Javy Cover Love, MLB’s Initial Coronavirus Response, and Other Cubs Bullets

The world is extremely distracting right now, which makes cruising through the Bullets at a normal time virtually impossible. My bad.

  • On an initial positive note, I’m loving this SI cover:
  • As we discussed last night, the pro sports leagues, including MLB, have taken steps to limit media interactions with, and access to, players right now because of the novel coronavirus. It’s an interim step before other significant measures (delays, relocations, empty stadiums, etc.) are considered. MLB’s statement:
  • “The health and safety of everyone in our communities is of the utmost importance to us. We have been engaging on an ongoing basis with a wide range of public health experts, infectious disease specialists, and governmental agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to obtain the latest information. We are regularly conveying the guidance from these experts to Clubs, players, and staff regarding prevention, good hygiene practices and the latest recommendations related to travel. We are continuing to monitor developments and will adjust as necessary.  While MLB recognizes the fluidity of this rapidly evolving situation, our current intention is to play Spring Training and regular season games as scheduled.

    “On a temporary basis, effective on Tuesday, only players and essential personnel may enter locker rooms and clubhouses at MLB facilities. In a joint step with other professional sports leagues, we are requiring that Clubs relocate media availabilities to another area in their facilities. Clubs will be expected to provide best efforts in facilitating usual media coverage and access to uniformed personnel and team officials in these alternate settings. Access for and coverage by the BBWAA and all media are vital to our game and we hope to resume normal operations as quickly as possible. We appreciate the media’s cooperation with this temporary step, which is being taken out of an abundance of caution for the best interests of all.”

  • From where I sit, at a distance, I think the leagues had to do *something*, even if only to demonstrate that, yes, they’re taking this public health crisis seriously (even if some of us kinda feel like we’re still lacking a lot of clear information and/or directives from our government). Will this step actually make a difference? No idea. But caution right now is obviously advisable.
  • The baseball media responded to MLB’s approach:
  • A temporary safety measure that is actually supported by medical science? Sounds good to me. An opportunity to make any kind of permanent change to how the working media do what they do (which leads to stories – small and fun, huge and sport-altering) … that’s what would bother me. Ken Rosenthal wrote this morning about this issue, after stating clearly that the public health concerns right now are the most important issue, and I think he did a good job laying out why clubhouse access is so important for what baseball writers do over the course of weeks or months or years. Not sure there was ever going to be a good time to have the conversation, but I understand why reporters are trying to stay ahead of this issue.
  • Anker charging gear, workout clothes, shoes, and more are your Deals of the Day at Amazon today. #ad
  • Heads up on this, because Daren is not exaggerating – it’s fantastic:
  • So if I wanted to find that massive Javy homer in Colorado, where he just watched that baby fly, I filter by Javy Báez and homers, and boom, there it is:
  • Oh, one more SI cover to make you smile:
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

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