one of those things that happened."

March 16, 2020: "We have a problem a month ago nobody ever thought about."

March 17, 2020: "I've always known this is a real — this is a pandemic. I've felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic. ... I've always viewed it as very serious. There was no difference yesterday from days before."

March 18, 2020: "Nobody ever thought of numbers like this."

March 19, 2020: "I would view it as something that just surprised the whole world. Nobody knew there'd be a pandemic or an epidemic of this proportion. Nobody has ever seen anything like this before."

Read more.

Chris Sale Will Have Tommy John Surgery

Fucking hell.

The Red Sox announced yesterday that Chris Sale will undergo ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery on his left elbow.

Chaim Bloom:

Needless to say, this is a tough, tough thing for Chris and tough for all of us here with the Red Sox. ... While we are bummed for him, we know he's going to attack his rehab like he has everything else in his career. We have confidence that he's going to do well coming out of this.

If all goes well, Sale could be back on the mound in July 2021.

Still, looking on the bright side, there really is no better time for Sale to have this surgery (if we discount last August, that is), since the fate of the 2020 season is extremely unclear.

Logan Morrison Calls Yankee Fans "Stupid", Then Tries To Deny It

[Draft Post, April 26, 2018]

Mike Berardino, Pioneer Press, April 24, 2018:

There are better places than Yankee Stadium to show up with a .091 batting average and have that displayed on the Jumbotron in center field, but Logan Morrison wasn't too worried about hecklers this week.

"I've heard a lot of stuff but it's not original," the Twins first baseman said before the series began. "It's, 'You suck,' all that kind of stuff." ...

Morrison ... sparked a mini-controversy last July when he ripped the "flawed system" that invited Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez to the Home Run Derby in Miami.

"Gary shouldn't be there," Morrison said at the time. "Gary's a great player, but he shouldn't be in the Home Run Derby."

Morrison, who had outhomered Sanchez 24-13 at that point, lost out in the Final Vote for what would have been his first career All-Star Game selection. ...

"They didn't like the Gary Sanchez thing with the Home Run Derby," Morrison said, "but you can't fix stupid, you know?"

I think we can all agree the dude makes a valid point. ... But then Morrison had to go and ruin everything.

Fred Kerber, New York Post, April 25, 2018:

Wednesday before the Twins played the Yankees at the Stadium, Morrison insisted the "stupid" referred to the process, not Yankees fans. ...

"I didn't mean anything toward Gary. It wasn't anything toward the Yankees fans. It was everything toward MLB and the selection process. So if they're going to still get on me for it, they can still get on me for it but they're just wasting their time."

Morrison's explanation doesn't hold water. He said "they" did not like his comments about Sanchez - meaning Yankee fans - but he understands that it's pointless to argue with idiots about it - meaning Yankee fans. I'm not sure how anyone can think Morrison was talking about the selection process for the Home Run Derby.

Calling Yankee fans irredeemably stupid is not a bad thing. In fact, the fans of 29 other major league baseball teams will wholeheartedly agree with you. Own it, Logan.

Right-Wing Media Claims Trump, Bold And Decisive, Has Never Minimized Virus Threat

An actual Fox Poll, complete with a typo, from Wednesday night.

Lou Dobbs: "Be sure to vote in our poll tonight. How would you grade President Trump's leadership in the nation's fight against the Wuhan Chinese virus? Superb? Great? Or very good? Cast your vote on Twitter, at Lou Dobbs. We'd like to hear from you on this important question. Scientific answers we will share with you tomorrow evening."

"Scientific answers"!

Max J. Skidmore, author of Presidents, Pandemics, and Politics:

[Trump is] likely to be responsible for many deaths. ...

We are weeks behind where we should have been if a competent administration had been handling the reaction. The misinformation that he spread caused people to be cavalier. ...

We have seen presidents who refused to learn from the past. But one great danger of the Trump presidency is that he's uninterested in performance as long as he can create the image that he's been successful. Actual success is irrelevant to him. The image of success is what's important.

Unfortunately for Dolt 45, he has no clue how to act "presidential". So he blunders along, day after day, babbling petulantly and incoherently, contradicting statements as soon as he makes them, touting his own greatness while ignorant of how overmatched he appears. And nothing gets done and more people get sick and die.

I read a tweet yesterday that likened the situation to parents, huddled under their bed as their house is rapidly engulfed in flames, waiting for instructions on what to do from their three-year-old child.

The 180-degree turn of Fox News has been fascinating and infuriating to watch. The party line has switched – in the blink of an eye – from "the coronavirus is no big deal" to "the coronavirus is a seriously big deal". The Ministry of Truth now states that Trump never minimized the threat of the virus (there are countless video clips of him doing exactly that, of course, including many from Fox). In fact, Democrats and the "Fake News" media have tried to stop Trump from taking his usual bold, wise, and decisive action. It's gaslighting on an unprecedented scale.

Poll results!

FTFY:

If Pandemic Is Expected To Last 18+ Months, How Can The 2020 Season Be Played?

It's beginning to look like the 2020 baseball season will be cancelled.

Matt Stieb, New York Magazine, March 18, 2020:

U.S. Coronavirus Plan Warns Pandemic 'Will Last 18 Months or Longer'

On Friday, the day that Trump declared a national emergency while taking "no responsibility at all" for his administration's coronavirus failures, the Department of Health and Human Services warned lawmakers that the pandemic "will last 18 months or longer" and that it could include "multiple waves of illness." ...

Despite calls from governors to boost the federal response to the crisis, Trump has largely failed to do so at this point in the crisis. As the New York Times reports, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Veterans Affairs (which serves as the backup health-care system during national crises), and the National Disaster Medical System are all "waiting for orders."

There have been signs in recent days that the US government is finally taking some steps toward combating the spread of the virus. Those signs appear to be merely illusionary. And the right-wing media, which has shamelessly turned on a dime, switching from calling the virus a hoax to praising Trump's leadership against this very serious health threat, is now lying about those steps.

Every aspect of the Trump administration's response to this crisis has been a total disaster. That is not my opinion. In fact, you don't need anyone's opinion to come to the same conclusion. The Trump Shit Show has not been conducted in secret. It's been a public debacle from the very beginning. All you need is to watch the actual video clips, listen to the actual press conferences, read Trump's actual tweets, and see what has actually been done (or not been done).

Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine, March 18, 2020:

The Hospital Deluge Is Coming. Washington Has Done Almost Nothing to Prepare.

President Trump has won glowing plaudits for changing the tone of his press conferences from completely unhinged to partially hinged, and reducing his rate of massive Orwellian lies to one or two per appearance. But as the president manages to stumble over a bar set at ground level in his televised communications, the government's actual performance is a different matter altogether. ... [A] growing body of reporting suggests the government has done shockingly little to prepare for the coming public-health crisis. ...

The loss of those two months [because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed to deploy an effective coronavirus test] deprived the government of any chance to prevent the pandemic from sweeping across the entire country. ... [I]t is highly likely that, within a few weeks, the number of infected patients will exceed the capacity of the hospital system to treat them.

Washington has had weeks and weeks to prepare for this surge. The three most obvious and foreseeable shortages are hospital beds, respirator masks to protect medical staff, and ventilators (the machines that are needed to pump air into the lungs of patients with the most serious coronavirus symptoms).

You would think the government would have spent the last two months scrambling to produce more of all three. There is no evidence this has happened, and a great deal of evidence it has not. ...

Begin with the ventilator machines. ...

They are days away from having potentially thousands of Americans dying, and Trump still hasn't decided if he's ready to take the step to ramp up the machines that will be needed to keep them alive.

What about getting more respirator masks and hospital beds? The New York Times has an even more harrowing overview of the federal response — or, more accurately, nonresponse. Governors are begging Trump to send more masks for their hospitals, which have desperate shortages. So far they've got nothing of value ... [At least one hospital is making its own masks from office supplies]

Experts have proposed preparing the Army to set up mobile hospitals to treat overflow patients — something the Army has done before. A spokesperson reported to the Times that the Army has not been given any orders to prepare for such an eventuality:

"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is prepared to assist the nation in a time of crisis to the very best of its capabilities, and we are postured to lean forward when an official request is received through the Department of Defense," Raini W. Brunson, an Army Corps spokeswoman said in a statement. "However, at this time, we have not been assigned a mission."

They have not been assigned a mission.

What about the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which also has relevant expertise setting up medical facilities during emergencies? "FEMA officials said the Department of Health and Human Services remains in charge of the federal response," reports the Times, "and it too is waiting for orders from the agency before it moves to ramp up assistance." ...

The closer you look at the inner workings of Trump's coronavirus response, the worse it gets.

From The Dept. Of Not-A-Surprise: Fans Didn't Like Facebook-Only Broadcast

[Draft Post: April 4, 2018]

Jimmy Traina, Sports Illustrated/Extra Mustard:

Mets, Phillies Fans Unleash Fury After Discovering Game Only Airing On Facebook

Major League Baseball needed $35 million so they made a deal with Facebook in which the social media site would air 25 weekday afternoon games during the 2018 season. Exclusively.

