Seven members of the Guardians coaching staff are in MLB Health and Safety Protocols following an apparent COVID outbreak. Pitching coach Carl Willis will serve as acting manager in this weekend’s series in Minnesota. Per Mandy Bell of MLB.com, those in the protocol include bench coach Demarlo Hale, hitting coach Chris Valaika, assistant pitching coach Joe Torres, first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., third base coach Mike Sarbaugh, and hitting analyst Justin Toole, as well as manager Terry Francona. Only Francona and Hale are confirmed to have tested positive for the virus.
While the Guardians’ coaching situation does put the league into uncharted territory as it attempts to navigate the risk-reward of playing games in the midst of intra-team (or, in this case, intra-staff) outbreaks, it doesn’t come entirely as a surprise. MLB’s postponement of yesterday’s game against the White Sox due to COVID concerns — its first of the season — indicated a level of uncertainty regarding the scope of the outbreak sufficient for the commissioner’s office to step in. It remains unclear if any Guardians players were exposed to the virus, though Jesse Rogers of ESPN did report (via Twitter) that positive tests were “mostly” confined to coaches and traveling staff. The only Guardians player currently on the COVID IL is infielder Yu Chang, who went on the list in mid-April and has been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus since early last week.
A statement from Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti noted that “individuals throughout the organization” would support the team until coaches are able to return. Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com reports that these coaches will be drawn from the minor league ranks, though which coaches the team will call up, as well as how long they’ll stay, remains to be seen.
The Guardians may well have dodged a bullet if the outbreak leaves the roster unaffected, though the situation remains fluid. The official MLB-MLBPA health and safety protocols, which give the commissioner’s office final authority over cancellations, states that “MLB intends to postpone games only if necessary to protect the health and safety of Club personnel, players and umpires. Games will not be postponed for competitive reasons provided the Club has a sufficient number of players available to substitute those players on the Active Roster who are unavailable to play as a result of COVID-19.”
Not surprised about Tito and Hale, those guys have been tied at the hip going back to their Red Sox days. Hope they both get well soon.
Does this mean they’ve all tested positive, or they’ve been exposed to someone who has, so they’re taking extra precaution?
On a re-read, seems only two have so far been confirmed positive.
Move on
Hey dimwit: just because you moved on and live in this fantasy where COVID doesn’t exist anymore, don’t drag smart people down with you into your pit of ignorance and gullibility.
Have a nice day.
Would you please stop calling people names? It adds nothing to your points. Who ever gave more credence to the arguments of someone who insults them?
Dude I’m not gonna show much respect to these clowns who called me all manner of names in the other post for defending women’s rights.
“Johnny hit me first!”
C’mon, man.
We can’t fight the ignorant right by being polite. There is a limit. Plus, you gotta see the difference between calling someone a dimwit vs. calling them a variant on r*tard.
Being ignorant means not agreeing with richt it seems just from reading your high and mighty comments
Not agreeing with me, listening to doctors and epidemiologists. If you’re not following what your doctor says, you’re damn ignorant.
What’s your goal — to convince others of the truth or just to vent your irritation at their acceptance of falsehoods?
Most people get their opinions from others. The reasons they’re disposed to listen to certain voices can go all the way back to their childhood; things like family loyalty and the community they grew up in.
I’m a Yankee fan. My favorite Yankee announcer is Paul O’Neill. I know his politics are way to the right of mine, but I can also tell he’s a goodhearted man with a sense of humor. And he really knows the game. His insights are valuable and he’s entertaining to listen to. That’s all I need for him to be.
As we speak, Russian trolls are doing their worst to split this country into warring camps. Divide and conquer. Watch this short film series if you think this isn’t serious:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/opinion/russia-meddling-disinformation-fake-news-elections.html
I don’t want to help them, do you?
Democracy is always difficult. It poses the enormous task of uniting people from vastly different backgrounds who harbor different ideas and sensibilities. E pluribus unum.
I doubt that’s possible without civility.
I’m well aware of the Russian bot issue.
It’s the latter moreover, but I honestly enjoy taking these idiots down several pegs. Just like you do. If it changes their mind, great. Personally, I’m just glad there aren’t ALL idiots on this board.
Civility used to exist in American politics. Even during the Bush years. When one party started questioning a president’s citizenship plus started dismantling democracy through gerrymandering and other underhanded tactics, that was the beginning of its end.
Just keep thinking you are smarter than the rest bud, all of your comments seem to say so.
Don’t presume to define me with remarks like “Just like you do.” You’re projecting, erroneously and insultingly. I feel not the slightest kinship with your gratuitous, self-indulgent spitefulness.
I’m not posting here to win some imaginary contest of wits. When it comes to Covid discussions, my goal is to inform, not “take these idiots down several pegs.”
You speak for yourself, the only person for whom you’re qualified to speak.
Sure, follow the science and listen to the experts, that’s worked so well the past two years. People didn’t get sick from this flu, they go sick from trying to keep up with the flip flopping from clowns like Dr. Fauci contradicting himself every step of the way. People also reported symptoms of nausea from seeing the same clown constantly trying to grab the spotlight. Wear your mask, don’t wear your mask, wear it…then two years later we get the same experts saying the masks were useless (unless they were the N95s). What a flippin’ clown show.
Ah yeah the Bush years, because he stood in there every day while the left and MSM woke up every morning to see how they could ridicule him and he took it. Once a president stood up for himself and fought back is when the country started showing signs it was the beginning of the end, not the great divider before him. LOL.
With humans, argue a point with facts, not insults. Facts combined with insults (or ego) ends the argument, blurs the facts, and raises the fence even higher.
Brew88: these people stopped responding to facts a long time ago. They don’t understand them. Polish Hammer hit me with all kinds of insults, so what’s your point? I’ve called him a dimwit, but he continues calling me a woman and a r*tard. What do you suggest we do in the face of this idiocy? Manners and facts don’t work on these people. They never have.
You can keep posting falsehoods, Polish Hammer, but you only succeed in affirming either your ignorance or your mendacity, neither of which can change a single fact. The facts have been laid out for you. If you can’t or won’t accept them, that’s on you. Over a million Americans have died from this virus. That fact alone should give pause to any decent human being.
Are you Joe Biden? You sound just like him, I didn’t know people on here were looking for the richt respect
He does sound a lot like him because he actually tells the truth far more often than not, and people like zylo88 have a hard time hearing truth rather than the lies of a certain former president, lies which soothed their insecurities.
Polish Hammer: “I never said anything disparaging about women”
Also Polish Hammer: *calls people sissies and queens*
How else do you want to be hypocritical today?
You’re right, it’s offensive to all women to be grouped with you.
I thought you were so certain that I’m a woman?
Ahhh now you’re transphobic too! Why am I not surprised?
You need serious help. Either you’re a deranged troll or a bigot. maybe both.
Hey The Baseball Fan: check out moveon.org if you’re so into moving on
This has gotta stop.
How?
Treat it as any other virus.
Except it’s not like any other virus
Except it is.
How is this different than other viruses? It has been mutating and getting less deadly like other viruses. The only difference I see is the continued infatuation with cases instead of severity of cases.
Covid is not going anywhere. People are still going to get it regardless of vaccine or booster status. So at some point they will have to move on. They can’t cancel games and expect fans to continue to show up only to be turned away with almost no notice.
sorry, you are correct, I’ll rephrase it as deadlier than any other virus, mostly because of the carelessness of people that don’t take it seriously
“Any other virus” like what, polio?
How is this different?
This is from Yale Medicine, April 2022:
“There’s still a lot to learn about Omicron (BA.1) and its subvariant, BA.2, which surpassed the original Omicron strain in March to become the predominant variant in the U.S. Omicron was first identified in Botswana and South Africa in late November 2021, and cases quickly began to surface and multiply in other countries. By December, Omicron was causing daily case numbers in the U.S. to skyrocket to over a million.
“The BA.2 subvariant appears to spread more easily than its predecessor, but while experts are following emerging data to learn more, it does not appear to cause more severe disease than BA.1. There are also subvariants of BA.2. These have included BA.4 and BA.5, which are not multiplying in the U.S. at this time. But another subvariant, BA.2.12.1, already accounts for 20% of new cases here. Scientists are still investigating whether the BA.2 subvariants are more contagious or dangerous than their predecessors. …
“Severity: Though Omicron has caused record numbers of cases, the variant appears to be less severe than previous variants. According to the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from Jan. 28, factors such as lengths of hospital stays, ICU admittance, and death were “lower than during previous pandemic peaks.”
https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-19-variants-of-concern-omicron
In the past two days, 601 Americans died of Covid.
