How Hard It Is to Be Enthused

Before I begin, I want to update my readers on the Trip Guide situation: I will not be doing them for the 2023 MLB season. Or the 2023 MLS season. I'll consider my options again as the 2023 football (both college and pro) season arrives. If I do it for that, I'll probably resume for the NBA and the NHL in their 2023-24 seasons, and then do them for MLB and MLS in 2024. But for now, I won't.

Today is Opening Day of the 2023 Major League Baseball season. Never mind Spring Training, and the glorified exhibition of the World Baseball Classic, which I never even mentioned in my posts: These games count.

And yet, how hard it is to be enthused over it. The Yankees are at home, at Yankee Stadium II. For the 1st time ever, their opener is an Interleague game, against the San Francisco Giants. But they are still managed by Aaron Boone, who takes his orders from the general manager.

He is still Brian Cashman, who takes his orders from the Chairman and Managing General Partner, the member of the ownership group who exercises control over the team.

And he is still Hal Steinbrenner, who seems not to share his father George's stance that "Winning, to me, is second only to breathing," and is willing to do what it takes to keep the Yankees in the Playoffs, so that they will make a profit, but doesn't seem to care any further than that.

As usual, the Yankees open with several questions. Some familiar, some new. They include:

* Do they have enough starting pitching? Once again, the answer appears to be, "No." The rotation appears to be Gerrit Cole, who's great when he doesn't give up home runs, but tends to give them up; Carlos Rodón, who has injury issues; Nestor Cortés, ditto; Luis Severino, ditto; and Domingo Germán, who has been completely inconsistent since his 2019 suspension, to the point where his switch of uniform numbers for this season from 55 to 0 (zero) seems appropriate. (Rodón wears 55, and Germán gave it up in deference.)

Frankie Montas is injured to start the season. And, as Yogi Berra might have said, even when he can pitch, he can't pitch. Right now, the "emergency starter," on such occasions as we will need one, and they will come up, is Clarke Schmidt. Lord have mercy. After him, it's Deivi García, yet another "prospect" that Cashman messed up.

* Do they have enough relief pitching? We have plenty of it. How much of it is any damn good? Your guess is as good as Cashman's. The bullpen, not including likely potential closers, includes Schmidt, the injury-prone Tommy Kahnle, Albert Abreu, Scott Effross, Luis Gil, Ron Marinaccio and Lou Trivino.

* Who's the closer? The good news is, Aroldis Chapman is now the Kansas City Royals' problem. The bad news is, we don't have a clear replacement. Is it Clay Holmes, who looked like it last season during Chapman's injury, but not after? Is it Jonathan Loáisiga, another "consistently inconsistent" guy? Is it Wandy Peralta? Don't make me laugh. 

* Can the lineup avoid injuries? Based on experience, we have to presume that the answer is, "No." But keeping Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu and especially -- based on last season -- Anthony Rizzo healthy would be huge.

* Do we have a bench good enough to fill the injury gaps? The infield has LeMaheiu, who can play 1st base instead of Rizzo, and 3rd base instead of Josh Donaldson; and Oswaldo Cabrera, who can play anywhere in it but 1st base. Anthony Volpe has been called up, and either he or Isiah Kiner-Falefa can play shortstop.

So can Gleyber Torres -- in theory, but that experiment, which truly solidified him as "Cashman's Jeter," has already failed once, but then, you know Cashman: If at first you don't succeed, bring back Javier Vázquez or Adam Warren.

The starting outfield is likely to be Aaron Hicks in left, Harrison Bader in center, and Aaron Judge in right, with Giancarlo Stanton as the designated hitter. It should be Stanton in left. Estevan Florial can play left and center, but not right; Stanton has also played right well; center, less well.

* Do we have a major-league quality catcher? The 1st choice is Jose Trevino, not a good hitter for average, but has some power, and may be the best defensive catcher in the game. But he might not be available to start the season, due to a wrist injury. Ben Rortvedt is injury-prone. That leaves Kyle Higashioka, good defensively, but a terrible hitter.

* Do we have a major-league quality shortstop? The starting job has been given to Anthony Volpe, whose grand total of regular-season major league plate appearances coming into today is exactly none. IKF is okay as a fielder, but can't hit. Torres can't play the position, and his hitting suffered while he tried. And Cabrera is still a work in progress.

* Was trading for Gleyber Torres worth it? As of right now, the answer is the same as it was when the trade was made on July 25, 2016: "No." He had a good season last year, 

* Has Aaron Judge accepted that hitting 62 home runs is a footnote, and that the real goal is to win the World Series? I believe he has. Presuming he stays healthy, there's no reason why he shouldn't be able to put up another Most Valuable Player-quality season.

* Will the Yankees see the 2015, MVP version of Josh Donaldson? At either 3rd base or as a DH along with Stanton? Probably not. At this point, I'd settle for the 2019 version: .259, 37 home runs, 94 RBIs.

* What about the opposition? Let's start with the Yankees' own Division, the American League Eastern Division. The Tampa Bay Rays are always a problem, the Toronto Blue Jays also made the Playoffs last season, and the Baltimore Orioles improved significantly, to the point where they were in the Playoff race most of the way. The Boston Red Sox stunk last year, but isn't it about time for them to do what they always do when that happens, which is find a new way to cheat and win the World Series?

If the Yankees win the Division, the only other team in the AL that gives them trouble is the Red Sox South, the Chicken Fried Red Sox, the Houston Astros. The Asterisks will continue to cheat their way to victory until MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred does something about it. And, as long as the Astros' cheating is only hurting the Yankees, he won't. (He did after the 2019 World Series, because it had been proven to hurt a team he does like, the Los Angeles Dodgers.)

Here's what it looks like: The Yankees have enough to make the Playoffs, but not to win the Pennant. It's been 14 years since the last Pennant, and just 1 World Series win in the last 23 years. And yet, Cashman is never held accountable by Hal.

Brace yourself: A long season is here. How hard it is to be enthused.