That means no TV, not even in local markets. That means the only way anyone could watch the games is on Facebook. The first game of this deal was to take place Wednesday between the Phillies and Mets. This is when most people found out the details of the Facebook deal. Naturally, people took to Twitter to voice their displeasure.

James Wagner, New York Times:

The Mets-Phillies game was the first of the 25 games set to be aired on Facebook — one per week — and the early feedback was largely negative. Fans quickly voiced their displeasure with the newfangled broadcast and its glitches ...

Several viewers complained that the onscreen scoreboard and statistics banner blocked too much of the screen, as did the comments bar on the side. And in the fifth inning, as the broadcast showed a montage of the Mets' oft-injured captain David Wright, the feed froze. ...

After receiving many complaints, producers of the stream told viewers how to hide the comments bar via the comment section, as well as on the broadcast itself. They also reduced the size of the onscreen graphics, which were originally designed for cellphone screens. ...

Baltimore's Caleb Joseph in 2016: 141 Plate Appearances, 0 RBI

[While we wait for baseball's return, I'm going to clear out some of my 164 "draft posts". This was last saved on October 5, 2016.]

Caleb Joseph of the Orioles set a major league record in for a non-pitcher by going to the plate 141 times this past season and knocking in zero runs.

It was the most plate appearances without an RBI for a non-pitcher since Gene Good had 135 PAs for the 1906 Boston Braves. (The all-time record was set by Oscar Jones, a pitcher for the 1904 Brooklyn Superbas, who had 0 RBI in 150 PAs.)

Joseph batted .174 (23-for-132), and you'd think he would have knock in a run with one of those 23 hits simply by accident at some point.

Joseph had 23 hits: 20 singles and three doubles. But two of those doubles came with the bases empty and the other one was with a man on first.

He went 2-for-27 with runners on second and/or third (.074), and managed only two singles.

As you might expect, Joseph hit better with the bases empty (15-for-75, .200) than with men on (8-for-57, .140).

He batted 12 times with men on first and second: 1-for-11 (single) with 1 sacrifice
He batted three times with men on first and third: 0-for-3 (including 1 GIDP)
He never batted with men on second and third.
He batted nine times with a man on second: 1-for-9 (single)
He batted twice with a man on third: 0-for-1 with 1 walk
He batted three times with the bases loaded: 0-for-3

Players With 120+ PA And 0 RBI (1901-2016)

                            PA   H      AB   AVG   
Oscar Jones      1904 BRO  150  24-for-137  .175  (pitcher)
Caleb Joseph     2016 BAL  141  23-for-132  .174
Gene Good        1906 BSN  135  18-for-119  .151
Bobby Messenger  1909 CHW  130  19-for-112  .170
Wilbur Wood      1971 CHW  124   5-for- 96  .052  (pitcher)
Mickey Lolich    1972 DET  121   6-for- 89  .067  (pitcher)

Steve Staggs went 19-for-78 for the 1978 Athletics, with 2 doubles and 2 triples, but 0 RBI. (4th all-time among non-pitchers)

Trump Claims "We've Stopped" The Spread Of The Virus. "Take It Easy, We're Doing Great." Scientists Expect Between Tens Of Millions And 215 Million Americans Will Be Infected, With A Possible Death Toll As High As 1.7 Million. "I'm Not Concerned, OK?"

Donald Trump said these words on Sunday, March 15:

Take it easy, just relax. We're doing great, it all will pass. ...

Let's put it this way, I'm not concerned, OK? ... You see what's going on. ... We've stopped it. ...

I used to be in the real estate business, as you've probably heard. ... I built beautiful buildings ... The Democrats won't be having rallies, but nobody showed up to their rallies anyway ... My rallies are very big. They're very big rallies ... We have a big one in Tampa ... We had over 100,000 requests for tickets. ...

People have -- you know, we call it cases, how many cases do you have. ... We have very strong emergency powers under the Stafford Act. ... I have it memorized, practically, as to the powers in that act. ... You have to remember, the stock market is still much higher than when I got here. ... I don't want people dying. That's what I'm all about. ...

I think it's going to work out very well for everybody.

What do you say after hearing something like that? What can you say? Trump's news conference was a dung heap of nonsense and lies, when he wasn't praising himself for doing such a great job (but those were lies, too). He also had no clue how many deaths there have been in the US.