“The World Health Organization estimates that 290,000 to 650,000 people die of flu-related causes every year worldwide.” – Johns Hopkins Medicine, February 23, 2022
Since January 2020, 6,284,277 people have died of Covid worldwide.
Covid is somewhat the reverse of the flu. With the flu, children are the most likely to be infected and people 65 and older are the least likely to be infected; and the flu is more severe in children than in the elderly.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/keyfacts.htm
Plus, there are four FDA-approved antiviral drugs for treating flu infections.
In 2020, Covid had a death rate of 85 per 100,000 compared to 12.3 deaths per 100,000 from the flu.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db427.pdf
Do the math. The Covid death rate was roughly 7 times higher.
How is this different?
This is from Yale Medicine, April 2022:
“There’s still a lot to learn about Omicron (BA.1) and its subvariant, BA.2, which surpassed the original Omicron strain in March to become the predominant variant in the U.S. Omicron was first identified in Botswana and South Africa in late November 2021, and cases quickly began to surface and multiply in other countries. By December, Omicron was causing daily case numbers in the U.S. to skyrocket to over a million.
“The BA.2 subvariant appears to spread more easily than its predecessor, but while experts are following emerging data to learn more, it does not appear to cause more severe disease than BA.1. There are also subvariants of BA.2. These have included BA.4 and BA.5, which are not multiplying in the U.S. at this time. But another subvariant, BA.2.12.1, already accounts for 20% of new cases here. Scientists are still investigating whether the BA.2 subvariants are more contagious or dangerous than their predecessors. …
“Severity: Though Omicron has caused record numbers of cases, the variant appears to be less severe than previous variants. According to the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from Jan. 28, factors such as lengths of hospital stays, ICU admittance, and death were “lower than during previous pandemic peaks.”
In the past two days, 601 Americans died of Covid.
“The World Health Organization estimates that 290,000 to 650,000 people die of flu-related causes every year worldwide.” – Johns Hopkins Medicine, February 23, 2022
Since January 2020, 6,284,277 people have died of Covid worldwide.
Covid is somewhat the reverse of the flu. With the flu, children are the most likely to be infected and people 65 and older are the least likely to be infected; and the flu is more severe in children than in the elderly.
Plus, there are four FDA-approved antiviral drugs for treating flu infections.
In 2020, Covid had a death rate of 85 per 100,000 compared to 12.3 deaths per 100,000 from the flu.
Do the math. The Covid death rate was roughly 7 times higher.
BTW, I posted links to validate all the above info, but the post was blocked so I deleted the links.
The main difference, is that most outbreaks, people feel horrible and don’t get out. The flu for instance.
This allows a flu to not spread as easily. For some covid, they are asymptomatic and carry on and continue to pass it on. I dont understand why there is even a need for me to type what is common knowledge among the mainstream . You can disbelieve, but still understand the others side.
No offense, but I’ll trust the info from educated, experienced professionals more than a post from a layman speculating on a baseball message board. Wouldn’t you?
Nearly 7,000,000 deaths worldwide, Dr. High, Medicine Woman.
Many people simply don’t care anymore if they get it, because they view it as just a “bad cold” now … which it is for some people, but not for all.
Most people who get it are just plain careless, and some teams just aren’t taking it seriously.
They might not care, but they still can pass it on to people who do care, including the immunocompromised for whom it can be a death sentence.
Of course. I’m not supporting their position, I’m just explaining it.
FWIW – I’m somewhat of a germaphobe who has always taken more precautions than most to avoid viruses, since long before Covid.
Might as well. It’s your health, right? There’s better things to gamble with.
Exactly. And why deal with a severe cold if you don’t have to? I can’t stand that feeling of being so congested that I can’t breathe through my nose, or the inevitable coughing fits.
They should have to forfeit if they can’t field a team
They should have to play shorthanded
They can field a team, it’s the coaches they’re short.
