One player on all 30 MLB teams we should appreciate more when baseball resumes
From stars we're often too hard on to veterans we don't talk about enough, baseball's extended hiatus is a good reminder to give these guys some more love this season.
From stars we're often too hard on to veterans we don't talk about enough, baseball's extended hiatus is a good reminder to give these guys some more love this season.
VIDEO: The New York Yankees are providing daily bags of freshly prepared food and water to their quarantined and self-quarantined minor-league players.
Aaron Boone said on MLB Network Radio that he's leaving Tampa in the next day or two to be with his family: “I have four kids from high school down to elementary school. They started those online, away from school classes. I'm going back to be part of that and hopefully I can contribute and lighten the load and be a part of helping the community out in a way just by being there for my kids right now. That's obviously one of the most important things.”
Aaron Boone on MLB Network Radio: “They're going to want to try to get in as many games as possible, so it's going to tack on to the end of the season. The season is going to carry on longer, so you're going to potentially be in warm weather spots or domed situations. That may lend itself to some neutral site situations. This is an opportunity to be creative; maybe at the end of it all we'll get to look at it and say, ‘Hey, this worked, this is something we'd like to implement moving forward.
VIDEO: Certainly not "business as usual" at the Yankees minor league complex, after a Yankees minor leaguer became the first baseball player to test positive for coronavirus. The Yankees minor league complex will be shut down until March 25th, under the directive of the Department of Health.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman on whether players voiced concerns or changed their minds about staying together, as they did before after a minor-league player tested positive for coronavirus: "No, players didn't voice anything ... it was new information that you have to allow our players to process. There's also new guidelines that have been handed down. You have to give them the opportunity to process that information and make the best decisions on an individual basis."
Yankees GM Brian Cashman says that after they had a minor-leaguer test positive for coronavirus, who he stated did not have interaction with the major league team, they are taking direction from the Florida Department of Health, under the leadership of Dr. Doug Holt. The Yankees minor league facility will be closed until March 25th.
VIDEO: Masahiro Tanaka talks about how he's approaching his preparation during this uncertain time, particularly not knowing when pre-season workouts will resume.
A New York Yankees minor league player has tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the first known baseball player affected by the outbreak, the team confirmed.
Per the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which protects sensitive patient health information, Yankees are not naming the minor-league player that tested positive for coronavirus.
Yankees spokesperson insists that the minor leaguer that tested positive for coronavirus did not have any contact with the major-league team, or any of the staff, and that he's never been at Steinbrenner Field.
A manager just told me that MLB and the MLBPA have a meeting scheduled for today where guidelines will be clarified, but spring training complexes are not expected to fully shut down, and should have minimal staff to handle player needs on an individual basis.
A player told me they've been informed that teams will be ending organized workouts, but they can still work out individually.
Carlos Mendoza on spring training being suspended and Yankees just having optional workouts: "Pretty weird. It's pretty strange, obviously a difficult situation but we're trying our best to do what we can.We'll see where this situation will take us because every day it looks like it changes so who knows what's going to happen. But as of right now we're here for them."
Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza on the Yankees workout today: "Large group of players showed up today and we were to do defensive work, infield work, guys hit indoors, pitchers played catch. We'll continue to do that. Pretty much all of the infielders came out and took ground balls, same thing with the outfielders. Outfielders were out on the main stadium and did defensive work, and they hit inside."
MLB makes it official, announcing that Spring Training camps will be suspended, effective immediately. Players can elect to return home, remain in their Spring Training cities, or return to their Club's home city. “This step is in the best interests of players, employees and the communities who host Spring Training. MLB will continue to monitor ongoing events and undertake the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts.”
Yankees spokesperson says that since workouts will be optional, and media relations staff will head back to New York, facilities will not be open to the media. Players can choose (of course) to speak to media freely outside their spring training complex.
Yankees reliever Zack Britton told reporters that players voted unanimously to stay in Tampa for workouts.
The New York Yankees will be holding a conference call at 5:30pm with GM Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone.
Many of the players that I have spoken to believe that the 2020 MLB season will not start until at least the month of May.
One player told me that in his particular team most players wanted to stay in camp, which is the team's preference, but that a small minority wanted to, understandably, head home to be with their families. due to the national emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic.
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 14 | 5 | .737 | - | W3 |
| Miami | 12 | 6 | .667 | 1.5 | L1 |
| Toronto | 12 | 6 | .667 | 1.5 | W6 |
| New York | 11 | 8 | .579 | 3 | W1 |
| Baltimore | 9 | 7 | .563 | 3.5 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay | 9 | 8 | .529 | 4 | L3 |
| St. Louis | 10 | 9 | .526 | 4 | W1 |
| Boston | 9 | 10 | .474 | 5 | W5 |
| Detroit | 8 | 9 | .471 | 5 | L1 |
| New York | 8 | 9 | .471 | 5 | W3 |
| Minnesota | 7 | 8 | .467 | 5 | L4 |
| Atlanta | 8 | 11 | .421 | 6 | W2 |
| Houston | 7 | 11 | .389 | 6.5 | L2 |
| Washington | 6 | 11 | .353 | 7 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh | 3 | 15 | .167 | 10.5 | L4 |