On a day numerous American cities announced severe and unprecedented restrictions, as the cases and deaths from Covid-19 increased drastically around the world, Donald Trump again showed that it is impossible to over-estimate what a clueless, classless, uncaring and uncomprehending moron he is, has been, and always will be.

"The country of 350,000,000 people has next-to-zero tests because I deliberately refused to make them a priority over two months ago and thus allowed this virus to spread wildly as I lied every day and insisted it was merely a plot to bring me down, but, hey, now that things have gotten completely out of control, take it easy, just relax. It's gonna work out great for everybody! Well, not the dead people (blame Obama for that), but everybody else."

On January 22, 2020, when Trump first publicly mentioned the virus, its severity, having spread to five countries at that point, was well-known. The Very Stable Genius (with the big abrain) brushed it aside: "It's one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It's going to be just fine."

David Leonhardt of the New York Times writes:

In the weeks that followed, Trump faced a series of choices. He could have taken aggressive measures to slow the spread of the virus. He could have insisted that the United States ramp up efforts to produce test kits. He could have emphasized the risks that the virus presented and urged Americans to take precautions if they had reason to believe they were sick. He could have used the powers of the presidency to reduce the number of people who would ultimately get sick.

He did none of those things.

I've reviewed all of his public statements and actions on coronavirus over the last two months, and they show a president who put almost no priority on public health. Trump's priorities were different: Making the virus sound like a minor nuisance. Exaggerating his administration's response. Blaming foreigners and, anachronistically, the Obama administration. Claiming incorrectly that the situation was improving. Trying to cheer up stock market investors. ...

Now that the severity of the virus is undeniable, Trump is already trying to present an alternate history of the last two months. ...

Trump now seems to understand that coronavirus isn't going away anytime soon. But he also seems to view it mostly as a public-relations emergency for himself rather than a public-health emergency for the country. ...

Around the world, the official virus count has climbed above 142,000. In the United States, scientists expect that between tens of millions and 215 million Americans will ultimately be infected, and the death toll could range from the tens of thousands to 1.7 million.

At every point, experts have emphasized that the country could reduce those terrible numbers by taking action. And at almost every point, the president has ignored their advice and insisted, "It's going to be just fine."

On February 25, Trump said: "There's a very good chance you're not going to die."

Those words were not reassuring then and they are even less so now. As a direct result of Trump's ignorance and indifference, because of his constant lies, many Americans are going to die and those deaths would have been preventable. Many Americans are going to die for one reason only: Trump was afraid of looking as if he did not know everything.

Trump is convinced he's the smartest guy in the world, on any subject, yet he proves every day that he is frighteningly out of his depth regarding all aspects of his job.

In July 2019, Trump could not even sit in a chair for a few minutes and pretend to care as Nadia Murad, a Yazidi women, told of being forced into sexual slavery. When she told Trump her mother and six brothers had been murdered, Trump actually replied: "Where are they now?"

Roger Cohen, a columnist for the New York Times, wrote that when Murad spoke at the White House:

[Trump sat his desk,] an uncomprehending, unsympathetic, uninterested cardboard dummy. He looks straight ahead for much of the time, not at her, his chin jutting in his best effort at a Mussolini pose. He cannot heave his bulk from the chair for this brave young woman. He cannot look at her.

Every now and again, in a disdainful manner, he swivels his head toward her and other survivors of religious persecution. ...

Toward the end of the exchange, Trump asks Murad about her Nobel Prize. "That's incredible," he says. "They gave it to you for what reason?"

"For what reason?" Murad asks, suppressing with difficulty her incredulity that nobody has briefed the president. Nobody can brief this president. It's pointless. He knows everything. "I made it clear to everyone that ISIS raped thousands of Yazidi women," she says.

"Oh really?" says Trump. "Is that right?" ...

I have watched the Murad-Trump exchange several times. It is scary. This president is inhuman. Something is missing. In his boundless self-absorption, he is capable of anything.

Yes. Trump is capable of anything ... except caring for anyone other than himself. He is devoid of humanity and incapable of empathy. The concept of considering the needs of another person - not actually doing anything to alleviate pain or suffering, but merely considering what someone else is going through - is utterly foreign to him. Affection for another person is likewise something he has never felt.

He has no class, no wisdom, no sensitivity. He possesses neither charm nor humility nor self-awareness. Nothing witty or even mildly amusing has ever passed his lips. A joke to him is a crass comment, demeaning insult, or random act of cruelty. He does not laugh; rather, he jeers and mocks. His self-worth is shackled to his addiction to bully everyone around him. And it is the vulnerable and voiceless whom he most enjoys humiliating.

