Yay?
Frankly, this 60-game season they’re planning to start at the end of July feels like too little, too late. Shoving the league and its existing teams and structures into a schedule they may not be able to complete is kind of a waste. The shortened summer was an opportunity for the league to do something new, interesting, and different, and as usual they fucking blew it.
Plus…I really want all these ballplayers to stay safe. There’s still so much we don’t know about the virus and the long term effect infection has on the human body. It’s not my place to say whether or not playing baseball under these conditions is right or wrong, and even if I wanted to I’m conflicted enough about it that my thoughts wouldn’t be of any use. So I’ll say that I hope everyone involves makes the decision that’s correct for their own situation and offer my support either way.
One thing I know for sure: I hate the “put a runner on second base automatically in extra innings” rule even more than I hate dipshits who think masks are unnecessary. It’s boring.
I also disagree with all the talking heads claiming that the shorter schedule means lesser teams have more of a chance. Given how top heavy the league is, bad teams are always going to be bad. There’s less of a chance here for veteran teams to break down and make way for younger squads over the course of a truncated season. Regional scheduling means there’s less opportunity for teams on the bubble to pad their records against crap bag teams. The Blue Jays, for instance, will get a heaping helping of the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Braves, Nationals, and Phillies. Good fucking luck.
Which brings me to the short version of my picks. The league’s putting in 2.7 times less effort than usual this year, so I am too.
AL East: Fucking Yankees
AL Central: Minnesooooota
AL West: Asstros
AL Wild Cards: Tampa, Angels
NL East: Atlanta
NL Central: Smells like a Cardinals year
NL West: Dodgers, duh
NL Wild Cards: Washington, Arizona
World Series: LA over NY in six
Scott Land 