Tag: COVID-19

Opt-outs and COVID cases
Below is the current list of major league players who have opted out of playing in 2020 due to concerns over the coronavirus, plus a list of players who are known to have been infected with COVID-19. This list will obviously grow and evolve as preseason training camps progress, and we will update it as needed to keep current.

Another trade, plus COVID hits the West and postpones next games
Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto swung one last trade as this afternoon's MLB trading deadline hit, sending reliever Taylor Williams to San Diego in exchange for a player to be named later.
See full post: "Another trade, plus COVID hits the West and postpones next games"...

Virtual Season: Still going
The GSAU virtual season that did its best to substitute for the real deal while everything was shut down due to the pandemic hasn't been updated here since shortly after the real season began, but that doesn't mean it's done with. There hasn't been time to keep up the almost-daily game stories and such since real baseball returned, but we will be updating the virtual season in chunks as we press on.

COVID updates and miscellany
Will the St. Louis Cardinals play baseball again in 2020? Since a COVID-19 outbreak among their squad became known, the Cards have been in limbo, with all of their games since July 29th postponed. Though no new cases of the virus have cropped up in the last couple of days, they remain quarantined for now. Major League Baseball currently plans on the Cardinals taking the field again starting this Friday against the White Sox in Chicago and potentially playing a makeup doubleheader tomorrow against the Detroit Tigers. We'll see.

Cardinals' COVID outbreak grows
The St. Louis Cardinals are the new Miami Marlins. Today's coronavirus test reporting, from tests performed over the weekend, bring the Cardinals' total number of infections up to 13 (seven players, six coaches and/or support staff among the traveling party).

COVID updates, etc.
Another day, another postponement in Major League Baseball. As was the case yesterday, tonight's game in Milwaukee between the hometown Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals has been bumped due to more positive test results for COVID-19. One St. Louis player, two coaches, and a staff member traveling with the team tested as infected, in addition to the two Cardinal pitchers that we learned yesterday had tested positive. None of the six Cardinals consented to make his identity known.

More COVID cases puts season in (more) jeopardy
Another coronavirus case among the Miami Marlins and two COVID-19-positive test results from the St. Louis Cardinals were made known today, bringing the Marlins' total number to 18 players and two coaches and causing enough concern with the Cardinals for MLB to postpone their game tonight against he Milwaukee Brewers.
See full post: "More COVID cases puts season in (more) jeopardy"...

Reality Bites
I am genuinely surprised. The blowback on MLB generally and the commissioner's office specifically over the Miami Marlins' COVID-19 outbreak has actually resulted in Commissioner Manfred taking the Marlins off the schedule for the time being.

Marlins outbreak further illustrates Manfred's faults
As posted this morning, the Miami Marlins are in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak. Since posting that article, test results from late last week came back and seven more Miami players and two coaches had positive results for the coronavirus. The personnel involved were not identified. The Marlins' opponents over the weekend, the Philadelphia Phillies, underwent supplemental testing today and both the Phillies and the Marlins postponed their scheduled home games this evening.
See full post: "Marlins outbreak further illustrates Manfred's faults"...

"MLB’s worst nightmare"
Pay particular attention to the transaction wires today. Specifically, the Miami lines. Look for anyone going on the injured list for "unspecified reasons." Check the Phillies, too.

Virtual Season: Pence, Kikuchi power M's to 8-2 win over Jays
Hunter Pence put the Mariners on the scoreboard with a 1st-inning three-run homer against the Blue Jays today at TMP and Yusei Kikuchi pitched six scoreless innings as Seattle cruised to an 8-2 win over Toronto.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Pence, Kikuchi power M's to 8-2 win over Jays"...

Between COVID-19 and short preseason, pitchers start dropping like flies
The first few games of 2020 are in the books, and we're just starting to see how both a short preseason training camp and holding games during a pandemic is hurting various teams' rosters.
See full post: "Between COVID-19 and short preseason, pitchers start dropping like flies"...

Virtual Season: Mariners double up Jays 6-3, Marco wins 11th
Shed Long blasted a long two-run homer and drove in another run with a tie-breaking sacrifice fly to lead the Mariners to a 6-3 victory over the Blue Jays today at TMP.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners double up Jays 6-3, Marco wins 11th"...

Virtual Season: Blue Jays rout Mariners 17-1
Justin Dunn probably regrets not calling in sick today. The Mariner rookie was coming off a stellar performance his last time out, a six-inning, 11-strikeout game versus the NL East-leading Mets, and with an extra day of rest wanted to pick right up where he left off tonight against the Blue Jays.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Blue Jays rout Mariners 17-1"...

16-team playoffs a go for 2020
It's official, as of about three hours ago—which is also three hours before the first pitch of the truncated 2020 season—the playoffs will include eight teams per league this year, assuming a postseason is played at all.

Virtual Season: Mariners take rubber match from Orioles
The Mariners took advantage of a shaky Orioles bullpen in coming from behind to beat Baltimore 8-5 today at Camden Yards.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners take rubber match from Orioles"...

As opening day nears, questions still remain
After much delay we're finally here. In this bizarre age of coronavirus and leadership by idiots, all of the hemming and hawing over schedule length, pay scales, health protocols, et cetera, is over; all of the logistical puzzles have been solved and the troubles are all behind us, so we're set for games to—
See full post: "As opening day nears, questions still remain"...

Virtual Season: Mariners score a baker's dozen to pummel Orioles
Jake Fraley homered and Daniel Vogelbach went 4-for-6 in the Mariners' 18-hit barrage of the Orioles tonight, as Seattle cruised to a 13-4 win in Baltimore.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners score a baker's dozen to pummel Orioles"...

Virtual Season: Mariners clip Mets to regain first place
The M&M boys won a game in New York today, but not the ones New Yorkers might remember. Instead of Mantle and Maris, today's 4-3 Seattle victory over the Mets was thanks largely to Marco and Mallex.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners clip Mets to regain first place"...

Virtual Season: Orioles snap 18-game losing streak, beat M's 3-2
The Baltimore Orioles sent their top pitcher to the mound tonight to get back in the win column. After losing 18 consecutive games, Baltimore finally came out on top as John Means went eight strong innings to beat the Mariners 3-2.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Orioles snap 18-game losing streak, beat M's 3-2"...