These are the traits that cause people to put Trump in the same category alongside history's other sociopaths. While Trump's crimes may not yet match the atrocities of other evil men, his callousness most certainly does. He has shown beyond all question that he could - and he would - match their heinous acts if only given the chance.

Baseball Unlikely To Return Before May June (?)

UPDATE: It seems like the best-case scenario for the start of the regular season is June 15.

New York Times:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Sunday that no gatherings with 50 people or more — including weddings, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events or conferences — be held in the United States for the next eight weeks in one of the federal government's most sweeping efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich, The Athletic, March 14, 2020:

A day after commissioner Rob Manfred chose to delay the start of the season, he met with the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, Tony Clark, and other top officials in Arizona. The list of issues the sides must resolve is long, with topics ranging from service time and contract bonuses to practical matters of scheduling. At this point, industry sources believe it is unlikely the season will begin before May, which is dependent, of course, on the containment of the virus.

While most issues were unsettled as of Friday night, the sides did agree on one thing: The players are free to leave spring training if they want. They can continue to work out at their team's spring-training facility (where activities will be significantly reduced), relocate to the city where their team plays or head home.

In an illustration of the chaos the sport faces at the moment, some players and agents expressed concern that players leaving spring training could impact another area: player compensation. ...

On Thursday, when Manfred announced that the 2020 season would be delayed, the first sentence of his statement included the phrase "national emergency." A clause in every major-league player's contract — and also included in the sport's collective-bargaining agreement — gives the commissioner the right "to suspend the operation of this contract during any national emergency during which Major League Baseball is not played." If Trump had not acted, the union might have argued that Manfred could not invoke a national emergency on his own.

While Trump's decision appears to give MLB the right to withhold pay, Manfred is not inclined to take such a hard-line position, a source said. One possibility under discussion is the owners advancing players some of their 2020 salaries.

Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom:

It's been agreed that now our players can leave should they choose to, and go home or wherever they need to go. We're trying to make sure that that happens in a safe and orderly manner. ... For players who want to stay here, we will have the facility available to them if they want to stay here and obviously we're going to continue and intensify all the precautions taken to make sure this is a clean and safe environment for everybody here.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that a Yankees minor league player tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, the first known case in professional baseball.

NYDN: "Baseball Screwed Up Coronavirus Like It Screws Up Everything Else"

Bradford William Davis, New York Daily News:

Baseball Screwed Up Coronavirus Like It Screws Up Everything Else

As usual ... baseball waited as long as possible to do the right thing — suspending spring training and the first two weeks of the MLB season. The decision ... [came] later than every major American sports league's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The league can't feign ignorance about the coronavirus risks of packing thousands of people into a stadium. By its own admission, the MLB was in conversation with "with a wide range of public health experts, infectious disease specialists, and governmental agencies," including the Centers for Disease Control.

Yet, short of asking Marlins Man to lick every mustard dispenser he's ever used, the league could not have possibly shown more contempt for expert wisdom by allowing the games to persist as long as they did. ...

The virus is just the latest confirmation that MLB is comfortable being the last to respond to a crisis of any degree or kind.

Even though the league was informed by organizations about the possibility of illegal sign stealing, it took a public report and whistleblowing player witness to launch a probe expansive enough to confirm the rumors out of Houston were true.

Then, as baseballs flew out of ballparks at record rates for years, and accusations of a "juiced ball" spread around the league like a highly contagious respiratory infection, it took complaints from players and studies conducted from scientists outside the league to force MLB to admit their equipment was responding differently to the crack of the bat.

In its farcical statement Thursday, the league claimed that "nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our players, employees and fans." ...

[B]y dragging their cleats, baseball put its most loyal fans at greatest risk. Per the Sports Business Journal, the average age of a baseball fan is 57, the oldest in American sports. Older adults (60 and up, according to data collected by the World Health Organization) are most at risk of dying from the coronavirus.

Also:

Rush Limbaugh Thinks COVID-19 Is The 19th Coronavirus

Conservative talk show Rush Limbaugh ... who has suggested reports of the deadly disease are part of a conspiracy to undermine President Trump, further misinformed his audience Wednesday by claiming the virus is referred to as COVID-19 because there have been 18 other coronaviruses.

"Why do you think this is COVID-19?" he said. "This is the 19th coronavirus. They're not uncommon."

The Washington Post reported ... the virus' name is short for Coronavirus Disease 2019, which is the year it was identified. ...

The popular right-wing pundit has compared the coronavirus to a "common cold" and referred to informed media coverage of the growing pandemic as "panic." [This is a steady mantra at Fox News] ...

