IMPORTANT: If you are in a Zoom Meeting with more than two people, and do not mute your mic, you will be brought before a war crimes tribunal.
*I know these are supposed to be COVID-19-free, but here's how the Astros Foundation is helping to coordinate and deliver medical supplies.
*Chandler Rome has a mailbag. He talks about impending free agency, three prospects he thinks will throw 90+ IP in 2020/2021, whichever comes first, Forrest Whitley, and A.J. Hinch.
*Speaking of A.J. Hinch, Buster Olney reported (confirmed by Chandler Rome) that, if the 2020 season is canceled, Hinch and Jeff Luhnow would still be eligible to return to baseball in 2021. This is consistent with MLB's decision on player suspensions not having to spill over to 2021 (Francis Martes, for instance).
*Here are the draft pools and slot bonuses for the 1st 10 Rounds of the 2020 Draft, though how many rounds there actually will be is still up in the air. The Astros' 1st selection of the Draft will be #73, thanks to the Yankees giving Gerrit Cole over $300m. That pick has a slot of $857,400. Their next pick will be 3-102.
*Listen to Part 2 of Evan Gattis' conversation with The Athletic on the Astros' sign-stealing in 2017. Gattis:
I think we got so f***ing caught up that we f***ed up.
*Jon Singleton was the most-hyped Astros' 1B prospect of the last 20 years, says MLB.com. I think I was more hyped for Brett Wallace, but the point stands.
*Lance McCullers is Tags' pick for Future Ace of the Astros.
*Meet "the conscience of baseball."
*Chris Cwik went back and undid all of Jeter's wrongs with the Marlins.
*Tim Kurkjian: Ichiro's love of hamburgers, math, and his bats.
*Sam Miller: The most meme-worthy moments for all 29 teams (yeah, the trash can takes the cake for the Astros. If it's not Coronavirus, it's trash cans. This is what we are now.)
*Outside: The Woman Who Lives 200,000 Years In The Past.
*Explore.org has a ton of webcams for you to pass your time.
*You need Yoga With Adriene in your life.
*Learn Something:
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