More 2020 logistics as MLB rolls the dice with 2020
Make of this what you will—the District of Columbia gave the Washington Nationals an exemption to its COVID-19 isolation policy, saying players may forego the 14-day quarantine if they become infected so long as they restrict themselves to Nationals Park and their residences/hotels for the two-week period, while the Canadian federal government has denied a similar exemption to the Toronto Blue Jays, so there will be no games played in Canada and the Jays have to find somewhere else to call home for 2020.
See full post: "More 2020 logistics as MLB rolls the dice with 2020"...

Virtual Season: Stroman outlasts Dunn, Mets win against Seattle's bullpen
The Mariners had a tough assignment today in New York, facing one of the National League's best pitchers in Marcus Stroman, and they came up short as the Mets won the game by a score of 5-2.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Stroman outlasts Dunn, Mets win against Seattle's bullpen"...

Virtual Season: Mariners trade for Pence, beat Mets
Carlos González had three hits and drive in two runs against Mets ace Noah Syndergaard to lead the Mariners to a 6-4 victory in interleague action in Queens, New York.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners trade for Pence, beat Mets"...

Updates on the folly surrounding the 2020 season
We're still a week or two away from seeing any real evidence of success or failure in Major League Baseball's coronavirus health and safety protocols, but we are seeing evidence of failure to see the big picture in other ways.
See full post: "Updates on the folly surrounding the 2020 season"...

Virtual Season: Hometown Dodgers help NL to All-Star victory
Dodger Stadium was filled with stars. Usually, the LA ballpark has its share of movie and television personalities giving it star power, but today it was the best of the Major Leagues and the home crowd was justly rewarded with a 5-1 National League victory.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Hometown Dodgers help NL to All-Star victory"...

Will 2020 be baseball's Titanic?
I heard the various preparations of sports leagues to resume amid the coronavirus pandemic described today as being akin to "a press release at the launch of the Titanic." It's not my phrase; I think it was Chris Hayes who coined it. But whomever gets the credit, it's certainly apt.

Virtual Season: Manaea handcuffs M's as Oakland wins 4-2
Sean Manaea was dominant through six innings today as the Athletics prevailed over the Mariners 4-2. The Oakland lefty allowed four hits and walked one while striking out six.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Manaea handcuffs M's as Oakland wins 4-2"...

"Summer camp" continues, coronavirus also continues
As major league teams proceed with their preseason training camps and the truncated 2020 season's scheduled opening day approaches fast, issues with the COVID-19 pandemic refuse to be ignored.
See full post: ""Summer camp" continues, coronavirus also continues"...

Virtual Season: Mariners squeak by A's to stay a half-game up in AL West
Evan White reached base four times and scored twice in tonight's 4-3 win for the Mariners over the Oakland Athletics.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners squeak by A's to stay a half-game up in AL West"...

Virtual Season: Murphy's two homers not enough as M's lose to A's
Shed Long made a costly error in the 1st inning, leading to three Oakland runs as the A's built up to a 7-3 victory over the Mariners at TMP.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Murphy's two homers not enough as M's lose to A's"...

Virtual Season: Luzardo's great start leads A's to 4-2 victory
Ramon Laureano blasted a three-run homer into the bullpen tonight to give the Athletics a lead that held up, as Oakland beat the Mariners 4-2 in Seattle.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Luzardo's great start leads A's to 4-2 victory"...

Virtual Season: Gonzales wins 9th as M's sweep Orioles
Marco Gonzales has found a way to prevent his relief from blowing wins for him: finish the game himself. Seattle's ace threw his league-leading sixth complete game tonight as the Mariners defeated Baltimore 5-2, sweeping the series and sending the Orioles to their twelfth straight loss.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Gonzales wins 9th as M's sweep Orioles"...

Virtual Season: Fraley leads Mariners to 7-2 win vs. Baltimore
Jake Fraley homered in the 6th inning tonight, breaking a 1-1 tie and sending the Mariners on their way to a 7-2 win over the badly-slumping Baltimore Orioles.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Fraley leads Mariners to 7-2 win vs. Baltimore"...

Virtual Season: Sheffield masterful in win vs. Orioles
Justus Sheffield was dominant against the Baltimore Orioles tonight, throwing eight shutout innings, walking none and striking out 11 en route to a 3-1 Mariner victory.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Sheffield masterful in win vs. Orioles"...

Virtual Season: Phillies beat Seattle 5-4 in extras
Andrew McCutchen connected for a home run into Edgar's Cantina in the top of the 12th inning today at TMP to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 5-4 comeback victory against the Mariners.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Phillies beat Seattle 5-4 in extras"...

The reward of a functional society
Preseason training camps are in session and the season is still scheduled to begin in less than three weeks, but Major League Baseball's preparations for play in the age of COVID-19 are proving to be, well, less than robust.

Virtual Season: Kikuchi falters, Phillies win 5-3
The Philadelphia Phillies took advantage of an uncharacteristically wild Yusei Kikuchi tonight at TMP, scoring three runs in the 1st inning and making them count, hanging on to beat the Mariners by the score of 5-3.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Kikuchi falters, Phillies win 5-3"...
More players test positive for coronavirus
More players have been reported to have had positive COVID-19 tests as training camps get underway. All-Stars Freddie Freeman, D.J. LeMahieu, Salvador Pérez, Miguel Sanó, and Aaron Nola are among today's new additions to the list.
See full post: "More players test positive for coronavirus"...

Virtual Season: White leads M's to victory against Phillies
Evan White drove in Austin Nola with the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Mariners an exciting walkoff victory against the Philadelphia Phillies.
See full post: "Virtual Season: White leads M's to victory against Phillies"...

The dominoes start falling
As preseason training camps open up, the coronavirus test results come in. A reported 31 positive tests came in the initial screenings as payers reported to their home ballparks this week, including Cleveland's Delino DeShields Jr., San Diego's Tommy Pham, and Texas' Brett Martin, all of whom approved their result being made public. This in addition to previously known infections, such as that of All-Star Charlie Blackmon and two Rockies teammates and 11 Philadelphia Phillies.