Limbaugh also struggled to wrap his brain around the word "lethal" ...

"What does lethal mean?" he demanded. "Does lethal kill you? Does lethal infect you? Does lethal give you a temperature of 102 versus 100?"

As the Post simply put it: "Lethal kills you."

As can stupidity, sometimes.

MLB Cancels The Remainder Of Spring Training, Delays Start Of Season By (At Least) Two Weeks

The 2020 regular season will be delayed by at least two weeks, because of concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. The remainder of the spring training schedule has been cancelled.

Opening Day had been scheduled for March 26, two weeks from today. The minor league baseball season has also been delayed.

(Both the NBA and NHL have suspended their 2019-2020 seasons.)

2020 Opening Day to be delayed by at least two weeks; Spring Training Games cancelled beginning today; and @WBCBaseball Qualifier games postponed indefinitely due to the national emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic. pic.twitter.com/yCgUHkdfpF

— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) March 12, 2020

Same pic.twitter.com/L2DbLyEXmf

— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) March 12, 2020

Good Luck Everyone!

It's almost like the United States has no President - we are a rudderless ship heading for a major disaster. Good luck everyone!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2014

Spring Training Clubhouses Closed To Media, As COVID-19 Declared A Pandemic

On Wednesday morning, the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic. WHO Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said his organization is "deeply concerned by the alarming levels of spread and severity" of the outbreak.

More than 125,000 people have tested positive for the virus, with 4,607 deaths. In the United States, 25 of the 32 reported deaths have occurred in Washington State, where public gatherings of more than 250 people have been banned. A similar ban is in effect in San Francisco.

Major League Baseball has barred the media from all spring training clubhouses, citing the need to limit or avoid "close contact" (defined as within six feet, for ten or more minutes). MLB stated its "current intention is to play spring training and regular-season games as scheduled", but with Opening Day only two weeks away, the Commissioner's office is looking into alternative sites for regular-season games, as opposed to playing in empty stadiums. Jarred Diamond of the Wall Street Journal writes:

Teams could play at other MLB stadiums in cities less affected by the crisis, when its primary tenant is on the road. They could stay at their spring training facilities in Arizona or Florida and stage regular-season contests there, since those places are experienced at hosting major-league games. Baseball has even received outreach from outside parties with facilities large enough to host MLB teams if they can't play at home.

This is a public health crisis, but the White House has ordered federal health officials to treat top-level meetings as classified information.

In January, Trump said there was one sick person in Washington. "We have it under control." He claimed late last month that "within a couple of days [the number of people infected] is going to be down to close to zero". Instead, that ominous number has grown from 15 (two weeks ago) to 111 (one week ago) to 1,039 (today).

And the Very Stable Genius has admitted he would like to manipulate the data since he will look better if it appears that fewer people are sick. So, yeah, keeping the public in the dark will work out fine, believe me.

Schadenfreude 268 (A Continuing Series)

Bill Madden, Daily News:

The great Yankee hype of teaming up these two giants of power in the middle of the order after Stanton was acquired from Miami in 2017 has become a pipe dream.

You can't make this stuff up: After his umpteenth MRI, it was found Friday that the nagging pain [Aaron] Judge was feeling in his shoulder all spring was actually a broken rib! Supposedly incurred making a diving catch in the outfield way back in September! And after missing almost all of last season with an assortment of injuries — left biceps, left shoulder, left knee, left calf — [Giancarlo] Stanton played in one spring training game in February, promptly reported soreness in his right calf during defensive drills on Feb. 26, and hasn't been on the field since. ...

[T]he preponderance of injuries to the two big guys is troubling. In Stanton's case, the Yankees owe him $244 million through 2027. His acquisition could end up as the worst deal in team history, by far. As for Judge, who missed 54 games last season with the second substantial oblique injury of his career (the other being in 2016) ... giving him a long-term contract would be as insane as it was to pick up Stanton's bloated contract.

At the same time, however, you have to wonder why these two guys are hurt so much. Is it because they're just too big for baseball players and thus more susceptible to these kind of injuries — calf, oblique, pec, biceps, ribs etc. — that take so long to heal?

George A. King III, Post:

Aaron Judge had nothing but good intentions when he believed he could get beyond normal soreness in his right shoulder and chest this offseason. The Yankees, however, would have preferred that Judge keep their medical department apprised of the soreness.

"Sure, you always want guys to communicate exactly what they are doing," manager Aaron Boone said Saturday. ...

Judge believed he could fight past the problem. ...

