It's Mailbag Time! But as you would expect in the era of coronavirus, nothing is normal.
This edition marks a one-day suspension to the questions of whether Dylan Cozens can be No. 2 center this year for the Buffalo Sabres (probably not), if coach Ralph Krueger can fix the penalty kill (he better), or if Kevyn Adams knows how to GM (too soon to know).
Instead, all the Toronto Blue Jays-to-Buffalo chatter has lots of you Talkin' Baseball so that's our itinerary. Here are some of the best questions received via email and Twitter:
@mhaim1934 asks: Of the three new rules MLB implemented in this yearβs shortened season, which one(s) do you see continuing into 2021 and beyond? Personally, the one Iβd like to see them carry forward is the universal DH. Iβve never been a fan of the extra-inning rule (minors or majors) and the playoffs, to me, have too many teams.Β
Mike: The universal DH is staying. It's long overdue and extends careers. Pitchers trying to hit has become a circus act that adds nothing to the game. I'm up in the air on the other two, and we'll have to see how they play out. I think the goofy extra-inning rule will probably find a home, although I wish it would start in the 11th inning so we could play one extra inning under usual rules. The new playoff format is fine for a 60-game season, but I hate it going forward. The problem is lots more GMs and managers can say they had "playoff teams" and that saves jobs. It bears watching how it will play out, assuming we get to October.
@MrEd315 asks: With these Covid outbreaks in Miami and Philly already, whatβs your take on MLB finishing their regular season and advancing to the playoffs?
Mike:Β Maybe the Marlins' situation will be a good thing in that it will scare everybody straight. And MLB said Thursday it's tightening protocols to recommendΒ β not mandateΒ β that teams stay in their hotels on the road and that they mustΒ travel with a Covid-19 compliance officer. My reaction: Good. But why wasn't that the case already? My fear is if we get one more team with a big Marlins-like outbreak, the season will lose all integrity and will get shut down.
@Marty62516873 asks: Where do you think Frankie Lindor will be playing in the following: (a) October 2020 (b) 2021 (c) 2022?
Mike:Β I think the Indians' shortstop will finish this season in Cleveland. And I think he will start 2021 there as well. Remember, he's not a free agent until after the '21 season. It seems unlikely he'll sign and the Indians/future Spiders can't just let him walk, so he'll have to get traded at the deadline next summer. Could be quite a rental for a prospect-laden team such as the Athletics, Rays or Padres who wouldn't sign him to the big money long term. As for 2022, at the kind of money Lindor will command, doesn't all the bidding start with the Yankees and then go from there if they ultimately pass?
@DanRoesch_ asks: How much of the renovations to clubhouses, training areas, bullpens, etc. are going to be permanent for the Bisons? Seems like for a multimillion dollar renovation project, you'd want to keep as much of it as possible for future seasons without tearing it all out afterwards.
Mike:Β All costs at Sahlen Field are being absorbed by the Blue Jays and MLB, and Toronto president Mark Shapiro said last week it would be millions of dollars. But he also said 95% of the work is temporary, with many things being built in the concourse and the right-field parking lot, which are normally used by fans. The best thing the Bisons will get will be brighter lights as the bulbs in the existing towers have been swapped out with shinier LED versions.
Ryan Lebica asks: Is there any deal between the Blue Jays and a Buffalo TV network to simulcast any home games on a network, just for this season? They should, because it would generate some revenue.
Mike: Alan Pergament tackled this last week, and the answer is no. The rights are owned by Sportsnet, a Canadian channel. Carriage agreements are complicated, especially across the border. The answer is simple: You can see the Jays' 10 games here against the Yankees and Mets on YES and SNY, and the other 15 games will be available on MLB.com and the MLB Extra Innings package. The Aug. 14 game against Tampa Bay is scheduled for FS1, and others could be added to Fox and ESPN. The reality for many years has been that regional networks are where the majority of baseball is, save for the couple of nationally televised games each week.
@BuffaloSports39 asks: Thoughts on the expanded playoff and allowing teams to pick their opponents to start the postseason?
Mike: This year only. It's a gimmick season anyway. These are all gimmicks. Picking your opponent? The top teams are simply going to pick opponents without a verifiable ace. Talk about trying to give a Selection Sunday feel for TV.Β
@leaker19 asks: Will a sub-.500 team make the playoffs?
Mike:Β I hope not, but with only 60 games and all these spots available, I suppose it's possible. If the math breaks, you could get a few teams that go, say, 40-20 and then maybe have a 29-31 team sneak in.Β
Worst playoff teams in a full season: The 2005 Padres (82-80) and 1973 Mets (82-79). In the 1981 strike season, the Royals went 50-53 but qualified by winning the second half of the AL West with a 30-23 mark.
@bobMcDougall14 asks: Are they ever going to replace the old red seats?
Mike:Β He's referring to Sahlen Field. The Bisons have replaced large swaths of red seats on the main level with deep green over the last few years. They're wider and more comfortable, and they cut capacity, which creates more ticket demand for the team. But it's costly to do for a franchise that doesn't roll in TV revenue like a big-league team, and there isn't much need to do it on the club level because large numbers of fans are only up there perhaps six to eight times a season.
@DLH4Bills asks: Mike, do you think MLB issues could cause the players union to reconsider a bubble? Will any of this influence what the NFL does?
Mike:Β The MLB players shot down the bubble idea in Arizona and Florida. I suppose anything is possible down the road, especially since Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo rolled out the welcome mat to any games in New York when he spoke Wednesday. Even though they are playing in a hot spot, the NBA and MLS seem to be going OK in Orlando. A bubble is better right now. As for the NFL, it marches to its own beat. We'll see how training camp goes. Seems like full-speed ahead, albeit with fewer or no fans. But you know the NFL has been taking notes on the other leagues.
@TheDisgruntle10 asks: What are your best baseball memories of the old War Memorial Stadium?
Mike: Off the field, I loved the pizza stand in the box seats down the right-field line. The way the players had to walk through the crowd in the box seats behind home plate to get to the clubhouses. ("Not many ballparks have a lobby," famously wrote former News columnist Donn Esmonde.) Home runs on to the right-field roof a la Roy Hobbs. The Friday night pregame parties in the left-field tent. The climb up the stairs to the top row and to the metal ramp leading into the press box.
On the field: It's hard to beat the 1984 "Grand Old Game," the oldtimers classic filled with Hall of Famers. Still remember sitting in right field and watching Willie Mays make basket catches in front of me in center. The 1987 "Battle of the Lakes" exhibition between the Blue Jays and Indians was a cold day but seemed to push the big-league dream forward quite a bit, and the '87 Rockpile finale was a great day. We had spent the last three years getting comfortable in the city again, had all kinds of fun and were ready to move it all downtown. But the final game was bittersweet too because the Grand Old Lady at Jefferson and Best was just about done. She was demolished within three years.
@DanaMoffatt asks: Has Roy Hobbs been taking BP again?
Mike:Β I watched the movie too many times to count on MLB Network while things were shut down. Hobbs won't be able to go for the roof of Knights Field anymore, but wouldn't it be fun to see Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Pete Alonso take their shots at the 190 ramp and Seneca Street? I hope things stay under control so it happens.