*

Days until the Yankees' Opening Day: Zero. Right now.

Days until the New Jersey Devils again play a local rival: Zero, tonight, at 7:00 PM, home to the New York Rangers. So, kind of a big day in New York Tri-State Area sports.

Days until the next Arsenal match: 2, at 10:00 AM on Saturday, home to Yorkshire team Leeds United.

Days until the next New York Red Bulls game: 2, at 7:30 PM on Saturday, home to Atlanta United.

Days until the next game of the U.S. National Soccer Team: 25, on April 19, at 10:00 PM New York time, an international friendly, home to arch-rival Mexico, at State Farm Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona.

Days until the Red Bulls again play a nearby rival: 37, on Saturday, May 6, home to the Philadelphia Union.

Days until the Yankees' next series against the Boston Red Sox begins: 71, on Friday, June 9, 2023, at Yankee Stadium II. Just 10 weeks.

Days until the next Women's World Cup opens: 101, on Friday, July 10, 2023, jointly held in the neighboring nations of Australia and New Zealand. A little over 3 months.

Days until the next North London Derby: Unknown, as The Arsenal have already played Tottenham Hotspur twice this season (and beaten them both times). The next Premier League season starts on Saturday, August 12, which is 134 days away. But the season never starts with a derby, so it'll be at least another week, 141 days.

Days until the next East Brunswick High School football game: Unknown, since we won't know the 2023 schedule for months. It could be as soon as Friday, September 1, which would be 164 days. A shade over 5 months.

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge game: Also unknown. It could be the season opener. At least, after this year's game was at the purple shit pit on Route 9, next year's game will be at home.

Days until the next Rutgers University football game: 165, on Saturday, September 2, home to Northwestern. A little over 8 months.

Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State football game: 242, on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at a time to be determined, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. Under 8 months.

Days until the next Summer Olympic Games: 483, on Friday, July 26, 2024, in Paris, France. Under a year and a half, or a little under 15 months.

Days until the next Presidential election: 584, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Under 2 years, or a little over 19 months.

Days until the next elections for Governor of New Jersey and Mayor of New York City: 949, on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Under 3 years.

Days until the next Winter Olympics open in Milan, Italy: 1,043, on Friday, February 6, 2026. Under 3 years.

Days until the next World Cup opens: 1,165, on Monday, June 8, 2026. Under 3 1/2 years.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Opening Day. For baseball fans, a high holy day. And, for fans of most teams, to borrow the title of an old Christmas song, it's the most wonderful time of the year. Everybody starts equal, 0-0.

For most teams, it's all downhill from here.

The Mets opened the season away to the Washington Nationals, winning 5-1. At Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4. The St. Louis Cardinals opened at home by welcoming back Albert Pujols for his presumed last season, and beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-0.

In their 1st regular-season game as the Cleveland Guardians, the team that had been the Indians for 107 years lost away to the Kansas City Royals, 3-1.

The Cincinnati Reds won away to the Atlanta Braves, 6-3. The Houston Astros won away to the Los Angeles Angels, 3-1. And the San Diego Padres opened on the road, against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and not only lost a no-hitter in the 7th inning, but lost the game in the bottom of the 9th, 4-2, on a home run by Seth Beers.

Two games were postponed due to rain: Seattle Mariners at Minnesota Twins, and the Yankees at Yankee Stadium II against the Auld Enemy, the Boston Red Sox. 

The rain has finally broken, it looks like it will be a spectacular day in The Bronx. First pitch is set for 1:05. Gerrit Cole starts for the Good Guys, and former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi takes the mound for The Scum.

At last. PLAY BALL! And beat The Scum!

Field of Disasters

Shoeless Joe Jackson (played by Ray Liotta): "Hey! Is this Heaven?"

Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner): "No, it's Iowa!"

-- Field of Dreams

Major League Baseball, as an overseeing organization, does few things well. But it got last night's Field of Dreams Game right. It managed to be sentimental without being maudlin. It was a great moment for the sport, and it was a great game.

But the result, oy vey.

Fitting in with the film's subject matter, including the 1919 Chicago White Sox and their scandal, the Yankees and the current White Sox wore copies of their 1919 uniforms -- with Nike swooshes added.

Yankee starter Andrew Heaney didn't have it, allowing 7 runs in his 5 innings. Lance Lynn, a former Yankee, could have pitched in place of Heaney last night, but Brian Cashman let him go. Aaron Judge turned a 1-0 Chicago White Sox lead into a 3-1 Yankee lead with a home run in the top of the 3rd inning. But the ChiSox took the lead right back in the bottom of the 3rd. It was 7-3 after 4 innings.

Brett Gardner led off the top of the 6th with a home run. It stayed 7-4 Pale Hose going into the 9th inning. Tyler Wade led off with a single, but DJ LeMahieu and Gardner struck out. The Yankees looked finished. But Judge hit another home run to make it 7-6. There was hope. Joey Gallo drew a walk, and Giancarlo Stanton sent a long drive into the cornfield. 8-7 Yankees!

So now Zack Britton, the closer since Aroldis Chapman is on the Injured List, had to get 3 outs without allowing a run. He got the 1st. But then, Cliche Alert: Walks can kill you. Britton walked Seby Zavala. That brought Tim Anderson to the plate as the winning run, and he hit one out.

White Sox 9, Yankees 8. WP: Liam Hendriks (7-2). No save. LP: Britton (0-1).

The teams have today off -- the 3rd Friday off for the Yankees this season, the 2nd not counting the day after Opening Day. That is rare. They play again tomorrow and Sunday in Chicago.

How Long It's Been: We Had Baseball

Tonight, at 7:08 PM, the New York Yankees will play the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, District of Columbia.

It will be the 1st time since August 16, 1925 that the Yankees have played a Washington team that had won the World Series the year before. They beat the Washington Senators 3-2 at Griffith Stadium. That was a little short of 95 years ago.

More to the point, this game, and today's slate of games, will be the 1st regular-season Major League Baseball games that count since the Nationals won Game 7 of last year's World Series, beating the Houston Astros, 6-2 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.