Judge said when he started his offseason workout program, he believed the soreness was normal because he was starting to move around after a period of rest.

"As the offseason progressed, it started to get worse and worse. ... Was it a back issue? Was it my shoulder? Always a lot of confusion," Judge said Friday.

George A. King III, Post:

Add Gary Sanchez to the rapidly growing list of Yankees players with physical issues.

After catching consecutive games Thursday and Friday, Sanchez wasn't among the batting practice groups for a Saturday morning workout ...

The Yankees already have lost Luis Severino for the season due to Tommy John surgery, likely won't have Giancarlo Stanton (Grade 1 strained right calf) for Opening Day, don't know how long Aaron Judge will be out with a stress fracture in his right top rib with the possibility of surgery looming and are without James Paxton (lower back surgery) for at least the first two months of the season. Also, Aaron Hicks already has undergone Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss at least the first three months of the season as the Yankees' 2020 season is developing into a repeat of 2019. ...

The sore back news followed a dreadful performance behind the plate Friday night at Steinbrenner Field, where Sanchez was charged with a passed ball (it should have been two) and was on the field for three wild pitches. Those struggles resulted in the home crowd booing Sanchez louder with each pitch he didn't catch or stop. ...

Boone isn't concerned about the catcher's .059 batting average [1-for-17 with seven strikeouts].

George A. King III, Post:

Gary Sanchez didn't handle two pitches from Deivi Garcia in the first inning of the Yankees' 5-1 loss to the Orioles that allowed Baltimore to score twice, prompting boos from the Steinbrenner Field crowd.

One was scored a wild pitch and the second a passed ball, but each should have been caught. Sanchez was behind the plate for two more wild pitches from David Hale.

The great Gary Maniloaf, everybody!

Baseball Umpires: Refusing To Enforce The Rules Since 1894

The Sporting Life (from the Cleveland Leader), July 14, 1894:

A Rule Which is Never Enforced by the League Umpires

There is a rule in base ball that reads very plainly. It refers to players who are hit by a pitched ball. It declares that if a player makes no effort to get out of the way of a pitched ball, or tries to get in the way of it, he shall not be sent to first base. That rule was violated three times yesterday afternoon by the Baltimores. Twice [Hughie] Jennings was the offender and the third time it was [Willie] Keeler. In not one of the three instances was the batter entitled to first base. He got it, as a matter of course, because it is customary to give the base to a batter and save argument. It would be a good thing to find an umpire with enough determination to refuse the base to a batter when it is evident that he is not entitled to it. Yesterday Jennings and Keller stood absolutely still in the batter's position, and made no effort to avoid the ball, because they knew [Frank] Griffith was not using speed. ...

When the Baltimores talked about protesting the game, because [Heinie] Reitz was declared out for interference, they did not seem to think that Cleveland had twice as much ground for protesting because the two Baltimore batters mentioned had been sent to first base illegally. ...

The fact of the matter is the rule is violated all the time, and, like a great many other rules, is a dead letter rule, for the simple fact that the umpires will not enforce it. Jennings scored both times when hit by a pitched ball, and neither run had any business to be counted. It isn't base ball; it isn't honest, and it is like a great many other things that have helped make base ball patrons weary. Umpire [Billy] Stage is not to be blame more than any other umpire. In this respect all are alike.

Stage, who was attending law school when he began umpiring National League games, lasted less than three months. His SABR bio offers a detailed account of his brief career.

Red Sox Sign Collin McHugh (Who Is Currently Recovering From Injury)

The Red Sox have signed right-handed pitcher Collin McHugh to a one-year, $600,000 contract.

McHugh, who turns 33 in June, could earn more with a number of performance and roster bonuses. In his career, he has made 119 starts and 91 relief appearances for the Mets (2012-13), Rockies (2013) and Astros (2014-19).

McHugh is currently recovering from a flexor injury in his right arm and has not started a throwing program. Manager Ron Roenicke: "He's willing to do both. So, we'll get him ramped up, extend him out and then see where he fits in our staff."

This is a good pick-up by CBO Bloom. McHugh is a low-cost arm with some interesting potential. I could see him following an opener and throwing three or four innings.

Hector Velazquez was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot.

Sale Has A Flexor Strain, Will Wait One Week Before Throwing (Surgery Remains A Possibility)

Chris Sale is suffering from a flexor strain and will wait another week before throwing a baseball.

Manager Ron Roenicke told reporters Sale's UCL "looks the same as the last image ... doctors have advised him to wait another week before he starts throwing again. He'll start playing catch again. If everything is good we'll progress."