Manfred steps in it again and the COVID IL gets its first of many uses
Commissioner Rob Manfred went on the Dan Patrick radio show yesterday and metaphorically stepped on another rake to whack himself in the face. In discussing the lengthy and ultimately pointless so-called negotiations with the players' union—and the animosity created by them—Manfred said this: "The reality is we weren’t going to play more than 60 games no matter how the negotiations with the players went."
See full post: "Manfred steps in it again and the COVID IL gets its first of many uses"...

Virtual Season: Mariners drop series finale to Boston 4-3
The Mariners concluded their latest road trip in Boston today, dropping the final game to the Red Sox by a score of 4-3. Rafael Devers doubled and scored what turned out to be the winning run in the 6th inning.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners drop series finale to Boston 4-3"...

Virtual Season: Murphy leads M's to victory in Boston
Tom Murphy led the charge as the Mariners squeaked by the Red Sox tonight 4-3. Murphy drove in all four runs, hitting a two-run homer over the green monster in the 2nd inning and doubling in two runs in the 4th.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Murphy leads M's to victory in Boston"...

Players start opting out as COVID-19 continues to rage
As tomorrow's deadline for players to report to preseason training camp approaches, four major league players have announced they will be opting out of the 2020 season due to concerns over the coronavirus.
See full post: "Players start opting out as COVID-19 continues to rage"...

Virtual Season: Kikuchi dominates Red Sox as M's win 2-0
When the Red Sox last saw Yusei Kikuchi, on April 12th, they tattooed him for six runs. Today, a different story altogether. The Mariners' Japanese southpaw shut out Boston for eight innings despite giving up seven hits, pitching out of trouble on several occasions to give Seattle a 2-0 victory.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Kikuchi dominates Red Sox as M's win 2-0"...

Virtual Season: M's blow lead in the 9th, win anyway
Yoshi Hirano was on in the 9th to close out a win for Marco Gonzales, but the Tampa Bay Rays had other plans and Kevin Kiermaier took Hirano deep for a game-tying home run and the Mariners would have to play on until they could win it 6-5 in ten innings.
See full post: "Virtual Season: M's blow lead in the 9th, win anyway"...

Virtual Season: Rays sink Mariners 9-1
The Mariners' bats apparently arrived in Florida with holes in them. Tampa Bay starter Brendan McKay and relievers Anthony Banda and Colin Poche combined to strike out 14 Seattle batters tonight as the Rays routed the M's 9-1 at the former Suncoast Dome.

Virtual Season: Mariners lose first game of road swing to Rays 5-1
Tyler Glasnow had the Mariners tied in knots tonight. The Tampa Bay right-hander struck out ten Seattle batters in 71⁄3 innings on the way to a 5-1 Rays victory.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners lose first game of road swing to Rays 5-1"...

Virtual Season: Rangers blank M's to snap streak; Seager traded
Lance Lynn, whose been a thorn in the Mariners' side for a few years now, pitched a gem for the Rangers tonight as Texas beat Seattle 4-0. The loss snaps the Mariners' eight-game winning streak.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Rangers blank M's to snap streak; Seager traded"...

The COVID factor
Commissioner Rob Manfred has spoken: Major League Baseball will open a truncated season on July 23rd, with a preseason training camp to begin July 3rd after players report no later than July 1st. The season will last 60 games and end September 27th. So sayeth the almighty Rob.

Virtual Season: M's feast on Texas pitching, win 8th straight
The Mariners took advantage of one of the American League's worst pitching staffs to continue their offensive explosion, scoring ten runs against the Rangers to beat their division rival 10-3.
See full post: "Virtual Season: M's feast on Texas pitching, win 8th straight"...

Details begin to emerge for 2020 changes
The players' union and Commissioner Rob Manfred's office have given up on arguing over economic matters for now, but they are still ironing out protocols for health and safety in the theoretically-upcoming abbreviated 2020 campaign. Some of those protocols will translate to rule changes on the field in the interest of player safety.
See full post: "Details begin to emerge for 2020 changes"...

Virtual Season: Mariners beat Texas, extend win streak to 7 games
Tom Murphy and Mitch Haniger each homered and drove in three runs in the Mariners' 9-3 defeat of the Texas Rangers tonight at TMP.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners beat Texas, extend win streak to 7 games"...

Commissioner announces 2020 season will commence
So. You know all that arguing and wrangling and bad blood being spilled and hostility being ginned up between ownership and the players' union over the past couple of months? Yeah, that was for nothing.
See full post: "Commissioner announces 2020 season will commence"...

Virtual Season: Fraley, Walker shine as Mariners complete sweep of Royals
Taijuan Walker struck out a season-high nine batters over eight strong innings and Jake Fraley went 3-for-4 with a home run to lead the Mariners to a 2-1 win over Kansas City and extend their winning streak to six games.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Fraley, Walker shine as Mariners complete sweep of Royals"...

Virtual Season: Mariners shut out Royals, win 5th in a row
Nick Margevicius pitched six strong innings and Mitch Hanger launched a late home run to help the Mariners to a 4-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners shut out Royals, win 5th in a row"...

Virtual Season: Mariners win 4th straight, take over first place
The Mariners kept up their winning ways tonight at TMP, defeating the Kansas City Royals 5-2 behind a solid start from rookie pitcher Justus Sheffield. Every Seattle batter in the lineup reached base again tonight, via hit or walk.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners win 4th straight, take over first place"...

MLB closes spring facilities, season negotiations stalled again
Surprising absolutely no one who's been paying attention, multiple major league clubs have reported COVID-19 infections among their players and staff and apparent outbreaks in their spring training facilities. MLB today ordered all spring facilities closed again, after several clubs shut down complexes on their own.
See full post: "MLB closes spring facilities, season negotiations stalled again"...

Virtual Season: M's clobber Royals 9-2
Yusei Kikichi went eight strong innings and the Seattle offense continued its impressive consistency to lead the Mariners to a 9-2 drubbing of the Kansas City Royals.

Virtual Season: Mariners sweep Astros, close to 1 GB
Evan White and Kyle Lewis each hit home runs and eight of nine Mariners in the lineup had hits as Seattle beat the Houston Astros 7-4.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners sweep Astros, close to 1 GB"...

Latest on 2020 negotiations
Well, Commissioner Manfred's tactics seem to have backfired on him, as his office has resumed negotiations for a new agreement to open a 2020 campaign. It's not all good news, though it does appear that a deal will be struck now that the league has given up on trying to reduce player pay beyond the pro rata agreement already made in March.

Virtual Season: Mariners edge Astros 3-2
Taijuan Walker pitched six strong innings and Kyle Lewis hit his first home run of the year to help the Mariners clip the Houston Astros 3-2 in Seattle.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners edge Astros 3-2"...

Keep digging that hole
A little more than a week ago, I wrote that the Commissioner's office and the MLBPA needed to stop digging as they fell further and further into the hole they were creating for themselves with the general public. They didn't take my advice, of course, and today we have Commissioner Rob Manfred essentially threatening to pull the plug on a 2020 season that wasn't likely to happen anyway because of made-up offenses committed by the players' union.

Virtual Season: Angels trounce M's to snap winning streak
Dee Gordon gave the Mariners an immediate edge with a leadoff home run today, but the Los Angeles Angels weren't fazed as they came back to wallop Seattle 10-1.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Angels trounce M's to snap winning streak"...

Virtual Season: M's survive bullpen implosion to win 6th straight game
The Mariners opened up a big 8-0 lead over the Angels tonight, then saw that margin narrow to one run when LA plated six runs in the 8th against ineffective Seattle relief pitching. But in the end, the M's prevailed in Anaheim by a score of 8-7.
See full post: "Virtual Season: M's survive bullpen implosion to win 6th straight game"...

Commissioner's Office fans flames of discord once again
It boggles the mind. Really. The actions taken by the office of the Commissioner of baseball, representing the ownership groups of the 30 major league clubs, in the ongoing "negotiations" with the MLB Players' Association regarding a potential truncated 2020 season, have been unbelievably foolish.
See full post: "Commissioner's Office fans flames of discord once again"...

Virtual Season: Kikuchi leads M's to fifth straight win
Daniel Vogelbach and Mitch Haniger homered and Yusei Kikuchi went seven strong innings as the Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-1 for their fifth consecutive victory.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Kikuchi leads M's to fifth straight win"...

Virtual Season: Mariners sweep Jays with 5-0 shutout
Marco Gonzales went the distance to earn his first shutout and league-leading fifth complete game of the year as the Mariners defeated the Blue Jays 5-0 tonight in Toronto.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners sweep Jays with 5-0 shutout"...

Virtual Season: White leads M's with three extra-base hits in 6-4 win
Evan White was just a single shy of the cycle in leading the Mariners' offense to a 6-4 win over the Blue Jays tonight in Toronto. The rookie first baseman doubled in the 3rd inning, homered in the 4th, and tripled in the 9th. He scored twice and drove in three runs.
See full post: "Virtual Season: White leads M's with three extra-base hits in 6-4 win"...

Virtual Season: M's open series in Toronto with unusual game
The Mariners' series opener against the Blue Jays in Toronto featured some oddities, including an inside-the-park home run and a game-ending pickoff.
See full post: "Virtual Season: M's open series in Toronto with unusual game"...

Virtual Season: Mariners at Blue Jays play-by-play "broadcast"
Behold the latest GSAU experiment: a radio-style play-by-play account of this evening's game between the virtual Mariners and the virtual Toronto Blue Jays from the Rogers Centre in virtual downtown Toronto. Please to enjoy.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners at Blue Jays play-by-play "broadcast""...

Virtual Season: Mariners best Marlins in 2-1 pitchers' duel
Yusei Kikuchi and Caleb Smith matched wits today in Miami, each putting up zero after zero on the scoreboard through six innings of work. It was only when the bullpens got involved that either side was able to push anything across, and Seattle got two to manage a 2-1 win over the Marlins.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners best Marlins in 2-1 pitchers' duel"...

Virtual Season: Bullpen blows it for Marco, Fish win in 12
Jonathan Villar delivered the third of four consecutive hits for the Marlins off of Yoshi Hirano in the bottom of the 9th inning to wash away a two-run Seattle lead, and then Corey Dickerson drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 12th as Miami defeated the Mariners 6-5 today in south Florida.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Bullpen blows it for Marco, Fish win in 12"...

Stop digging!
When you find yourself stuck in a hole, the first rule of thumb is to stop digging. Sadly, the Commissioner's Office, Major League club owners, and the Major League Baseball Players' Association can't seem to put down their shovels.

Virtual Season: Seager leads M's in 6-0 win over Miami
Kyle Seager had three hits and Taijuan Walker pitched seven strong innings to lead the Mariners in a 6-0 shutout of the Marlins tonight in Miami.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Seager leads M's in 6-0 win over Miami"...

Virtual Season: 5-run 4th gives Yankees 7-5 win over M's
Giancarlo Stanton connected for a three-run homer in a big 4th inning for the New York Yankees, leading them to a 7-5 victory over the Mariners in Seattle.
See full post: "Virtual Season: 5-run 4th gives Yankees 7-5 win over M's"...

Virtual Season: Yankees power their way to 7-3 win vs. M's
Nick Margevicius surrendered four solo home runs to the Yankees tonight and was chased after just four innings as New York cruised to a 7-3 victory in Seattle.
New York set the tone early on, as leadoff man Brett Gardner greeted Margevicius (1-2) with a 450-foot home run on the third pitch of the game and Giancarlo Stanton topped that with a 453-foot bomb later in the inning.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Yankees power their way to 7-3 win vs. M's"...

Virtual Season: M's shut out Yankees 4-0
The Mariners took advantage of a wild pitch and an error to score two 1st-inning runs against Gerrit Cole and the Yankees, then added two solo home runs later on to defeat New York 4-0 tonight in Seattle.
See full post: "Virtual Season: M's shut out Yankees 4-0"...

Virtual Season: Gonzales wins 5th as M's beat Braves 7-2
Mallex Smith tripled in the bottom of the 1st inning to extend his hitting streak to 13 games and scored the first of seven Mariner runs as Seattle topped the Atlanta Braves at TMP.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Gonzales wins 5th as M's beat Braves 7-2"...

Virtual Season: Mariners outlast Atlanta, win 4-3 in extras
Tom Murphy singled home Carlos González in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Mariners a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Atlanta Braves tonight in Seattle.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners outlast Atlanta, win 4-3 in extras"...

