Perspectives: May 24, 2020

It has been 218 days since the last time we saw the Yankees take the field in a baseball game. It’s been a long time. A very long time.

Boy do I miss the Yankees…

I am wondering a lot right now about baseball. Will there be a season? If so, what will it look like?

It seems that the owners and the players are haggling right now over compensations, revenues, and such. I get it – I do understand that he business aspect of the game is actually why there even is a professional game at all. If the owners didn’t make money, there would be no game. If the players didn’t get paid, there would be no game. At its core, baseball is, of course, a business. I hope though, that when sports are given the green light to play, that the owners and the players come to a quick resolution to get the game back as quickly as possible. This is not the time for either side to be greedy. The country needs baseball.

I have often found that when people are kind or generous that the kindness and that generosity come back to them in greater amounts than they ever gave. (I often say this in regard to love as well, but this isn’t a philosophy piece.) In short, baseball could prop itself up in huge measures by jumping right in getting the games going as quickly as possible once the sanctions are lifted. Fans will greatly appreciate this and it will help grow the game. It will help change any narrative about greedy owners and/or players.

The converse is also true. Selfish people most often don’t win. If the players and the owners spar over monies and compensations, and delay the season even more -in a time when so many people are out of work, losing their businesses, their livelihoods, their homes, and so much more, they could do irreparable damage to the game. It’s tough to get worked up over a game played by millionaire players and run by multi-millionaire owners when one is struggling to put food on the table. When it works best, sports is a wonderful distraction that takes people away from their day-to-day real life struggles. Baseball, as a sport, must recognize and appreciate that fact. It is the key to the sport’s short term (and possibly long term) success and survival.

I actually haven’t followed the back-and-forth occasional articles about negotiations between the owners and the players. Right now, it is too early, but to be blunt, I just don’t care. Once baseball is allowed to be played, they must bring the game back to the fans. As quickly as possible (and with this, I am, of course, considering the new “spring training” as part of the process of bringing the game back).

Hopefully, if and when baseball returns and Spring Training resumes, the players are in close to game shape. I would have to hope and assume that the players are doing all they can to get and stay ready.

I can’t wait until the restrictions for recreational ball in New Jersey are waived and I can play baseball again. I’m looking forward to my second season as a pitcher (a soon to be 52-year-old pitcher) in the 35+ wood bat baseball league in Northern New Jersey. I have been exercising every single day and my son Ethan and I throw for about 30 minutes every single nice day. My arm is strong; it’s ready. Once the games start, I’m ready and able to go nine innings right from the start. I’ve been throwing for months. I’m ready. (I hope the big league players are as motivated as I am to get out there and play.) (If not, I hope a professional team calls me up – I’m ready and I won’t haggle over compensation. Right now I have to pay to play.)

Regular readers will know that I had Achilles surgery in early January of this year. In addition to being a baseball player, I am (was?) a marathon runner. I have run 21 marathons. I am registered for the 2020 New York City Marathon, but am very fearful that they won’t be able to run the race this year. I’m not nearly in marathon shape, of course, but I am slowly getting stronger. I’m positing regular updates on my running progress on me personal blog (which also had plenty of motivational and other reflective pieces): www.drpaulsem.com

In Yankees news, I am excited to see that many of the injured players – especially James Paxton will be seemingly healthy when (if) the season returns. I’m really rooting for James Paxton.

I have written this before, so often, but I am very fearful that Aaron Judge will never be healthy. The reports on his health just aren’t promising. I think Aaron Judge (and I hate saying this) will be one of those memorable “what if” players. What if he had stayed healthy, how great would he have been? (I hope I’m wrong.)

It seems that the Yankees aren’t sold on Clint Frazier. That seems to be a topic again. If they aren’t convinced, at this point, that he can play in the big leagues, they ought to just trade him and let him get on with his career.

When I create the Saturday (10:00 a.m.) Links posts, I am finding that more and more sites, including newspapers, have gone behind pay walls. There is still a lot of free content available, but it’s not like it used to be. I can’t even link to a host of newspapers any longer. That’s a shame.

Coming this week, there will be a new look to Start Spreading the News. All of our content will remain, but we’re going to format the site a little differently so that the featured articles remain at the top of the page and the fun stuff (“frivolities” – such as the Baseball Card Trivia, Tweet of the Day, Strat-O-Matic Quick Hits, and the Beatles Breaks) don’t distract from the main content. I’m looking forward to that roll-out. I think it’ll be a nice new look.

I came up with the idea for the Beatles Break just as a fun way to pass the time until baseball returned. I never thought I’d be sustaining it for this many weeks. The Beatles have a vast collection of songs, and I have dipped into their solo careers, but I’m running out of creative ways to tie the Beatles songs to baseball topics. (Despite numerous requests, I have not wanted to label any number of pitchers on any team – “The Fool On The Hill.”) If any readers have some good Beatles song ideas and the connections I can make, please let me know. These have been fun to share, but I’d much rather be writing about the Yankees.

THANK YOU to all our readers for visiting the site every day. We appreciate your visits, your comments, and your support.

THANK YOU also to all our writers. Producing content on baseball when there is no baseball hasn’t been easy – yet these writers come through day-after-day-after-day. They are an amazing collection of great writers. I am thrilled and honored that they are the backbone of Start Spreading The News.