Sale admitted the overall situation "sucks", but said he is thankful that "there's optimism to be had", as neither Dr. James Andrews nor Dr. Neal ElAttrache recommended surgery.

But I know the situation we're in right now, and it's not fun. I know there's an expectation level that not only our fans, my team, you guys, myself hold me to. I haven't met that. I haven't. This is about as tough of a situation as I've ever been in. I was able to get through most of my career doing what I love to do and helping my team win ... over the last year and up to this point, I've done nothing but fall flat on my face.

Jason Mastrodonato of the Herald tweeted:

Sale said he'll know if he needs Tommy John in two or three weeks when he starts throwing again.

Alex Speier of the Globe:

Chris Sale's MRI showed a flexor tendon strain but no further damage to his UCL. But while that means he might avoid Tommy John, it's far from a guarantee, with numerous examples of flexor strains turning into TJ. (Globe)

If doctors don't recommend surgery, you don't get surgery. And there are also examples cited of pitchers who were diagnosed with flexor strains who made it back.

Worth noting: Pitcher elbows often are a mess and don't always allow precise evaluations even with MRIs. Last year, for instance, Rich Hill went on the IL for 2 months with a flexor strain. He had TJ revision surgery in the offseason that revealed UCL damage but no flexor tear.

Sale is far from out of the woods yet.

But, hey: Gerrit Cole gave up four dongs in two innings today. (Travis Demeritte and Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers hit back-to-back pitches for home runs in both the first and second innings! Cole allowed six runs.) The MFY lost 15-11.

Sources Say Sale Is Not Expected To Need Season-Ending Surgery

Chris Sale is not expected to need Tommy John surgery, according to what sources have told Ken Rosenthal (The Athletic) and Buster Olney (ESPN).

Chris Sale not expected to undergo Tommy John surgery at this point, source tells The Athletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 4, 2020

Olney:

Sale's elbow injury is still a concern, and it's unknown for how long the left-hander will be sidelined ...

Ian Browne (mlb.com) writes that the Red Sox

expect to reveal their plan going forward with ace Chris Sale on Thursday, and it looks like the news will be better than originally expected.

Chris Sale And Red Sox Getting A Third Opinion

"Teams usually don't get a third opinion to confirm good news."

Indeed.

Peter Abraham, Globe, March 4, 2020:

Ron Roenicke on Chris Sale: Red Sox waiting for one more opinion from Dr. Neal Elattrache. "We need to get this right."

Roenicke said not to assume the worst-case scenario. But teams usually don't get a third opinion to confirm good news. Getting opinions from Andrews and ElAttrache certainly suggests there's a significant injury.

Chris Sale Gets An MRI (Only Two Weeks After Saying “I Feel Better Than I Have In A Long Time") And Will Consult With Dr. Andrews

Chris Sale threw live batting practice on Sunday. He arrived at the park on Monday with a sore left elbow and was sent for an MRI. After the Red Sox medical staff reviewed the MRI, it was sent to Dr. James Andrews for further evaluation.

Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom:

Obviously there's some concern. ... But until we have all the information, we don't want to start speculating unnecessarily. ... At a minimum, even if this is fairly benign, we know it's going to set him back to some degree. ... We also know, in the course of this building up [period] ... sometimes you can get sore. He hasn't faced hitters in a long time. ... [T]o speculate too much would be irresponsible. But needless to say, everything has gone well to this point. This is our first bump in the road. ... But you can't help but have some concern.

As fans, we have zero information right now. But it's hard to avoid thinking about the worst-case scenario, with Sale out until June 2021 with TJ surgery, leaving this year's Red Sox with Eduardo Rodriguez and Nathan Eovaldi as the top two starters.

Sale was examined by Dr. Andrews last August and it was determined that the lefty did not need TJ surgery. Sale also received a good report from Dr. Andrews in November.

Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic:

Chris Sale walked out of the Red Sox clubhouse at JetBlue Park around 1 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon.

"I'm alive," he said with a smirk when asked how he was doing by a reporter who was surprised to see him.

Two hours earlier, interim manager Ron Roenicke had told reporters in Tampa ... that Sale was headed for an MRI on his elbow as a result of soreness following his live batting practice session on Sunday, in which he threw 15 pitches.

"I've got more information to get and I'll let you guys know tomorrow," Sale added as he walked toward his car.

Sale said last month that he had thrown

off the mound probably six or seven times this offseason. My body is feeling good. Started flipping some breaking balls and getting after it a little bit. I'm doing normal stuff that I was before and it felt good. ... I feel better than I have in a long time, actually.