Virtual Season: Atlanta blows out Mariners 17-2
The Mariners had an early 1-0 lead, but before long the visiting Atlanta Braves showed the TMP crowd just what kind of game it was going to be. The Braves plated eight in the top of the 2nd inning and kept on going, eventually reaching 17 runs to crush the M's by a 15-run margin behind an excellent outing from pitcher Mike Foltynewicz.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Atlanta blows out Mariners 17-2"...

Virtual Season: Mariners take series in Detroit with 8-5 win
Miguel Cabrera went 5-for-5 today but that wasn't enough for the Detroit Tigers, as they fell to the Mariners 8-5. Nick Margevicius got the win with six innings of two-run ball while Dee Gordon led the offense with three hits and three runs scored.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners take series in Detroit with 8-5 win"...

Virtual Season: M's score four in extras to beat Tigers
Dee Gordon and Mallex Smith combined to score the tying and winning runs for the Mariners tonight as they came back to defeat the Tigers in Detroit, 4-2.
See full post: "Virtual Season: M's score four in extras to beat Tigers"...

Virtual Season: Mariners fire hitting coach Laker, hire Perry
Tim Laker has been fired as the batting coach for the Seattle Mariners as part of the team's efforts to change its offensive philosophy. Laker had been the team's batting coach since 2019. According to team officials, Laker's dismissal was tied to the on-field performance of Mariner hitters during his tenure, specifically the prevalence of strikeouts and a swing-for-the-fences mindset among some players.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners fire hitting coach Laker, hire Perry"...

Manfred, owners give themselves black eye in 2020 negotiations
Stop me if you've head this before, but Rob Manfred is incredibly bad at his job. I mean, picture the worst job you can imagine a commissioner of baseball doing, then multiply that by a factor of five and you might get close to just how bad the man is at the job he's contracted to hold until 2024.
See full post: "Manfred, owners give themselves black eye in 2020 negotiations"...

Virtual Season: Bullpen, offense fail Gonzales as M's lose to Detroit 4-2
Jonathan Schoop and Miguel Cabrera each hit RBI doubles in the bottom of the 8th inning tonight to give the Detroit Tigers a 4-2 victory over the Mariners, spoiling yet another winless quality start from Seattle ace Marco Gonzales.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Bullpen, offense fail Gonzales as M's lose to Detroit 4-2"...

Virtual Season: Mariners top Yanks in slugfest, split series
Playing through an intermittent drizzle at Yankee Stadium, the Mariners traded leads with the home team this evening, eventually prevailing over New York 10-8.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners top Yanks in slugfest, split series"...

Virtual Season: Yankees homer their way to another win over M's
Justus Sheffield was hoping for a better result against the team that traded him away. Despite a strong six innings, the Seattle rookie took the loss in a 5-2 comeback win by the Yankees in New York.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Yankees homer their way to another win over M's"...

Virtual Season: Yankees use homers to come back, beat M's 4-3
Luke Voit hit two home runs and Miguel Andújar added a solo shot of his own to account for all four runs scored by the New York Yankees today in their 4-3 defeat of the Mariners.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Yankees use homers to come back, beat M's 4-3"...

Virtual Season: Mariners club Cole, Yankees in 7-0 win
Daniel Vogelbach homered twice and Yusei Kikuchi struck out nine Yankees over seven innings as the Mariners shut out New York 7-0 tonight in the Bronx.
All seven of Seattle's runs scored via the longball. Vogelbach launched a two-run shot down the left-field line in the 1st off of Garret Cole (5-4), which Jake Fraley followed up with an opposite-field blast of his own to give a 3-0 lead to Kikuchi before he even took the hill.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners club Cole, Yankees in 7-0 win"...

Virtual Season: M's use running game to give Gonzales a win vs. Nats
The Mariners broke with tradition and scored big in a game started by Marco Gonzales, starting with three runs in the 1st inning and ending in an 8-2 win over the defending World Champion Washington Nationals.
See full post: "Virtual Season: M's use running game to give Gonzales a win vs. Nats"...

Virtual Season: Mariners blow lead, come back to win at Washington
Carlos González delivered a clutch RBI single in the top of the 10th inning tonight to give the Mariners the winning margin in their 6-5 victory against the Washington Nationals.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners blow lead, come back to win at Washington"...
Social media, the virtual season, and the baseball-less summer
It's hard to keep a baseball website active when there's no baseball being played. There's not even the sort of offseason "hot stove" stuff going on, the only current events to cover are the latest dumb ideas coming out of the Commissioner's office.
See full post: "Social media, the virtual season, and the baseball-less summer"...

Virtual Season: Bats come alive as Mariners beat Detroit 9-6
Jake Fraley, Dee Gordon, and Evan White each had three hits in a 9-6 Mariners win over the Detroit Tigers today in an offensive display that was a welcome sight for Seattle baseball fans.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Bats come alive as Mariners beat Detroit 9-6"...

Commissioner's Office issues another half-baked plan for 2020
Another week, another silly conversation about starting up the 2020 Major League Baseball season. It was already tiresome, but I guess we'll keep doing this.
See full post: "Commissioner's Office issues another half-baked plan for 2020"...

Virtual Season: Mariners' comeback falls short as Tigers win 5-3
Jeimer Candelario hit two home runs to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 5-3 win tonight against the Mariners at TMP in Seattle. The Detroit third baseman, who now has seven longballs on the season, went deep to break a 1-1 tie in the 6th and hit a two-run shot in the 7th.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners' comeback falls short as Tigers win 5-3"...

Virtual Season: Boyd, Tigers spoil fine outing from Kikuchi
Matthew Boyd has been a bright spot in a dark early season for the Detroit Tigers, and he showed why with 62⁄3 shutout innings against the Mariners tonight in Seattle. With help from relievers Buck Farmer and Joe Jimeñez, Boyd put an end to the Mariners' four-game winning streak as the Tigers took the opening game in the series, 4-0.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Boyd, Tigers spoil fine outing from Kikuchi"...

Virtual Season: Gonazales victorious in 2-1 pitchers' duel
The Mariners once again failed to give Marco Gonzales much in the way of run support, but this time Seattle's ace was able to make do with what he had. Thanks to Mallex Smith's 5th-inning double, the M's had just enough offense to give Gonzales a 2-1 win over the Oakland Athletics and a series sweep for Seattle.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Gonazales victorious in 2-1 pitchers' duel"...

Virtual Season: Gordon's four hits lead M's to 8-4 win vs. A's
Dee Gordon led the Mariners in a 14-hit attack as Seattle beat the Oakland A's tonight 8-4 at TMP. Gordon's four-hit, three-RBI performance helped make a winner out of Taijuan Walker (5-2), the Seattle starter who had fallen behind 4-3 when the A's mounted a three-run, two-out rally in the 5th inning. Walker survived the frame by getting Stephen Piscotty to ground out and breezed through the 6th and 7th before being relieved for the 8th.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Gordon's four hits lead M's to 8-4 win vs. A's"...

Virtual Season: Mariners win pitching duel with solo homers
Oakland's Frankie Montas and Seattle's Justus Sheffield took part in a good old-fashioned pitchers' duel tonight at TMP. Both hurlers were on their game, pitching efficiently and briskly as the A's and Mariners fought to put any runs on the board, with the Mariners emerging as 2-1 victors.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners win pitching duel with solo homers"...

Empty talk of starting season continues among owners
My screed from last week about the ridiculousness of these "plans" to start the 2020 season remains true, but the Commissioner's office and MLB ownership groups continue to put forth proposals to get things going. Today they formally approved this idea and have submitted it to the players' union.
See full post: "Empty talk of starting season continues among owners"...

Virtual Season: Murphy's three homers rescue M's in Houston
Tom Murphy capped a come-from-behind effort by the Mariners today by belting his third home run of the game into the left-field seats in the 9th inning against the Astros.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Murphy's three homers rescue M's in Houston"...

Virtual Season: Astros score late to beat M's 7-5
Designated hitter Abraham Toro blasted a two-run home run in the eighth inning at Minute Maid Park tonight to give the Astros the winning margin in a 7-5 defeat of the Mariners.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Astros score late to beat M's 7-5"...

Virtual Season: Greinke outduels Marco, gives Houston 1-0 win
Zack Greinke struck out 14 Mariners over eight innings tonight and George Springer provided a solo home run to give the Astros a 1-0 victory over Seattle tonight in Houston.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Greinke outduels Marco, gives Houston 1-0 win"...

Virtual Season: Mariners beat Osuna, Astros in 10
Patrick Wisdom hit a go-ahead solo home run and Daniel Vogelbach drove in a pair of insurance runs in the 10th inning tonight to give the Mariners a 6-3 victory in Houston.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners beat Osuna, Astros in 10"...

Plans for a new Opening Day are foolhardy
Sigh. It's like there's a new one every week now: A "plan" to start the Major League Baseball season in some fashion amid the coronavirus crisis.
See full post: "Plans for a new Opening Day are foolhardy"...

Virtual Season: Oakland bats score 10, embarrass Mariners
Justus Sheffield did not have his good stuff this afternoon. The rookie southpaw served up eight runs on seven hits and five walks in just two innings against the A's in today's 10-4 loss in Oakland.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Oakland bats score 10, embarrass Mariners"...

Virtual Season: A's clobber Graveman, beat Mariners 8-3
A thirteen-hit attack that included a mammoth 465-foot home run propelled the Oakland Athletics to an 8-3 victory over the Mariners at the Oakland Coliseum tonight. Seattle starter Kendall Graveman lasted four innings in taking his fourth loss.
See full post: "Virtual Season: A's clobber Graveman, beat Mariners 8-3"...

Virtual Season: Kikuchi leads Mariners over A's 5-1
Through eight innings, the M's and A's could get very little going at the plate with starters Yusei Kikuchi and Sean Manaea putting up zeroes except for single runs by each side in the 3rd. Seattle got on the board with a solo home run by catcher Tom Murphy, while the A's plated one when Marcus Semien singled in Stephen Piscotty from second base.Kikuchi (5-2) went the distance, giving the Mariners back-to-back complete games—a rare feat in today's game. He walked none and struck out seven, getting through the game with an economical pitch count of 109.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Kikuchi leads Mariners over A's 5-1"...

Virtual Season: Marco, Dee lead M's in 6-3 win over Astros
Marco Gonzales has been a hard-luck starter for the Mariners this season, but not on this day. Staked to an early lead, Gonzales went the distance against a powerful Houston lineup to secure a series split with the Astros.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Marco, Dee lead M's in 6-3 win over Astros"...

Virtual Season: Astros' homers, defense beat Mariners 4-3
Carlos Correa robbed Dee Gordon of a base hit in the 9th inning tonight that would have tied up the Mariners' score against the Houston Astros. Instead, the Astros held on to win by a score of 4-3.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Astros' homers, defense beat Mariners 4-3"...

Virtual Season: Mariners shut out Astros 3-0
The Houston Astros used a trio of homers to score all four of their runs and defeat the Mariners 4-3 in ten innings tonight in Seattle. Domestic abuser Roberto Osuna (1-1) got the win for Houston with two scoreless innings of relief.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners shut out Astros 3-0"...

Across the Parallel Universes
As regulars here at GrandSalami.net are well aware, we're running a virtual 2020 season (the GSAU), playing as the Mariners in a simulation taking place via the computer game Out of the Park Baseball 21. Well, it's not just us—plenty of people are using games like the Playstation game MLB The Show to play out fantasy 2020s, including some big-league players. But at least two other sites are running OOTP virtual 2020 sims, The Athletic and Baseball-Reference.com. How do they compare? Do OOTP sims differ much from one to the other?

Virtual Season: Astros' Tucker homers in 10th as Houston beats M's
The Houston Astros used a trio of homers to score all four of their runs and defeat the Mariners 4-3 in ten innings tonight in Seattle. Domestic abuser Roberto Osuna (1-1) got the win for Houston with two scoreless innings of relief.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Astros' Tucker homers in 10th as Houston beats M's"...

Virtual Season: Mariners survive 9th-inning errors, edge Angels 4-3
31,000+ fans at the ballpark by Elliott Bay saw high drama in the 9th inning tonight, as the Mariners threatened to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory yet ultimately prevail by a score of 4-3 against the Los Angeles Angels.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners survive 9th-inning errors, edge Angels 4-3"...

Virtual Season: M's fail Marco again, lose to Angels in 10 innings
Marco Gonzales pitched another fine game for the Mariners tonight at the ballpark by Elliott Bay, and once again he has nothing to show for it, as the Angels came back to defeat the M's 5-3 in ten innings.
See full post: "Virtual Season: M's fail Marco again, lose to Angels in 10 innings"...