That was on October 30, 2019. That was 266 days ago. Almost 9 full months. Three-quarters of a year. A full-term pregnancy. How long has that been?

Surely, the world hasn't changed that much in 266 days, has it?

*

For one thing, I finally had the hip replacement surgery I've needed for 50 years. I can now do pretty much everything I could before it -- but that was also limited. The other hip will also have to be replaced, and that could happen before Opening Day 2021.

Fortunately, the replacement was done before the COVID-19 epidemic shut so many things down. With it having killed over 147,000 Americans -- equivalent to the 9/11 attacks 49 times over -- one of the jokes going around is that 2020 is only half-over, and, already, we've added several new verses to Billy Joel's song "We Didn't Start the Fire."

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the lead man on our response to the virus, has gone from someone who name was known by very few Americans to perhaps the most trusted person in the country. The Nationals invited him to throw out the ceremonial first ball on Opening Night.

Although born and raised in Brooklyn,

he has worked in the D.C. area since 1968,

and is an avowed Nationals fan.

This is a direct slap in the face to Donald Trump. Historically, when the Washington Senators were the team of the Nation's Capital, they invited the President of the United States to throw out the first ball on Opening Day.

It started in 1910, because they knew that, unlike his predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt, who preferred other sports, William Howard Taft loved baseball. From then until the Senators left after the 1971 season, it was usually the President who did it, though sometimes a substitute (the Vice President or some other official) was sent in his place. In 1984, with Baltimore as the closest MLB city to Washington, Ronald Reagan revived the tradition, and he, both George Bushes, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama did it.

But Trump has never been invited to do it. He attended Game 5 of last year's World Series, on what was, to this day, his best day as President, with the news of U.S. Special Forces having killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS.

He had not been asked to throw out the ceremonial first ball. It was Washington-based celebrity chef Jose Andres. Trump took his wife Melania. He did not take Barron, his 13-year-old son who is a known sports fan. The World Series was 2 miles from his house, and he had tickets, and he didn't take his 13-year-old son.

Yeah, sure, it's a school night. I think a note from the President of the United States would carry some weight. Well, it would, if it were any other President.

When a group of veterans was shown on the scoreboard, the sellout crowd of 43,910 cheered them. When the image shifted to Trump, it was about 60-40 boos, and the boos were louder than the cheers. Fans chanted, "Lock him up!" The scoreboard operator had to switch back to the camera on the veterans, and the crowd went back to cheering.

Washington Nationals fans, for this, you, and your team, for beating the cheating Astros in that World Series, you have my thanks forever.

A whopping 10 out of the 30 MLB teams have changed managers. However, 2 did not do so by choice, and 1 did, and then had to do so again, not by choice. The Astros' cheating scandal meant that the Astros had to fire manager A.J. Hinch, and they replaced him with Dusty Baker. The Boston Red Sox had to fire Alex Cora, who was an Astro coach during their 2017 World Championship season, and replaced him with Ron Roenicke.

For merely competitive reasons, the Mets fired Mickey Callaway, and hired Carlos Beltran, who had finished his career with the 2017 Astros. With the scandal growing, Beltran agreed to step aside, and was replaced with Luis Rojas.

Also for competitive reasons, the Philadelphia Phillies fired Gabe Kapler, and replaced him with former Yankee manager Joe Girardi. Bruce Bochy retired as manager of the San Francisco Giants, and they hired Kapler. Joe Maddon left the Chicago Cubs at the end of his contract, and they hired former Cub player David Ross. The Los Angeles Angels fired Brad Ausmus, and hired Maddon.

Ned Yost retired as manager of the Kansas City Royals, and they hired former St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. The San Diego Padres fired Andy Green, and hired Rangers coach Jayce Tingler. And the Pittsburgh Pirates fired Clint Hurdle, and hired Minnesota Twins coach Derek Shelton.

The only new arena that has opened since is the Chase Center in San Francisco, the new home of the NBA's Golden State Warriors. The Texas Rangers were supposed to open Globe Life Field in Arlington, their replacement for a 26-year-old ballpark that had replaced a 29-year-old ballpark. That opening, as far as fans are concerned, will likely have to wait until April 2021 -- if then.

Major League Soccer debuted Inter Miami CF, owned by David Beckham, but they only played 3 games before the shutdown. With the "MLS Is Back Tournament" underway, they've now played 5 games, and lost them all. Beckham had played for Manchester United, Real Madrid and the Los Angeles Galaxy. Not so easy when you have to pay the referees out of your own pocket, is it, Becks?

The Yankees signed Gerrit Cole, a big reason why the Astros won 2 Pennants in 3 years. The Red Sox refused to sign Mookie Betts to a contract extension, and traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who, yesterday, extended his contract. For a while, it looked like Dodger fans' dream of seeing Betts play for them would never happen, as his contract would end at the end of 2020 whether there was a season or not. Now, it is Sox fans' dream of getting Betts back for 2021 that appear to be dashed.

In the New York Tri-State Area, the Giants, the Knicks, the Brooklyn Nets and the New Jersey Devils have all changed head coaches. Except for the Nets, each of those has also changed general managers.

The Kansas City Chiefs won their 1st Super Bowl in 50 years, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers won their 1st Grey Cup in 29 years, the Seattle Sounders won their 2nd MLS Cup, the Raleigh-area-based North Carolina Courage won the NWSL title. Liverpool FC won their 1st title in the top flight of English soccer in 30 years, while Arsenal and Chelsea advanced to the FA Cup Final.

The NCAA awarded its football National Championship to Louisiana State University (LSU), but, with the COVID-19 shutdown happening as Conference Tournaments got underway, canceled its Tournaments for both men's and women's basketball.

Anthony Joshua took the IBF Heavyweight Championship of the World back from Andy Ruiz Jr., and Tyson Fury took the WBC edition from Deontay Wilder. The WBA version is currently held by Mahmoud Charr, but he hasn't fought in 3 years. He should have been stripped of it by now, for failing to defend it.

