Phillies owner John Middleton informed the team’s employees Friday that no one will be laid off or forced to take a pay cut through at least the end of May, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. “I am neither an epidemiologist nor a public policy maker, but I do know our industry, and it is my sincere belief that baseball will be played this year,” Middleton wrote in a letter, adding that there’s no reason to reduce the club’s budget when he’s under the impression that “a meaningful number of games” will take place in 2020. The Phillies are just the second team to commit to no cuts through May, joining the division-rival Braves. More teams are expected to follow, however, with the Giants the latest team to make the commitment, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
- The Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt has set up camp in his Jupiter-area home during the quarantine, but he’s finding new ways to keep his head in the game. Thanks to a virtual reality product from WIN Reality, Goldschmidt can simulate at-bats against any pitcher in the game, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Goldschmidt got enough exposure to live pitching in spring training to fully test his new virtual reality gear, and he came away impressed with its accuracy. Goldy is working out in more traditional ways as well, but the VR gear is giving him an opportunity to rest his elbow while still simulating game experience.
- The Pirates under Clint Hurdle became known for contentious run-ins with other teams due to their proclivity for throwing up and in. The bad rap was furthered by pitchers Gerrit Cole and Tyler Glasnow developing into aces once having left Pittsburgh. But Derek Shelton runs the dugout in Pittsburgh now, and it remains to be seen how the culture will change under new leadership. Shelton spoke to some of his tendencies, however, including how he will let statistics and the extenuating circumstances determine how often he lets his starters go through a lineup a third time (as much as how the pitcher is performing on any given day), per Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Shelton also spoke about the closer role, where he expects Keone Kela to serve as a traditional closer.
Middleton. Is. The. Man.
That was absolutely nice of him. The Phillies brass certainly didn’t have to do that and knowing you’ve got another 6 weeks of a full paycheck regardless of how this virus plays out gives those employees one less thing to worry about for a little bit.
The best stupid money ever spent!!
I love the impression that the teams are on food stamps because there are no people in the stands.
As long as no trash cans get laid off
Ha, now that’s funny!!!
The Astros will have an employee stationed remotely who has trash can access in the event that the Arizona plan happens. Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal have confirmed, waiting on Jeff Passan for confirmation as we speak.
That’s awesome
I’d give Kela the closers gig.
Loved him in Texas.
Read the Goold article.
Middleton a class act. As a White Sox fan, I know Reinsdorf will do the same.
Prediction: Games will start the 4th of July. “New spring training starts June 15th.
100 game season. A lot of day/night DH. Florida and Arizona parks. No fans until safe.
Should be just an exhibition season. No way should the season count like the rest with teams only playing in Arizona and Florida.
I’m not going to say it’s meaningless for organizations to pay employees or promise to sustain layoffs but stadium work on the ground level never paid worth much from the get go. Seasonal work and only at home games and the pay wasn’t that great when they are working. Stimulus checks have probably done as much of more for these people
One major difference:
The pay from the owners didn’t come out of our taxes. Love when people act like this stimulus money grows on trees.
Actually paper money grows on the cotton shrub (75%) and linen made from the flax plant (25%).
So yes, it does grow somewhere…..
Unless the post you are responding to was edited, you’re just strawmanning
Touché – @Jorge78
Last I checked a majority of these playgrounds for the rich aka stadiums were funded with public dollars so let’s not pretend the American taxpayer hasn’t done anything.
The thing is that stimulus to workers, especially workers out of work, is well spent. It gets spent quickly on necessities and goes right back into the economy. Dollars spent in other ways often aren’t spent so well (on crap) or don’t go back into the real economy.