Virtual Season: Mariners implode, lose 10-6 in Texas
Taijuan Walker was solid through five innings today, allowing only a solo home run to Joey Gallo, and was enjoying a 5-1 lead when the wheels fell off his wagon. In just a matter of minutes, the Texas Rangers erased that cushion in the bottom half of the 6th inning on a pair of homers.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners implode, lose 10-6 in Texas"...

Virtual Season: 2-run 12th gives M's win over Rangers
It took 12 innings, but the Mariners came through to beat the Texas Rangers tonight, 5-3 in Arlington. Tim Lopes drove in Mallex Smith with the go-ahead run to break a 3-3 tie and Evan White added an insurance tally with sacrifice fly.
See full post: "Virtual Season: 2-run 12th gives M's win over Rangers"...

Virtual Season: M's squander opportunity, lose to Rangers in 10
Notes from around the leagueJeff McNeil went 4-for-4 with two home runs for the Mets today in New York's 9-3 win over Atlanta. The Astros have now won eight straight, having beaten the Oakland A's 5-1 tonight. They are 13-1 in Houston. On the Farm/Prospect WatchThe Tacoma Rainiers also lost in extra innings tonight, dropping their game with Albuquerque 7-6 in 11 innings. Jered Kelenic had two hits and three RBI in Double-A Arkansas' 8-3 loss to Tulsa. Julio Rodríguez went 2-for-3 as the Class-A Modesto Nuts lost to Stockton 6-1.
See full post: "Virtual Season: M's squander opportunity, lose to Rangers in 10"...

Virtual Season: Mariners win 6-3, take series with Twins
Yusei Kikuchi pitched seven innings for the win and Daniel Vogelbach clubbed his sixth home run of the season as the Mariners defeated the Minnesota Twins 6-3 today at Minneapolis' Target Field. The victory gives the Mariners their second straight series win after splitting the two-game set with Washington last week.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners win 6-3, take series with Twins"...

Virtual Season: M's, Twins trade homers in Minnesota walk-off win
Byron Buxton connected for a game-winning, walk-off home run off reliever Nestor Cortes in the 9th inning tonight at Minneapolis' Target Field to end the Mariners-Twins contest with a final score of 4-3.
See full post: "Virtual Season: M's, Twins trade homers in Minnesota walk-off win"...

Virtual Season: Walker sharp; CarGo, JP, Seager homer in win vs. Twins
Taijuan Walker took a no-hitter into the 7th inning and Kyle Seager, Carlos González, and J.P. Crawford each hit home runs as the Mariners defeated the Minnesota Twins by a score of 8-3 in Minneapolis.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Walker sharp; CarGo, JP, Seager homer in win vs. Twins"...

Virtual Season: Mariner homers enough to beat Buxton and Odorizzi in Minneapolis
The Mariners overcame a tremendous outing by Minnesota pitcher Jake Odorizzi to squeak by the Twins tonight 3-2 at Target Field in Minneapolis.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariner homers enough to beat Buxton and Odorizzi in Minneapolis"...

Virtual Season: Mariners take 3 of 4 in Oakland
Kyle Seager drove in two runs and J.P. Crawford hit a two-run homer to provide all the runs the Mariners needed today to defeat the A's and cap off a three-win effort in the four-game series in Oakland.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners take 3 of 4 in Oakland"...

Virtual Season: Vogey awakes, drives in 5 in M's win vs. Oakland
Daniel Vogelbach drove in all five Mariner runs today as Seattle defeated the Oakland Athletics 5-1. Vogelbach had been struggling mightily, riding an 0-for-33 streak coming into today's game that saw his batting average dip to .162 and his playing time curtailed. But against Oakland starter Sean Manaea today, Vogey came up big.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Vogey awakes, drives in 5 in M's win vs. Oakland"...

Virtual Season: M's drop nailbiter to A's 3-2
The Mariners and Oakland Athletics dueled in the East Bay tonight with runs at a premium. Both Seattle starter Marco Gonzales and Oakland hurler Jesús don't-call-him-Emilio Luzardo brought their A games and made few mistakes.
See full post: "Virtual Season: M's drop nailbiter to A's 3-2"...

Virtual Season: Walker wins pitchers' duel with A's
Taijuan Walker pitched eight innings of near-perfect ball and Evan White drove in Dee Gordon with what would be the winning run for the second game in a row as the Mariners defeated the Oakland Athletics 1-0.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Walker wins pitchers' duel with A's"...

About the Virtual Season on grandsalami.net
Good afternoon everybody, wherever you may be. I hope you all are doing as well as can be expected during our time of coronavirus-enforced isolation A few notes to update you all on what we're doing here on the site with our virtual 2020 season, especially given that there are no encouraging developments in the real world that suggest we'll see a real 2020 season anytime soon, if at all.
See full post: "About the Virtual Season on grandsalami.net"...

Virtual Season: Mariners beat Nats in extras
This post chronicles a virtual 2020 season played on the computer game Out of the Park Baseball 21. See the virtual opening day post for details on the setup. We’ll be updating this “season” as our coronavirus-enforced life without real baseball continues.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners beat Nats in extras"...

Strasburg dominates as M's lose 4th straight
Stephen Strasburg schooled the Mariners in the art of pitching Monday night at TMP in Seattle. The Washington Nationals right-hander pitched 81⁄3 innings of shutout baseball as Washington won 6-0.
See full post: "Strasburg dominates as M's lose 4th straight"...

Virtual Season: Errors, wildness sink Mariners against Boston
Dee Gordon had a banner afternoon, but it wasn't enough to overcome several defensive lapses by the Mariners as the visiting Boston Red Sox defeated Seattle 6-4.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Errors, wildness sink Mariners against Boston"...

Virtual Season: McHugh, Gonzales duel in 2-1 Boston win
This post chronicles a virtual 2020 season played on the computer game Out of the Park Baseball 21. See the virtual opening day post for details on the setup. We’ll be updating this “season” as our coronavirus-enforced life without real baseball continues.
See full post: "Virtual Season: McHugh, Gonzales duel in 2-1 Boston win"...

