Mark Feinsand:
MLB and its clubs have been preparing a variety of contingency plans regarding the 2020 regular-season schedule. The league plans to announce the effects on the schedule at an appropriate time, though MLB also said it "will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible.
This would put Opening Day on April 9 at the earliest. Opening Day for the minor-leagues - originally scheduled for April 9 - has also been delayed, though how long has yet to be determined. If MLB just shifts the dates two weeks, it would put the end of the regular season at October 11, which would be an early- to mid-November World Series, which the Astros will win. Or MLB shortens the season to 154 or 144 games (as they did in the strike-shortened season of 1995).
James Click:
Obviously, we're disappointed that we won't be playing baseball at Minute Maid Park in a couple weeks, but we understand that there are things that are bigger than Baseball.
The Astros' facility will be closed today (Friday) and Saturday. The Astros' probably won't work out until Sunday.
Astros scouts are not allowed to travel by air, but can scout if they can get there in their car, should said baseball event actually be taking place.
March Madness has been canceled for both Men & Women as well as the College World Series. So has the Texas High School Basketball Tournament. The NBA is suspended for at least 30 days. So is MLS. The manager of Arsenal tested positive for Coronavirus.
Jayson Stark (unlocked from The Athletic): It was a normal Spring - until it wasn't.
Jay Jaffe: MLB must soon decide its fate with COVID-19.
Tom Verducci: Shutting down MLB was the right call, but there's no precedent for what happens next.
*Chandler Rome: The Making of GM James Click. This is a really good article. Rays VP of Player Development Peter Bendix:
(Click) is very good at being a leader. He's very good at inspiring people to believe in him, at promoting a vision, at just kind of taking a group of people and moving them forward in the same direction just by kind of uniting them toward one goal. I don't know to what extent he is doing it intentionally or it's just natural, but it certainly comes across as natural.
*Prayers up for Baltimore's Trey Mancini, who had a malignant tumor removed from his colon.
*How Taiwan and Singapore contained Coronavirus.
*The biggest thing to worry about is hospital beds.
*The dumbest drug moments of the last 100 years.
*A Musical Selection. Pete Yorn was cool, then he sucked, then he didn't again. The Smiths are terrible, but I like this cover:
