Illinois had six straight days of dropping corona deaths. I guess it's like the stock market where they warn you to not watch it every day because it will drive you mad, but I have to have something to feel like I have an indication of where the bus is going, And the route just became bumpier when we hit a record high today. Mid June at the earliest.
It's getting to me. So much of my life seems pointless without other people. Why do this? Why do that? Why bother? I still keep up with the painting and when it is going well that gives me a couple hours of pleasure, other than that I am pretty much killing time until supper and after when I do my crossword and watch five or six episodes of Veep, so cynical, so filthy, good entertainment for our time under the corona.
There is no end in sight and there is the possibility that we may not even get through this alive, and afterwards who knows what is to come.
So it's kind of surprising that I got so upset by reading about the proposal to have kind of a silly season of baseball beginning around the Fourth of July, I think it will be something like each team plays only members of its own division to avoid travel, what the hell, I can live with that, just for the chance of seeing Javy do one of those tricky tags, or hallelujah stealing home. But the thing that sticks in my craw is that the plan is for the National League, the senior circuit, the rock of ages, to adopt the designated hitter rule. Just for this silly season they say, but you know how those things go.
They don't explain why the DH is part of the plan, maybe Umpire Jim or one of wagoneers could explain it to me. My guess is that the ballplayers like it because it provides employment for more players and they want to sweeten it for the players who will likely be sequestered which will cut into their catting around.
Sorry but it may not even be the 4th of July. The MLB and owners came to an agreement with the players that they would be paid for each game at the proper proportion of their salary. Now, they are saying that because there will be no revenue from the fans, the players should split the money with the owners. Huh? Players don't like that deal, and they shouldn't.
ReplyDeleteAside from the possibility or non-possibility of baseball this year and painting, our Ken obviously needs some other distractions. Any plans yet for porch plants? Let us put our heads together and figure out what can be done in a barren city.
Nena,
ReplyDeleteAre the players getting paid anything this year? Uncle Ken raised that question a month ago, and as of yet, I don't recall anyone answering, or at least mentioning what the ears to the ground had heard. If not, I would think half the pie would be more appealing than the food lines?
As far as DH goes, who knows? The big deal for high school baseball this year was a new, super-duper DH rule that apparently was a hybrid of College rules, International rules and stuff they just threw in to be different. It was insane, no one even pretended to be an expert who could go around to local associations to explain it, etc., but then, .... now, it will probably never be implemented. It may even get blamed for the release of the virus, once DJT gets wind of it. He doesn't put his ear to the ground - would mess the coif.
Speaking of that, I am envious of someone able to get his beard trimmed. I am starting to resemble myself from 50 years ago - not exactly a pretty look, but I kind of like it.
Everyone is on the re-financing bandwagon, with cheap money and sky high real estate prices. However. there are rumblings (my ear is to the ground here) - that awful occurrence where active listings have started quietly putting some reductions in asking prices in place - shhhh - don't mention to anyone.
This may not end well.
Have to check out VEEP- have never seen a single episode of the show - I am sheltered in place.
Gardening - I gave that up after a Fourth of July picnic I was talked into throwing long ago - got me tossed out of my house in the country - sad tale. I have never been good at being a socialite, and therefore I am an easy mark for others looking to party at someone else's expense.
Lessons of life are painful, for the most part. Why is it we learn so much better from our mistakes than from our accomplishments? Maybe they are more valuable?
Nena,your county is amazing. How do you keep from Cov infections with Fort Leonard Wood so close? You have people traveling the world, then dropping into your little corner of the universe. I should expect rampant spreading. Especially with stores open, barbers doing their clippings etc. Big thing here is a local salon lady opened her shop like 4 days before the county was going to allow it - now she is looking at having it closed again - "Prayer Patriot" protectors were there, probably with AK-47's drawn to make sure the police didn't shut here down (local gendarmes were there, but only to ensure proper physical distancing protocol were being followed, not to have an armed gun battle in the streets) - meanwhile the local morons were standing around, waiting to get caught in the cross-fire. Seems we have collectively lost the little bit of reason and common sense that was once easy to find.
This is depressing.
Well, as to whether the players are getting paid, here is what I found from back in March: "As for the deal’s salary provisions, the players agreed to forego any potential suit against the league for full salaries in the event that the 2020 season does not take place. Instead, MLB will advance players $170 million over the next two months, which the Players Association will divide among its members. MLB salaries are paid on a per game basis, so to the extent that games are missed due to COVID-19, there is a legitimate argument that players would not be owed their contractually-agreed upon salaries. Perhaps recognizing the uncertain legal landscape at play here and the bad optics of litigating over millions in salaries at this time of mass unemployment, it would appear that both sides determined that a swift resolution to the matter was in everyone’s best interests." So, nobody in the pros is going hungry. The rationale I was able to find for the universal DH is that there would be so much interleague play under the new proposal. Apparently, the owners are proposing a 50/50 revenue split if they start up again in July.
ReplyDeleteI get where KJ is coming from. It seems like this could drag on forever. Will wearing masks outside the home become the new normal for years? What keeps us sane has been getting out of the house to walk every day. I walk for about an hour and 45 minutes. Larry goes with me for about a half hour of that. Unfortunately, the last few days have been cold and rainy and I am not so dedicated that I will walk in the rain... Well, look at that. The sun is peeking out from behind the clouds. Guess I'll give it a shot. Later.