Virtual Season: Red Sox get revenge, beat M's 7-1
Smarting from the drubbing they took yesterday, the Boston Red Sox took their revenge on the Mariners Friday night at TMP, clubbing three home runs en route to a 7-1 win.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Red Sox get revenge, beat M's 7-1"...

Another 2020 plan that won't happen
A few days ago, Major League Baseball was discussing a 2020 season played entirely in Arizona. Today the talk is around playing a season with all teams using their spring training facilities as their home fields.

Virtual Season: Mariners clobber Red Sox 8-0 behind Sheffield
This post chronicles a virtual 2020 season played on the computer game Out of the Park Baseball 21. See the virtual opening day post for details on the setup. We’ll be updating this “season” as our coronavirus-enforced life without real baseball continues.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners clobber Red Sox 8-0 behind Sheffield"...

Virtual Season: Murphy, CarGo power M's over ChiSox
The Mariners were decided underdogs on paper for this afternoon's rubber match concluding the three-game series in Chicago against the White Sox. The palehose were starting former Cy Young Award winner and two-time All-Star Dallas Keuchel, who came into the game with an 0.79 ERA, while the M's went with reclamation project Kendall Graveman in his third start after recovering from Tommy John surgery. But it would be Keuchel that got sent to the showers early, driven from the game after just 22⁄3 innings in the eventual 11-5 Mariner win.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Murphy, CarGo power M's over ChiSox"...

Virtual Season: Kikuchi victorious in Windy City pitchers' duel
Yusei Kikuchi and Lucas Giolito locked horns in a classic pitchers' duel Tuesday night at New Comiskey Park. The Seattle lefty and Chicago right-hander traded scoreless innings through five full frames, though Kikuchi did it with more efficiency—through five, Kikuchi had thrown 59 pitches while Giolito needed 80.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Kikuchi victorious in Windy City pitchers' duel"...

2020 season to start up? Don't hold your breath
The last few days have seen some reporting that suggests Major League Baseball is preparing to start the season sometime late next month or early in June. Don't read too much into it, though.
See full post: "2020 season to start up? Don't hold your breath"...

Virtual Season: Mariners shut out against White Sox
This post chronicles a virtual 2020 season played on the computer game Out of the Park Baseball 21. See the virtual opening day post for details on the setup. We’ll be updating this “season” as our coronavirus-enforced life without real baseball continues.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners shut out against White Sox"...

Virtual Season: Mariners take series in KC
This post chronicles a virtual 2020 season played on the computer game Out of the Park Baseball 21. See the virtual opening day post for details on the setup. We’ll be updating this “season” as our coronavirus-enforced life without real baseball continues.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Mariners take series in KC"...

Virtual Season: Crawford powers M's to extra-inning victory
J.P. Crawford homered and tripled to lead the Mariners to a 4-1 victory in ten innings over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium Saturday. Crawford's 3-for-5 performance accounted for two runs scored and three batted in.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Crawford powers M's to extra-inning victory"...

Virtual Season: Off day stats
This post chronicles a virtual 2020 season played on the computer game Out of the Park Baseball 21. See the virtual opening day post for details on the setup. We’ll be updating this “season” as our coronavirus-enforced life without real baseball continues.

Virtual Season: Royals win home opener vs. Mariners 4-2
This post chronicles a virtual 2020 season played on the computer game Out of the Park Baseball 21. See the virtual opening day post for details on the setup. We’ll be updating this “season” as our coronavirus-enforced life without real baseball continues.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Royals win home opener vs. Mariners 4-2"...

Virtual Season: Twins, Berrios blank Mariners 7-0
See full post: "Virtual Season: Twins, Berrios blank Mariners 7-0"...

Virtual Season: Marco, Fraley lead M's to victory
The Mariners won their third game of the season Tuesday night, scoring four runs and holding off the Minnesota Twins to even their record at 3-3. Marco Gonzales pitched six solid innings to earn his first win of 2020 while Kenta Maeda took the loss for the Twins.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Marco, Fraley lead M's to victory"...

Virtual Season: Walker strong in victory over Twins
Taijuan Walker returned to the Mariners' fold in style Monday night at TMP. The one-time prized prospect, traded to Arizona along with Ketel Marte after the 2016 season for Mitch Haniger and Jean Segura, took the hill in his second Mariner debut and pitched seven shutout innings to earn a win over the Minnesota Twins.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Walker strong in victory over Twins"...

Virtual Season: M's drop finale to Texas, fall to 1-3
This post chronicles a virtual 2020 season played on the computer game Out of the Park Baseball 21. See the virtual opening day post for details on the setup. We’ll be updating this “season” as our coronavirus-enforced life without real baseball continues.
See full post: "Virtual Season: M's drop finale to Texas, fall to 1-3"...

Virtual Season: Gallo, Minor lead Rangers to 4-2 win over M's
Joey Gallo smacked his second 2-run homer in as many games and Mike Minor pitched six shutout innings to lead the Texas Rangers to their second win of the season, a 4-2 defeat of the Mariners at TMP.
See full post: "Virtual Season: Gallo, Minor lead Rangers to 4-2 win over M's"...

Virtual Season: M's win 6-5 in dramatic comeback
Scores from around the virtual league:
See full post: "Virtual Season: M's win 6-5 in dramatic comeback"...

Virtual Opening Day
We have no baseball right now (no live baseball, anyway; some TV channels and MLB.com are providing broadcasts of old games here and there), thanks to global pandemic chaos, so to keep us entertained here at grandsalami.net I have engaged the computer program Out of the Park Baseball to provide a facsimile.

The Longest Offseason
Today was supposed to be Opening Day across baseball. Alas, instead it's just another day in this holding pattern that will last...months? Who knows at this point. The players' union and the Commissioner's Office are struggling to come up with rules covering things like service time for arbitration and free-agency purposes and the draft in this strange year (how would you like to be the Los Angeles Dodgers, having just traded prized prospects for one year of Mookie Betts and then have that one year be wiped out and he's a free agent before he ever suits up for LA?).

What If...?
Nerds of a certain age may remember the Marvel Comics series "What If...?" that was published regularly in the late 1970s and early '80s, with a revival in the late '80s and 1990s. The anthology series took an event from the long canon of Marvel Comics history and turned it on its head, telling "alternate universe" stories wherein, for example, Spider-Man's Uncle Ben had lived, or Captain America had run for President. Well, let's apply that concept to baseball, shall we?