Can they stop testing for this already. Nobody cares anymore. We realized it’s pointless and not a dangerous disease. My god. Meanwhile ballparks serve alcohol and have smoking sections and serve extremely fatty food, so let’s not pretend any of this is health motivated lol
“We realized it’s pointless and not a dangerous disease.”
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/social-media/mm7117e1_ProvisionalMortalityData_IMAGE_22April2022_1200x675-medium.jpg?_=73278
This said as America recognizes a million dead today and another 10 million or more dead over seas. Not a dangerous disease? Millions dead and their loved ones may disagree. But then, what do I know? I’m just a critical care nurse.
Really, Are you sure thats what 1,000,000 people died from? Do you have any proof other than your a critical care nurse. But if thats what you believe, then I have a bridge to sell you.
Don’t believe this nurse? Look at EVERY PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD you numbskull.
Great, the richtard is out to trash yet another thread with her nonsense.
And you diss me for making assumptions and hiding behind a computer screen when continue to assume I’m a woman. Or is it just that you’re misogynist?
Obviously your comprehension is a bit off. I’ve made no comments that would infer I would be misogynistic, I have not against women and just stated that it’s obvious you’re not a man.
There you go making assumptions again! Also trying to portray yourself as being holier-than-thou while calling me “richtard”
Not holier than though, but here in a baseball comment section to discuss the topic at hand while you’re here to push your political agenda. You a Cleveland or Chisox fan? It’s hard to tell when you’ve provided nothing but Biden/Fauci fanboy comments.
I haven’t said a damn thing about either of those guys. I provided facts about the pandemic that you ignore and dismiss as “fanboying.” Right wingers comment on EVERY thread about COVID with “it’s over” or “get over it” when a team takes any action regarding this illness. Invariably, they are the first ones in and sane, rational people like Fink and others push back because your lunacy cannot stand. If anyone comes to a baseball comment section to push a political agenda, it is the right 99% of the time.
Exactly, in a thread about Cleveland and Chicago getting their baseball game canceled you provided ZERO commentary related to that in your dozens of posts. Take your political banter clown show somewhere else while the grown ups discuss baseball.
Oh ok so the people who comment on a baseball game that “COVID is over” and such bs are grownups, but the people who disagree with you aren’t. Got it Polish.
Comments like those of Wow show the ignorance of so many people and why it has claimed a million American lives- shame it’s gotten so many innocent people. If the ignorant get it at this point well you can lead a horse to water.
We found the one person on the planet who didn’t know a person who died from this “not a dangerous disease.”
Sadly, 7 people thus far have given this a thumbs up. Frightening.
Unfortunately the conspiracy crowd have been emboldened to come ” out” of the woodwork and spread their misinformation and then there are the gullible anti everything crowd who lap this up as gospel online , combined we have a sad state of collective intellect . Alberta Canada, a very Conservative province has published information broken down by Vaccine status, Hospital /ICU/Death and age and all tables point to the extremely high risk of the unvaccinated across all age groups compared to the vaccinated ( especially the boosted ) yet many in that province still are anti-vax . Seems people more apt to follow that hydrosonic missile guy and his ilk. Perception over reality and all that garbage.
Narcissism and willful ignorance at its best.
Lol if you believe Covid is dangerous and you believe whatever the cdc and pharmacy companies and celeb politicians are pushing you are a moron. Look at who’s invested in these companies, look at flu numbers disappearing
This from a guy who believes that COVID is a hoax probably because he listens to cable news personalities and randos on the internet. Ex. A: cognitive dissonance.
The richtard trashing threads and making friends again…
What ballpark has a smoking section lmao?
Also you can go to a game and not drink. A lot easier to do that than avoid the ‘vid.
Nice try at your comparisons little guy.
Guardian down.
Remote coaching. Zoom call to the dugout.
Does tbis mean Willis gets extra mound visits as both the pitching coach and the manager?
Deduct seven wins from the *SPIDERS record immediately. Also, relocate the team to Louisville.
You want to take away seven of their 20 wins? Haven’t they suffered enough?
“The worst record in league history belongs to the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who had a .130 winning percentage with their 20-134 record.”
It’s been 123 years. I think it’s time for the city to move on.
respectfully, so should you
Louisville is severely underrepresented in the four major sports.
i mean they aren’t and shouldn’t be the Spiders though.