The Washington Redskins agreed to change their name, effective with the 2021 season. The Edmonton Eskimos changed their name immediately, taking the interim name of Edmonton Football Team. Neither team has selected a permanent new name yet. The Cleveland Indians are also considering changing their name.

Abiy Ahmed has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for his efforts in settling the border dispute between his native Ethopia and Eritrea. Boris Johnson increased his majority and remained Prime Minister of Britain, while Justin Trudeau saw his reduced, but kept enough to remain Prime Minster of Canada. Benjamin Netanyahu faced 2 inconclusive elections, and forged a coalition government that will allow him to remain in power until November 17, 2021, when he hands the office over to Opposition Leader Benny Gantz. But Netanyahu was also indicted on corruption charges, and may be gone sooner than that, anyway.

Major films in theaters when we last had baseball included some reboots of classic stories: Joker, Dolemite Is My Name, The Addams Family, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, and The King, starring Timothee Chalamet as King Henry V of England. There was also a sequel to the TV show Breaking Bad, titled El Camino; the sequel Zombieland: Double Tap; and Jojo Rabbit, which a boy in World War II Germany has Adolf Hitler -- as Germans then perceived him to be -- as an "imaginary friend."

Two days after that World Series ended saw the releases of Terminator: Dark Fate, Motherless Brooklyn, and The Irishman, described by one reviewer as "Martin Scorcese has made The Avengers of Mob movies."

Since we last had baseball, The CW Network brought its superhero shows together for the 5-part crossover epic Crisis On Infinite Earths, saw Ruby Rose leave as the title character of Batwoman after just 1 season, and debuted the "Earth-2" superhero show Stargirl.

We've also seen the debuts of the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, the sequel series Star Trek: Picard and The L Word: Generation Q, the companion series FBI: Most Wanted, a series version of High Fidelity, a show based on the video game The Witcher, and a reboot of Perry Mason, set at the beginning of the original novels, in 1932, with Mason, played by Matthew Rhys, then a private investigator, not yet a crusading lawyer.

The Number 1 song in America when we last had baseball was "Truth Hurts" by Melissa Viviane Jefferson, a.k.a. Lizzo. In between, "All I Want for Christmas" by Mariah Carey set a record, reaching Number 1 25 years after it was first released.

And, since Game 7 of the 2019 World Series, we have seen, from COVID-19 and other causes, the deaths of many people we cared about, including, but not limited to, the following:

* From Sports: Harrison Dillard, Peter Snell, Martin Peters, David Stern, Hans Tilkowski, Rob Rensenbrink, Kobe Bryant, Harry Gregg, Éva Székely, Henri Richard, Dana Zátopková, Peter Bonetti, Stirling Moss, Norman Hunter, Trevor Cherry, Jerry Sloan, Bobby Morrow, Wes Unseld, Pete Rademacher, Tony Dunne, Mario Corso, Jack Charlton and Wim Surrbier. 

* From Acting: Michael J. Pollard, Shelley Morrison, D.C. Fontana, René Auberjonois, Caroll Spinney, Danny Aiello, Claudine Auger, Sue Lyon, Edd Byrnes, Buck Henry, Terry Jones, Kirk Douglas, Orson Bean, Robert Conrad, Zoe Caldwell, Diana "Baby Peggy" Cary, James Lipton, Max von Sydow, Stuart Whitman, Honor Blackman, Shirley Douglas, Brian Dennehy, Jerry Stiller, Fred Willard, Ian Holm, Carl Reiner, Naya Rivera and Kelly Preston; and directors Lynn Shelton and Joel Schumacher. 

* From Music: Allee Willis, Jerry Herman, Marie Fredriksson, Neal Peart, Andy Gill, McCoy Tyner, Kenny Rogers, Bill Withers, John Prine, Millie Small, Little Richard, Betty Wright, Jimmy Cobb, Vera Lynn, Johnny Mandel, Charlie Daniels and Ennio Morricone.

* From Politics and Public Service: Paul Volcker, Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman, Hosni Mubarak, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Betty Williams, Jean Kennedy Smith and John Lewis.

* From Other Fields: Ram Dass, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Jim Lehrer, Mary Higgins Clark, Clive Cussler, Katharine Johnson, Freeman Dyson, Jack Welch, Alfred Worden, Terrence McNally, Margaret Burbidge, Michael McClure, Roy Horn, Astrid Kirchherr, Larry Kramer, Dennis O'Neil, Hugh Downs and Grant Imahara.

October 30, 2019. A Major League Baseball game that counted was played.

July 23, 2020. 266 days later. They count again.

You may not be able to Take Me Out to the Ball Game, and you can't put me in, Coach, I am by no means ready to play today. But it's still A Beautiful Day for a Ballgame.

The Comebacks Begin, But Baseball Is Still in the Balance

Slowly but surely, the impact of the Coronavirus is being reduced, and things are starting to open up again.

In New Jersey, restaurants are permitted to open with properly-spaced outdoor seating. Next week, barbershops can reopen. Which is good, because my hair is now long and puffy enough to resemble that of a 1970s Arsenal player.

The above example: George Armstrong, who played with the North London team's 1st XI from 1962 to 1977. His hair is so long in this photo, it obscures the Elvis-esque sideburns he grew. He was only 5-foot-6, but a fantastic player, a key figure on their 1971 League and Cup "Double" team. Sadly, he is no longer with us: After coaching with the team for most of the 1990s, he collapsed at the team's training center in 2000, and died, only 56.

Today, Premier League action resumes in England, with games being played "behind closed doors," meaning no fans admitted, a.k.a. "ghost games." Arsenal, whose manager and former star player Mikel Arteta survived the virus, plays away to Manchester City. Major League Soccer returns on July 8.

The NBA will also soon restart, with teams already eliminated from Playoff competition having their seasons declared over, and the remaining 22 teams going into training camps, and then, starting on July 30, jockeying for seeds in a standard 16-team Playoff.

