CRL NEWS

January 20, 2021

“Don't like the shift? Don't ban it, render it ineffective, the DJ LeMahieu way.”

-Mike Petriello, MLB.com, commenting about the fact that LeMahieu has faced a grand total of two shifts in five years.

Happy New Year gang!

I’m a little earlier than in previous years, but that’s because these are not your typical preseason ramblings. This is more about gauging the interest level out there.

I will be getting the vaccine as soon as I am able so that, just maybe, I can put a miserable 2020 behind me and start to return to some form of normalcy. Like DJ, I’m not a fan of the status quo, so I am going to do something about it – namely, start thinking about baseball season again.

From everything I have been reading, MLB will kick off the regular season with a full slate of games on Thursday, April 1, 2021. That would coincide perfectly with our normal draft day of the first Friday in April, which is the next day. I’ve even heard from a handful of you saying you are ready to get back to baseball.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have several hundred dollars in reserve (they wouldn’t refund it) with Southwest and United for vacations that got cancelled last year – no Vegas, no Asia, no Hawaii. So all I have to pay for is my hotel. Many of you may be in the same position.

Some notes on the upcoming season:

Since Jim Fraser is now retired, he says he has more time and would like to run a team solo again. While I thank Jim for his help over the past few years, including two firsts and a second, I do understand the concept of not having to compromise. If everyone is still in, Jim will become Team 11. Team name TBA.

There will be no expansion draft, as we voted a few years ago to start from scratch this season. Everyone is available.

Everyone still has their initial payments in Glenn’s savings account from last year’s season that didn’t happen. The only new expenditure this year is that we will have to pay for the stat service again. It’s $99 for the league, or nine bucks a team. BTW, we were using the service last year up until the point where we called the season, so I think that expenditure is fair.

I really think we should shoot for a draft on April 2. Everyone has been used to the first Friday in April for years and, as we get further into the spring, it becomes harder to get everyone together. Even if I get the vaccine, I will still be wearing a mask.

There are obviously several other dates, and several proposed rule changes, that need to be discussed. But that is for another time. This is all about trying to restart a 30+ year tradition after an artificial hiatus.

I’m working nights the rest of the week to cover a vacation (off today to change my sleep schedule), so don’t expect an immediate response if you email with questions and comments. Although I do read the emails on my phone, I prefer to not answer (unless it’s some kind of one-word reply) that way. If I email from home, I have a copy of what I sent in Outlook.

Anyway, I think it’s time to get back to baseball. What say ye?

Jim