The Bill Chuck Files of March 8, 2020

WHAT WILL MLB DO IF (WHEN) COVID-19 HITS?

So many questions to ponder while you’re washing your hands (singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”):

Nine to Know: Coronavirus questions

1. Are teams getting the equipment (materials) to perform tests on ill ballplayers?
2. Would the decision to play/cancel games be made at the team, league, or state level?
3. Would baseball play to empty ballparks?
4. What happens if a player gets ill? Would a team be quarantined? Would opponents be quarantined?
5. What happens if a family member gets ill? Would just the player be quarantined?
6. Are teams insured in case of game cancellations?
7. If games are forced to be canceled, will they be made up at a later date?
8. Will temperatures be taken of players and employees as they enter a ballpark?
9. When will MLB alert (as in reassure) the public that exigency plans and answers are ready just in case?

Which do you find more annoying: strikeouts looking or strikeouts taking?

I’ll tell you my answer: I find strikeouts looking so incredibly annoying. You know, I understand that every batter feels as if they have the best eye on the planet and I’m sure that many times they know in their heart of hearts that a pitch is not a strike, but honestly don’t they realize they have two strikes on them and they have to protect the plate? It’s still spring training and I’m already getting annoyed.

Here are some 2019 strikeout numbers:

Walter Johnson threw seven complete-game Opening Day shutouts

No other pitcher threw more than three (Chris Short, Rip Sewell, Rick Mahler, and Bob Feller). The most recent (the last?) CG shutout on Opening Day was thrown by Clayton Kershaw in 2013 and the one before that was by Hideo Nomo in 2003, both for the Dodgers.

Want a good job in baseball? Start with the Rays.

• Rocco Baldelli played six years for the Rays
• Kevin Cash played one year for the Rays
• Gabe Kapler played two years for the Rays
• Dave Martinez played three years for the Rays
• Joe Maddon managed the Rays for nine seasons
• Chaim Bloom worked in the Rays front office for 14 years
• Andrew Friedman worked in the Rays front office for 10 years

A fun Opening Day note

Willie Mays leads the Giants with six homers on Opening Day. But I like that Bobby Thomson, Robby Thompson, and Hank Thompson each hit two homers for the Giants on Opening Day.

Tired of Waiting

So tired
Tired of waiting
Tired of waiting for you – Ray Davies – The Kinks

Oh, Commissioner Manfred when might we have a ruling on the 2018 Red Sox? Granted, if the FBI had done this extensive of an investigation, Brett Kavanaugh would be having six-packs of beer at home instead of in the Supreme Court Lounge, but isn’t it time to face the world and give us a verdict? Before you know it you are going to be having to deal with an MLB COVID-19 crisis and this will get lost in the shuffle, or is it that your plan?

As a reminder…The season(s) in question is 2018 (and perhaps 2019).

Here are the Red Sox numbers with a runner on second when playing at HOME.

Here are the Red Sox numbers with a runner on second when playing AWAY.

And now, here are the Kinks (VIDEO):

The Red Sox Chris Sale Problem

Boston media was starting to feel all excited that after being sidelined with pneumonia, Chris Sale was on the mound in Spring Training. Then after throwing about 20 pitches spent time with three doctors and will be sidelined again for…well who know? Now Sale, who weighs as much as my thigh, can easily be thrown off his game by both injury and illness, and he has been. However, when his season starts, and he’s toeing the rubber, the question is how long can he continue?

Let me explain.

Take a look at these season numbers for Sale that total an 11-7 record with 14 of his 28 starts of the Quality variety. He has a shaky 3.40 ERA, a great 1.01 WHIP, and an outstanding 14.08 K/9 rate.

There is a huge problem with these numbers however. The numbers above reflect Sale’s post-All-Star break results.

Over three seasons, he was able to make only 28 starts. Another ace, Justin Verlander has made 43 post-All-Star starts over the last three seasons with a 2.27 ERA. In fact, 73 pitchers have made more starts than Sale the last three seasons and 103 have made more starts than Sale the last two seasons.

Sale is signed with Boston over the next five seasons for $145 million and will be making $30 million each of the next three seasons. Any way you look at it, that’s a lot of money to spend for a pitcher who basically can only be counted on up to the All-Star break, if he can be counted on at all. But don’t worry Sox fans, David Price is in LA.

Top 10 Swinging Strike Rates in 2019

You can’t hit it out if you can’t hit the ball

Billy-Ball Portmanteaus

Merriam-Webster defines portmanteaus as a word or morpheme whose form and meaning are derived from a blending of two or more distinct forms (such as smog from smoke and fog).

This season on Billy-Ball, we will attempt to play with the true meaning and make some baseball-related portmanteaus. The quality, I’m sure will improve with your participation (send your suggestions to Walkoffs@gmail.com).

Each week, I will try to add another one to the list:

• Supremely great: Babe Ruth Bader Ginsburg is one style we could use
• Another style is Bryzzo, which is a portmanteau of Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant
• Last season’s MVPs were Cody Bellinger and Mike Trout or as I like to think of them: Trellinger
• Last season’s Cy Young Award winners were Jacob deGrom and Justin Verlander or as I like to think of them: derLander

And finally…

If you haven’t moved your clocks ahead an hour, you’re late.