The NHL will also soon restart, with the top 24 teams -- the Devils not being one of them -- beginning training camps on July 10, and then playing in a staggered Playoff format, with the top 8 teams getting a 1st-round bye.

Both of these leagues usually have their Champions crowned by this time, and will see their Playoffs end later than ever before, possibly even in October, when their new seasons would usually start. We might not seen the 2020-21 season begin until Christmas, or even New Year's.

Football, at every level, looks like it's going to begin on time: College (and, in some States, high school) in the last week of August, and the pros and the high schoolers (at least, here in New Jersey) in the 1st week of September. Whether fans will be permitted to attend remains to be seen.

Thoroughbred horse racing's Triple Crown has not only been postponed, but had its usual order changed: The Belmont Stakes, usually the last of the 3 races, was postponed from June 6 to June 20 (this coming Saturday, definitely behind closed doors), the normally series-opening Kentucky Derby from May 2 to September 5, and the Preakness Stakes from May 16 to October 3.

The Olympic Games have been postponed until next year. So has the European Championship soccer tournament. Wimbledon, originally set to run from June 21 to July 5, was canceled for the 1st time since World War II. The French Open was set to run in Paris from May 24, to June 7, has been postponed to September 20 to October 4.

This will be after the U.S. Open. With the number of new COVID-19 cases continuing to drop, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York gave the U.S. Tennis Association the all-clear to hold the tournament, albeit behind closed doors, on schedule from August 31 to September 13.

And then there's baseball. Commissioner Rob Manfred, as with all previous Commissioners the tool of the team owners, has been shoveling variations on the same restart deal at the players' union, the Major League Baseball Players Association, over and over again, and the players have rejected all of them as completely unacceptable, because the plans mean the owners will not be honoring their side of the contracts.

Last week, Manfred says there was a 100 percent chance that we would have baseball this season. Yesterday, he said, he was "not confident."

The players make a lot of money. They are not the problem here. They are ready to honor their contracts. The owners are trying to screw them. It doesn't matter that the players make so much more than you do: They are still being screwed. You wouldn't put up with this from your boss, so why should the players put up with it from theirs, regardless of how much they're being paid? They are still being cheated.

One thing is for sure: It looks like the Yankees will be screwed again. But then, what did you expect? I told you that they haven't won a World Series with a Republican as President since 1958, and they still haven't. I told you to vote for Hillary.

*

So, with some kind of schedule once again available, I can, for the 1st time since March 8, update my countdowns. However, Trip Guides are seriously affected. Due to events beyond my control last Autumn, I decided to cut short the NFL ones, and to drop the NBA ones altogether. I still did them for the NHL, and got them done for 30 out of 31 teams before the shutdown, missing only the Minnesota Wild.

Ironically, Minnesota United was 1 of the 3 MLS teams I had already done them for, the others being my home team, the New York Red Bulls, and Real Salt Lake.

Not yet having revised MLB or MLS schedules, I will not do those for 2020. Hopefully, I will be able to do them in 2021.

As for football, the NFL and college games that would apply: These games will probably be played, but it's increasingly likely that they will be behind closed doors, so it would be pointless to do Trip Guides for them. Once I learn for sure, I will have to adjust my schedule accordingly.

According to the schedule I had laid out before my hip replacement surgery on February 19, I had predicted that I would be able to go back to work in 8 weeks, on April 13. Who was I kidding? I might be able to do a data entry job, but I'd still have to get to and from work, and, without a car, and the closest bus stop a mile from my house, that would have been damn near impossible at the time. It would be pretty hard now: It's still twice as far as I've yet walked with the cane.

At any rate, each of the following is tentative, and may not have anyone actually in attendance:

Days until Arsenal play again: 0. They play away to Manchester City, in Premier League action, at 8:15 PM London time, 3:15 PM New York time. They have also advanced to the Quarterfinals of the FA Cup, although they have been eliminated from the UEFA Europa League. So now, their only chance to get into next season's UEFA Champions League is to finish 4th or higher in the Premier League -- or 5th, if Man City's CL ban is upheld, which is by no means a certainty.

Days until the New York Red Bulls play again: 21, in the MLS is Back Tournament, which will be held entirely behind closed doors at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which is part of the Walt Disney World Resort, in the Orlando suburb of Bay Lake, Florida. Although the schedule has not yet been finalized, they have been put in a group with Atlanta United and the 2 Ohio teams, the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati.

Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": Given that neither New York City FC, nor the Philadelphia Union, nor D.C. United, nor the New England Revolution are in the Red Bulls' group for the tournament, and who is likely to advance, is anybody's guess, then so is this number.

Days until the next North London Derby: 24, on Saturday, July 11, Arsenal's long-delayed 1st visit to the new Tottenham Stadium, adjacent to the site of the previous White Hart Lane. When they'll play their 1st game there in front of fans, most of them Spurs' mental acrobats, is anybody's guess, since the 2019-20 season is not yet finished. Usually, by this point, the next season's schedule -- or, as they would say in England, fixture list -- would have already been released.

Days until the Yankees' 2020 Opening Day: Unknown. MLB had been talking about a restart date of July 31, which would be 44 days from now, a decent time to have a Summer version of "Spring Training" to get ready. At this point, nobody knows.

Days until the Yankees' 2020 home opener: See the previous answer.

Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series begins: See the previous answer.

Days until the Democratic National Convention: 61, on Monday, August 17. It was set for the Fiserv Center in Milwaukee, the new home of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, a nod to the fact that Hillary Clinton "lost" Wisconsin by such a close vote last time. But the Convention may have to be "virtual." Joe Biden might be the 1st Presidential nominee to not give his acceptance speech on the Convention floor since Franklin Roosevelt was too ill to accept a 4th term in person in 1944.

Days until the Republican National Convention: 68, on Monday, August 24. The Republicans have already moved their convention from Charlotte to Jacksonville, since the Governor of North Carolina (Roy Cooper, a Democrat listening to the medical experts) refused to reopen the State; while the Governor of Florida (Rob DeSantis, a Republican listening to Donald Trump) is happy to risk lives for his lord and master at Mar-a-Lago.

Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: 79, on Friday night, September 4, against arch-rival Old Bridge, at the purple shit pit on Route 9. 

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge football game: See the previous answer.

Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 80, on Saturday, September 5, at noon, home to Monmouth University, a Football Championship Subdivision School in West Long Branch, Monmouth County, New Jersey. In other words, if they don't win this game overwhelmingly, especially now that Greg Schiano is back as head coach, it will look very, very bad.

Days until the New Jersey Devils play again: Unknown, since the 2020-21 NHL schedule has not yet been released.

Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: See the previous answer.

Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: Unknown, although the 2nd weekend and 3rd week in October is usually set aside for international games. So, if we presume October 10, a Saturday, then it's 115 days.

Days until the next Presidential election, when we can dump the Trump-Pence regime and elect a real Administration: 139, on November 3, 2020. Under 5 months.

Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State football game: 164, on Saturday, November 28, at home.

Days until a fully-Democratic-controlled Congress can convene: 200, on January 3, 2021. Under 10 months.


Days until Liberation Day: 217, at noon on January 20, 2021. A little over 7 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.

Days until Euro 2020 begins, a tournament being held all over Europe instead of in a single host nation: 359, on Friday, June 11, 2021. Under 1 year.

Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 401, on July 23, 2021. A little over 13 months.

Days until Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz become eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame: 573, on January 11, 2022. Under 2 years, or under 19 months. We will then find out if it's okay for a Red Sox steroid cheat to be in the Hall, but not for a Yankee steroid cheat.

Days until the next Winter Olympics begins in Beijing, China: 597, on February 4, 2022. Under 2 years, or under 20 months.

Days until the next World Cup is scheduled to kick off in Qatar: 887, on November 21, 2022, in Qatar. Under 3 years, or a little over 29 months.

Days until the next Women's World Cup is scheduled to kick off: 1,118, on July 10, 2023. A little over 3 years, or a little under 37 months. A host nation is expected to be chosen a week from tomorrow. Bids have been put in by Colombia (South America has never hosted), Japan (Asia last hosted in 2007), and a joint bid by Australia and New Zealand (Oceania has never hosted).

Books About Baseball Seasons

The Coronavirus pandemic has forced people to stay home, and even read! People are even reading books, not just their computers, tablets and smartphones.

Since the possibility of us not having a 2020 baseball season at all is starting to loom large, here are some books about previous baseball seasons that you may find interesting -- or may already have.

The Red Stockings of Cincinnati: Base Ball's First All-Professional Team and Its Historic 1869 and 1870 Seasons, by Stephen D Guschov.

The Summer of Beer and Whiskey: How Brewers, Barkeeps, Rowdies, Immigrants, and a Wild Pennant Fight Made Baseball America's Game (1883), by Edward Achorn.

Fifty-Nine in '84: Old Hoss Radbourn, Barehanded Baseball, and the Greatest Season a Pitcher Ever Had, by Edward Achorn.

Turbulent Seasons: Baseball in 1890-1891, by Charles C. Alexander.

A Game of Brawl: The Orioles, the Beaneaters, and the Battle for the 1897 Pennant, by Bill Felber.

MISFITS! Baseball's Worst Ever Team: 1899 Cleveland Spiders, by J. Thomas Hetrick and Michael D. Arnold.

The Days of Wee Willie, Old Cy and Baseball War: Scenes from the Dawn of the Deadball Era, 1900-1903, by Chuck Kimberly.

The First World Series and the Baseball Fanatics of 1903, by Roger I. Abrams.

The Year They Called Off the World Series: A True Story, by Benton Stark. Published in 1991, before the 1994 season.

The Old Ball Game: How John McGraw, Christy Mathewson, and the New York Giants Created Modern Baseball (1905), by Frank Deford.

When Chicago Ruled Baseball: The Cubs-White Sox World Series of 1906, by Bernard A. Weisberger.

Crazy '08: How a Cast of Cranks, Rogues, Boneheads, and Magnates Created the Greatest Year in Baseball History, by Cait N. Murphy.

When Cobb Met Wagner: The Seven-Game World Series of 1909, by David Finoli.

The Chalmers Race: Ty Cobb, Napoleon Lajoie, and the Controversial 1910 Batting Title That Became a National Obsession, by Rick Huhn and Charles C. Alexander.

Stealing Games: How John McGraw Transformed Baseball with the 1911 New York Giants, by Maury Klein.

The First Fall Classic: The Red Sox, the Giants and the Cast of Players, Pugs and Politicos Who Re-Invented the World Series in 1912, by Mike Vaccaro.

Mack, McGraw And The 1913 Baseball Season, by Richard Adler.

Baseball's Biggest Miracle: The 1914 Boston Braves, by Frank Ceresi and John B. Holway.

The Major League Pennant Races of 1916: "The Most Maddening Baseball Melee in History," by Paul G. Zinn and John G. Zinn.

The 1917 White Sox: Their World Championship Season, by Warren N Wilbert and William C Hageman. Published in 2003, before the White Sox' 2005 World Series win.

War Fever: Boston, Baseball, and America in the Shadow of the Great War, by Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith.

Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series, by Eliot Asinof.

The Pitch That Killed: Carl Mays, Ray Chapman and the Pennant Race of 1920, by Mike Sowell.

1921: The Yankees, the Giants, and the Battle for Baseball Supremacy in New York, by Lyle Spatz and Steve Steinberg.

The 1922 St. Louis Browns: Best of the American League's Worst, by Roger A. Godin.

The House That Ruth Built: A New Stadium, the First Yankees Championship, and the Redemption of 1923, by Robert Weintraub.

Baseball's Greatest Season, 1924, by Reed Browning.

The Battling Bucs of 1925: How the Pittsburgh Pirates Pulled Off the Greatest Comeback in World Series History, by Ronald T. Waldo.