Aren’t you the one who’s not moving on if you want them to be called the Spiders again?
It’s a different franchise. It would just be the same name. It’s not uncommon. The Washington Senators became the Minnesota Twins and then a new Washington Senators franchise was created. They are now the Texas Rangers. The New York Yankees were originally the Baltimore Orioles. The current Baltimore Orioles were originally the Milwaukee Brewers.
Why would any ballplayer want to be associated with a team with the record for losses in a season?
Does Portland OR get a team in your hypothetical 48 team MLB? Just curious
Really hope Tito is OK. He’s had health issue. Alomar is no youngster, either.
Yeah, Tito has had numerous health scares the past few years, was hoping he’d get it all back together with his time off, but it doesn’t appear so. From most accounts he doesn’t take great care of himself. Sandy might not be young, but I understand he does exercise and keep himself fit.
I hope everyone feels better and gets well soon.
Chief Wahoo strikes again.
I’ll never understand how all you immature children get pulled into what equates to “yelling at the sun” trying to convince complete strangers to take your side on the COVID topic. This is a baseball site, act like it.
Easy to say with some topics, but everyone knows someone who has died from COVID by this point. That makes it really, really emotional for a lot of people.
I don’t.
Good for you.
What an asinine thing to say, trying to minimiz ethe pain of families of over 1m Americans who died of COVID.
Dying thanks to Sleepy Joe and the party of science, no wonder they no longer run the death total tracker on tv.
You want to ignore the reality that COVID deaths plateaued in 2021, fine! Doesn’t make it false. It’s fact. Read it and weep.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/
You probably don’t know how to read a graph anyway. You strike me as someone who failed Algebra 1.
You wanna ignore that so few vaccinated people compared to unvaccinated die of COVID that it’s barely even tracked fine! Thanks to the mandates, people survived, especially in our nation’s military.
And the Queen of condescending at it again. So few vaccinated died? That’s odd, the talking heads from the party of science told us none would die if you took the jabs you were forced to take, yet somehow they keep firing under Sleepy Joe’s watch. If this is Build Back Better, we’re all doomed.
You comment on everything I say calling me a queen or r*tard. You’re obsessed with a stranger from the internet, it’s creepy.
Ask your doctor about this. That’s what the Dems did. Compare the death rate among the vaccinated to the death rate among the unvaccinated: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/united-states-rates-of-covid-19-deaths-by-vaccination-status?country=~All+ages
At a minimum, you are 8 times more likely to die of COVID without a shot than with one. Look how much worse it got. You continue to ignore these basic facts. Let me guess, you’ll dismiss them as “lib propaganda” or some such nonsense now.
It’s not the president’s fault people are dying of COVID when they can get vaccinated against it.
@Polish Hammer: You evidently think the biggest insult you can hurl is to call someone female. That tells us what your problem is.
I’m haven’t made any disparaging comments about women. Merely addressing somebody’s femininity is not insulting females, but keep trying.
Pul-leeeze. Calling someone a sissy is definitely disparaging women and a classic line of toxic masculinity.
You’re right, because most are more man than you soy boy.
Wait now you can’t figure out what gender I am? Lmao you’re so confused Hammer, stop drinking all that Monster. Your mom will have your spaghetti Os ready soon, once your xbox live session is over.
It’s the ultimate sign of a fragile, insecure man that they resort to questioning others’ masculinity. Projection!
Which side are you talking about? The first post opining about Covid policy was this one:
The Baseball Fan (Doesn’t like the Cubs)4 hours ago
Move on
This was the second one:
Highest IQ4 hours ago
This has gotta stop.
^Facts. These arguments are always started by the science deniers.
Both.
So it’s contagious, sounds like any other “cold”.
People normally don’t die from a cold. They don’t even go to the hospital, and most don’t even take a day off from work.
Wow this cold killed a lot of people huh
Is this true or are the coaches just looking for a vacation from Cleveland…..can’t claim them.
Who drank Jobu’s rum?
I had a sip sorry guys
I said it a while back. You guys should just close the comment section for anything Covid related. Some here simply don’t know how to have a civil discussion on it.
Can you all just go to crying “sTiLL TeH I nDiaNS”, so we can mock you?