When the Sports World Ground to a Halt

Here's what I posted after being at the Yankees and Nationals game on March 12th, 2020.

Not long after Thursday's Yankees/Nationals game began in West Palm Beach, word spread that it would be the last live baseball we'd see for a while. Efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak had forced all the major sports to suspend games, in order to avoid large gatherings in concentrated places such as ballparks and arenas.

The game thus played out under eerie, almost unreal circumstances. Reaching the bottom of the 9th, the Yankees held the lead. Now, with two outs, Washington's Wilmer Difo faced Yankee pitching prospect Albert Abreu. Ball meets bat. Difo lifts a fly ball, pulled in by Thomas Milone.

What is Milone thinking as he grips the ball in his glove? Or Difo as the game ends? Both symbolically joined to hit a huge pause button halting the 2020 baseball season before it ever began.

Health and safety considerations outweigh the value of three hours of in-person, or even televised entertainment.

During this global pandemic, we're all entering uncharted territory. And for the moment, we're making the journey without baseball.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Spring Training Flashbacks: Subway Series, Florida Style - 2016

Image
It's a return visit to the Mets' Florida home in Port St. Lucie, this time for a 2016 showdown with the Yankees. (Below), Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman chat during batting practice. Aaron Judge and Rob Refsnyder have their game faces on in the dugout... though neither would be in the starting lineup. (Above) A couple of Brooklyn natives that made their mark in New York baseball -- Lee Mazzilli and John Franco. (Below) Mets pitcher Josh Smoker makes friends by signing a few autographs. (Above) Mets reliever Jeurys Familia; (Below) 2nd baseman Neil Walker (Above) Curtis Granderson, one of the select few players to star for both the Yankees and Mets, getting ready for his third summer at Citi Field. (Below) Aaron Hicks came to the Yankees in a trade the previous November. 3rd baseman Chase Headley enjoying the Grapefruit League vibe, even against Mets ace Jacob deGrom. (Above) Mets slugger Yoenis Cespedes watches where he hit one... so does Joe Girardi from the visitor's dugou...
Read more

If Your Birthday is January 3rd...

Image
...you share it with AJ Burnett .  The well traveled righthander, who after seven years with the Marlins. spent time with the Yankees, Pirates, Blue Jays and Phillies, won 164 big league games and struck out more than 2500, but inconsistent control kept him from becoming an ace: he twice led the American League in wild pitches and once in hit batters. The Arkansas native earned a pair of World Series rings -- with the 2003 Marlins (while recovering from Tommy John surgery) and 2009 Yankees (where he set a record for hitting five batters in a post-season series).   Also in the January 3rd birthday circle: longtime big league reliever Gary Lavelle , the late Phllies catcher Darren Daulton  and utilityman Luis Sojo , who between his time with the Mariners and Yankees, made the post-season six times in 13 seasons.  But among the 68 players born on this date who've played in MLB, Burnett was -- if you go by WAR -- the most productive of them.
Read more

Wayback Wednesday: Double Duty

Image
June 5th, 1965:    Mel Stottlemyre hits a home run -- and pitches all 10 innings, as the Yankees edge the White Sox 4-3 Yankees edge the White Sox 4-3 .  Mickey Mantle also homers, while Elton Howard wins it with a walk-off single, driving in Phil Linz.      
Read more