Brad

The Flashman books by George MacDonald Fraser are great fun. The fictional Harry Flashman in various historical pickles and how he gets out of them to live and fight another day. They are decidedly not politically correct!

If players are tested daily and show no symptoms, exposure to a person shouldn’t require the entire team to be shut down. It’s hard to know how much debt each team is carrying without seeing their finances and nobody is going to tell us that. However, big teams like the Yankees, Dodgers and Cubs are probably financially healthy and could weather a year of no baseball. The others, especially small market teams, who knows.

I had to go down to Summit this afternoon to pick up some new wire for my turntable. Summit has a decent city-type of downtown. I was amazed by the number of people not wearing masks.

Nice looking website. I’ve bookmarked it. Nice looking website. I’ve bookmarked it.

That’s a shame. He had a wonderful career. He also had a stint as a Yankees broadcaster; he was a no nonsense guy. RIP.

Didn’t notice your link, sorry.

Are you referring to this: https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them

I’d like them to at least come up with some plans to see if it’s feasible. If it’s not, then so be it. MLB might have the best shot because players are generally spaced apart, except at HP. Maybe now would be the time to have computers call balls and strikes, with no HP umpire.

Not if they can do it safely.

No, it’s not forever but when it’s reasonably safe not to be closed is not precise, although I side with what the scientists want because it’s fact based unlike many of our politicians. Look, I’m fortunate that I’m retired and generally don’t have to put myself as risk but I know there are a lot of people out there who have to make choices that put them in harm’s way.

One thing there never seems to be a shortage of are books about the Beatles. Based on what I read at Hoffman, Lewisohn is supposed to have a good Beatles podcast. Revolution in the Head is pretty darn essential. In the same vein, All 213 Beatles Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best, is quite useful.

The scientists would have us stay closed as long as possible while the openers go to the other extreme so to say the issue is raised for rhetorical reasons is...rhetoric. There are sensible middle grounds for proceeding cautiously in order to keep the pain and suffering as low as possible.

Reopening was always going to lead to more cases That’s not unexpected. However, can we stay closed forever. No, I don’t think so.

I think it’s just since the virus troubles started. In some cases, I haven’t had an issue with media mail, in others I have. You might want to offer people the option of priority, advising them that media mail is unpredictable and you can’t guarantee that they will receive their package on a timely basis.

Funniest — but truest (is that a word?) — thing I’ve read today. This is an issue on which you’d think there is unity but sadly there appears to be less and less of it.

I don’t agree with you but you and I come from different perspectives on this. It is true that they made an agreement on this in March but circumstances have changed since then as it has for many other deals made since then; for example, the sale of L Brands (Victoria’s Secret) was unwound because of force majeure and a material adverse effect in the business. Players, to the extent they share in revenues, shouldn’t get more than they bargained for under the present agreement since owners assume all the risks of operating a team. The alternative to both sides not agreeing is that players won’t receive any salaries, which will put the average player, not the stars, in a precarious financial position and some teams may have to file for bankruptcy. In France, where the government ruled that there is to be no more soccer for the remainder of the 2019-2020 season, certain teams may cease operations unless the government steps in and provides financial assistance, which is being considered. If teams go under in MLB, I can’t see states or the federal government doing that.

I probably shouldn’t say anymore so as not to sabotage this thread and get sent to Marshall Jim’s Pokey

Thanks, sounds like a good read.

How is this?

Yes, they want to reduce salaries because the revenues that MLB earns will be reduced because there are no fans in the stands, with resulting drops in concession sales. See this Jeff Passan article, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29161983/passan-20-questions-why-financial-battle-2020-mlb-season-get-really-really-ugly The players can’t expect to receive the salaries they would receive in “normal” times. Pain has to be shared.

As Larry might have said said, “hoe” I understand the need to move on and will do so but it’s an important question: liberties vs obligations. Have you seen this article regarding Texas, Businesses Chafing Under Covid-19 Lockdowns Turn to Armed Defiance

The phrase “conceived in liberty” is from the Gettysburg Address. However, it was Lincoln himself who tamped down on certain rights and liberties during the Civil War such as the writ of habeas corpus because he recognized that certain rights had to give way to the greater good. See below for an article on the suspension of the writ and his fight with Chief Justice Taney (known infamously for the Dred Scott decision): Lincoln and Taney’s great writ showdown After the Merryman incident (the one that led to his confrontation with CJ Taney), “Lincoln suspended the writ in other situations, and he received approval from Congress in March 1863 to suspend the writ for the duration of the conflict when ‘the public safety may require it.’” There is a good book on this topic which I purchased many years ago but only briefly started, Lincoln and the Triumph of the Nation: Constitutional Conflict during the Civil War by Mark Neely. Might be a good time to look at it again.

Typo but hey it’s a mixed metaphor

Quite true, it’s a difficult road to hoe. My comment was not meant to have a discussion on the Second Amendment but as an illustration of what I was referring to: appropriate balance between rights and societal obligations.