The Cardinals and the Yankees, 1926: A Classic Season and St. Louis in Seven, by Paul E. Doutrich.

Five O'Clock Lightning: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and the Greatest Baseball Team in History, the 1927 New York Yankees, by Harvey Frommer.

The 1928 New York Yankees: The Return of Murderers' Row, by Charlie Gentile.

Simply the Best: The Story of the 1929-31 Philadelphia Athletics, by Brett Topel.

Lefty Grove and the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics, by Robert P. Broadwater.

The 1932 New York Yankees: The Story of a Legendary Team, a Remarkable Season, and a Wild World Series, by Ronald A. Mayer.

The 1933 New York Giants: Bill Terry's Unexpected World Champions, by Lou Hernandez.

The Gashouse Gang: How Dizzy Dean, Leo Durocher, Branch Rickey, Pepper Martin, and Their Colorful, Come-from-Behind Ball Club Won the World Series-and America’s Heart-During the Great Depression, by John Heidenry.

Motor City Champs: Mickey Cochrane and the 1934-1935 Detroit Tigers, by Scott Ferkovich.

Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War, by Ron Kaplan.

A Legend in the Making: The New York Yankees in 1939, by Richard J. Tofel.

The 1940 Cincinnati Reds: A World Championship and Baseball's Only In-Season Suicide, by Brian Mulligan.

Baseball and Other Matters in 1941, by Robert W. Creamer.

High-Flying Birds: The 1942 St. Louis Cardinals, by Jerome M. Mileur.

The Boys Who Were Left Behind: The 1944 World Series between the Hapless St. Louis Browns and the Legendary St. Louis Cardinals, by John Heidenry and Brett Topel.

The 1945 Detroit Tigers: Nine Old Men and One Young Left Arm Win It All, by Burge Carmon Smith.

The Stars Are Back: The St. Louis Cardinals, the Boston Red Sox, and Player Unrest in 1946, by Jerome M. Mileur.

1947: When All Hell Broke Loose In Baseball, by Red Barber.

Electric October: Seven World Series Games, Six Lives, Five Minutes of Fame That Lasted Forever (1947), by Kevin Cook.

A Summer to Remember: Bill Veeck, Lou Boudreau, Bob Feller, and the 1948 Cleveland Indians, by Lew Freedman.

Summer of '49, by David Halberstam.

The Whiz Kids And the 1950 Pennant, by Robin Roberts (the Hall of Fame pitcher for that team).

The Echoing Green: The Untold Story of Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca and the Shot Heard Round the World (1951), by Joshua Prager.

The Boys of Summer (1952 and 1953), by Roger Kahn.

1954: The Year Willie Mays and the First Generation of Black Superstars Changed Major League Baseball Forever, by Bill Madden.

Bums No More: The Championship Season of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, by Stewart Wolpin.

Baseball's Golden Season: The 1956 Major League Baseball Season, Baseball's Greatest Year, by Bill Leatherman.

An Indian Summer: The 1957 Milwaukee Braves, Champions of Baseball, by Thad Mumau.

The Dodgers Move West (1957-58), by Neil Sullivan.

Go-Go To Glory: The 1959 Chicago White Sox, by Don Zminda.

Sweet ’60: The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, by Dick Rosen and C. Paul Rogers.

1961*: The Inside Story of the Maris-Mantle Home Run Chase, by Phil Pepe.

Chasing October: The Giants-Dodgers Pennant Race of 1962, by David Plaut.

The Last Innocents: The Collision of the Turbulent Sixties and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1963 & 1965), by Michael Leahy.

The Year of Blue Snow: The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies, by Mel Marmer and Bill Nowlin.

October 1964, by David Halberstam.

Black and Blue: Sandy Koufax, the Robinson Boys, and the World Series That Stunned America (1966), by Tom Adelman.

The Impossible Dream 1967 Red Sox: Birth of Red Sox Nation, by Herb Crehan.

Spirit of '67: The Cardiac Kids, El Birdos, and the World Series That Captivated America, by Thomas J. Whalen.

The Year of the Pitcher: Bob Gibson, Denny McLain, and the End of Baseball’s Golden Age (1968), by Sridhar Pappu. (Don't let the Indian-sounding name fool you: I've read this book, and he knows his baseball.)

The Tigers of '68: Baseball's Last Real Champions, by George Cantor.

Ball Four (1969), by Jim Bouton.

The Wonder Year: The Championships of the New York Jets, Mets, and Knicks Were Only Part of the Story in 1969, by Bert Flieger.

Pitching, Defense, and Three-Run Homers: The 1970 Baltimore Orioles, by Mark L. Armour.

The Team That Changed Baseball: Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, by Bruce Markusen.

Hairs vs. Squares: The Mustache Gang, the Big Red Machine, and the Tumultous Summer of '72, by Ed Gruver.

Hammerin' Hank, George Almighty and the Say Hey Kid: The Year That Changed Baseball Forever (1973), by John Rosengren.

Ten-Cent Beer Night and the 1974 Baseball Season, by Daniel R. Grimes.

The Long Ball: The Summer of '75 - Spaceman, Catfish, Charlie Hustle, and the Greatest World Series Ever Played, by Tom Adelman.

Stars and Strikes: Baseball and America in the Bicentennial Summer of ‘76, by Dan Epstein.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of of a City, by Jonathan Mahler.

The Fall of the 1977 Phillies: How a Baseball Team's Collapse Sank a City's Spirit, by Mitchell Nathanson. Essentially, Philly's version of The Bronx Is Burning.

Dodgerland: Decadent Los Angeles and the 1977-78 Dodgers, by Michael Fallon. L.A.'s version of The Bronx Is Burning.

South Side Hitmen: The Story of the 1977 Chicago White Sox, by by Dan Helpingstine and Leo Bauby. I've never read this one, so I don't know if it covers Chicago as a city in that time with enough in-depth-ness to be that city's version of The Bronx Is Burning. There should be such a book, because this was the 1st time both the White Sox and the Cubs were both in the Pennant race entering August in about 60 years. But both fizzled in August, and neither won its Division. Throw in the fact that the city was reeling from the late 1976 death of 21-year Mayor Richard J. Daley, and you've got quite a story.

Although not about a city and its baseball team, a similar book was written by Denver Post columnist Terry Frei about his city and its football team: '77: Denver, The Broncos, and a Coming of Age.

'78: The Boston Red Sox, A Historic Game, and a Divided City, by Bill Reynolds. Boston's version of The Bronx Is Burning, although it also covers the years leading up to the Bucky Dent Game, including the 1974-75 school-busing controversy, the Sox' 1975 Pennant and World Series, the 1976 death of Tom Yawkey, Boston's Bicentennial celebrations, the "Soiling of Old Glory" incident at City Hall, and the Blizzard of '78.

October Men: Reggie Jackson, George Steinbrenner, Billy Martin, and the Yankees' Miraculous Finish in 1978, by Roger Kahn.

When The Bucs Won It All: The 1979 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates, by Bill Ranier and David Finoli.

Almost a Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the 1980 Phillies, by William C. Kashatus.

Split Season: 1981: Fernandomania, the Bronx Zoo, and the Strike that Saved Baseball, by Jeff Katz.

Whitey's Boys: A Celebration of the '82 Cards World Championship, by Rob Rains and Alvin Reid.

Oriole Magic: The O's of 1983, by Thom Loverro.

Wire to Wire: Inside the 1984 Detroit Tigers Championship Season, by George Cantor.

Doc, Donnie, the Kid, and Billy Brawl: How the 1985 Mets and Yankees Fought for New York’s Baseball Soul, by Chris Donnelly.

Crowning the Kansas City Royals: Remembering the 1985 World Series Champs, by Jeffrey Spivak.

The Bad Guys Won: A Season of Brawling, Boozing, Bimbo Chasing, and Championship Baseball with Straw, Doc, Mookie, Nails, the Kid, and the Rest of the 1986 Mets the Rowdiest Team Ever to Put On a New York Uniform -- and Maybe the Best, by Jeff Pearlman. (They were not.)

Magic! 1987 Twins' Enchanted Season, by the sports staff of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Miracle Men: Hershiser, Gibson, and the Improbable 1988 Dodgers, by Josh Suchon. Like the aforementioned Wire to Wire, it has Kirk Gibson on the cover. It's easy to forget that 1988 was the 2nd time, and for the 2nd different team, in a 2nd different League, that Gibson was a World Series home run hero.

Three Weeks in October: Three Weeks in the Life of the Bay Area, the 1989 World Series, and the Loma Prieta Earthquake, by Ron Fimrite. Books titled Three Weeks in October have also been written about the 2002 D.C. Sniper case, and as a young adult novel about the 1973 Yom Kippur War between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

The Hunt for a Reds October: Cincinnati in 1990, by Charles F. Faber and Zachariah Webb.

Down to the Last Pitch: How the 1991 Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves Gave Us the Best World Series of All Time, by Tim Wende.

Macho Row: The 1993 Phillies and Baseball's Unwritten Code, by William C. Kasthaus.

Ecstasy to Agony: The 1994 Montreal Expos, by Danny Gallagher and Bill Young.

Baseball's Greatest Series: Yankees, Mariners, and the 1995 Matchup That Changed History, by Chris Donnelly.

Cleveland Rocked: The Personalities, Sluggers, and Magic of the 1995 Indians, by Zack Meisel.

Bravo! The Inside Story of the Atlanta Braves' 1995 World Series Championship, by I.J. Rosenberg.

Birth of a Dynasty: Behind the Pinstripes with the 1996 Yankees, by Joel Sherman.

If They Don't Win It's a Shame: The Year the Marlins Bought the World Series (1997), by Dave Rosenbaum.

The Perfect Season: Why 1998 Was Baseball's Greatest Year, by Tim McCarver and Danny Peary.

Unbeatable! The Historic Season Of The 1998 World Champion New York Yankees, by George King.

The Subway Series: Baseball's Big Apple Battles And The Yankees-Mets 2000 World Series Classic, by Jerry Beach.

The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty New Edition: The Game, the Team, and the Cost of Greatness (2001), by Buster Olney.

Out of the Blue: The story of the Anaheim Angels' improbable run to the 2002 World Series title, by Joe Haakenson.

Miracle Over Miami: How the 2003 Marlins Shocked the World, by Dan Schlossberg.

Don't Let Us Win Tonight: An Oral History of the 2004 Boston Red Sox's Impossible Playoff Run, by Allan Wood and Bill Nowlin.

Say It's So: Papa, Dad, Me, and 2005 White Sox Championship Season, by Ben Shapiro and David Shapiro.

We Shocked the World: How the Underdog St. Louis Cardinals Won the 2006 World Series, by the sports staff of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First (2008 Tampa Bay Rays), by Jonah Keri.

Hard to Believe! The Incredible Game-By-Game Story of the 2008 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, by Mike McNesby, Jason Weitzel.

Mission 27: A New Boss, A New Ballpark, and One Last Ring for the Yankees' Core Four (2009),
by Mark Feinsand and Bryan Hoch.

A Band of Misfits: Tales of the 2010 San Francisco Giants, by Andrew Baggarly.

Wild Cards: The Story of the 2011 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, by the sports staff of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

For Boston: From Worst to First, the Improbable Dream Season of the 2013 Red Sox, by the sports staff of The Boston Globe.

Keep the Line Moving: The Story of the 2015 Kansas City Royals, by Kent Krause.

A Season for the Ages: How the 2016 Chicago Cubs Brought a World Series Championship to the North Side, by Al Yellon and Pat Hughes.

Hurricane Season: The Unforgettable Story of the 2017 Houston Astros and the Resilience of a City, by Joe Holley.

Fight to the Finish: How the Washington Nationals Rallied to Become 2019 World Series Champions, by the sports staff of The Washington Post.