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The COVID-19 Thread - Discussion & Cancellations


The Man in Blue
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Imagine if umpires acted the way too many people are acting in response to this pandemic:

*Illegal equipment, we don’t care if that loaded bat could kill the pitcher.  In fact, catchers and batters shouldn’t have to wear safety gear either.  That stuff is uncomfortable and I really can’t tell them what to do.

*Coach, I know the throw beat their runner by 6 feet, but, what do you want me to do about it?  Rule book?!  That’s just Little League trying to turn us all into communist soccer-playing jellyfish.

*Yes, yes, Coach.  He did hit the ball well over the centerfield fence.  Had to have cleared it by 80  least.  Best hit I may have ever seen.  But the defense has rights too, so we are going to call him out anyway.

*TIME!  No, Coach.  I read on the internet that balks are a myth propagated by the leftist sports broadcasting companies.  We aren’t calling those either.  

*No, no, I am sure that is NOT what the rulebook says.  I don’t care what scholars, rule interpretations, or the guy who wrote the book says.  I have been calling t-ball games for 2 months now, I am just as qualified as they are.

*Sorry Coach, strikeouts are fascist.  We are only playing ground balls today, that’s more democratic.  Ask Crash Davis.

*The best batters in MLB only reach base around 30% of the time anyway, so let’s just call them all out.  Makes things more convenient for me.

*Look Coach, I have told you.  Now I am warning you.  I know you saw an 20-year MLB umpire (who has worked several World Series) make that same call last night.  But I told you, he was wrong once — had a replay overturned on NATIONAL TELEVISION.  Never ever listen to that guy again.  He is obviously incompetent.

*Anybody who wants a trophy can get a trophy, any time.

*Yes, I paid my registration fees to USSSA so I can work games this year.  Can I just get my game check now?  What?!  What?!  No money to pay me because USSSA got it first?!  This game is rigged!

 


 

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1 hour ago, Thunderheads said:


Thank you @Thunderheads ... good read.  I would encourage everybody to read the whole thing.  There is plenty in there to read selectively and pick out just to “support your opinion” no matter what your beliefs.  Please, read the whole thing.

The headline is the BEST CASE scenario of FIVE the CDC is working off of now, not their “best estimate” as the article presents repeatedly.  That one is not the most likely and not the only one ... it is the one with the best outcome.  Just saying before people start cherry picking and citing the best or worst in there.

The five scenarios can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/planning-scenarios.html (link is in the article, too)

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20 hours ago, JonnyCat said:

Agree.

 :ranton:

This is a problem I'm runing into on a daily basis. As a contractor, I got to the Depot frequently and I see the exact same thing. Lately, everytime I set foot in the Depot, better than 50% of the people there are not tradesman or contractors. They are just people bored and working on a home project, or wasting time it seems. That's all well and good, but do they need to be there? People are just making excuses to go out and do something. Wal Mart, Home Depot, Target, Grocery Stores, anything that is open are all packed with people that don't necessarily need to be there. So what's the point? People are going out anyway, so you run a risk no matter where you go. Might as well open things up with reasonable precautions. No matter where you go, you're potentially exposing yourself. Unless you decide to hunker down at home, you're putting yourself at risk everytime you go out, and not just for covid.

Bottom line is, you're never going to be able to rely on most other people to make you safe. You must decide what type of precautions you are going to take, and assess your own risk/rewards.

I can't rely on dipsh!ts to wear masks and try to take necessary precautions such as washing their hands and staying home when sick. No more that I can expect someone to not drink and drive, or not to do other illegal things that may put me or my family at risk every day. All I can do is take reasonable precautions and measures to try and make myself safe. May not happen, not just with covid, but what else can you do?

We can sit here and bloviate all day long about what people should do. But the reality is, I have, and always had very little control over what other people do. No one is going to protect me more than myself. I will always be as safe as I can and accept the risk/rewards on my own volition.

So stay home, go out, do whatever you want. But don't expect people to do the right thing and don't act incredulous when they don't. People have been screwing up since the beginning of civilization, and don't expect it to change anytime soon.

Protect yourself and your family as best as you can. In all practicality, what else can you do? :rantoff:

Why do you think your work is more important than the work of a someone doing a project themselves?  Do YOU need to be there?  I'm tired of people and the government deciding what THEY do is more important than what everyone else does.  No one can decide that (not correctly anyway) except for each individual.  First off, there's no way you know why all those people are at Home Depot, and secondly, no one should have to justify it to anyone else.  Everyone's business is essential to that person.  The fact that the government has gotten into the business of saying one store is "essential" when another doing almost/exactly the same thing isn't is ridiculous.    Rant off for me now too. :)

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7 hours ago, Rock Bottom said:

Why do you think your work is more important than the work of a someone doing a project themselves?  Do YOU need to be there?  I'm tired of people and the government deciding what THEY do is more important than what everyone else does.  No one can decide that (not correctly anyway) except for each individual.  First off, there's no way you know why all those people are at Home Depot, and secondly, no one should have to justify it to anyone else.  Everyone's business is essential to that person.  The fact that the government has gotten into the business of saying one store is "essential" when another doing almost/exactly the same thing isn't is ridiculous.    Rant off for me now too. :)

Could you have missed my point any more? As a CONTRACTOR, deemed essential by my state, yes I need to be at the Home Depot. THEY are also causing a supply chain issue as well. I'm talking about the kind of people hoarding toilet paper and ordering a bunch of useless SH*# on Amazon or whatever. These are the same ones that could care less about following the guidelines. I don't give a crap about what anyone thinks, I know what I see and experience at the Depot on a daily basis. So unless you're in my shoes, STFU!

The point is, if you don't need to be out, stay at home! That's what they want us to do. Correct? Buying potting soil for some flower garden is not essential. If people are not going to follow the directives of the state, which are only go out for absolute essentials, then what's the point of restrictions? You might as well just open everything up and let people figure it out on their own.

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Ventured into a Home Depot yesterday ... won't go back, so you don't have to worry about me clogging up your aisles @JonnyCat.  Too many people without masks and HD didn't care.  I did watch a tough-guy contractor berating the poor kid up front because the carts were outside and the contractor felt the kid should go retrieve one for him so he didn't have to walk back out.  It was hot out.

I'll be going back to Menards where they won't let you in without a face mask.  I have dropped way too much money the last few months on those "non-essential" home repairs and improvements (98% of it at Menards, so I am voting with my wallet).  Or are they essential if I have a contractor do them?  I can't even keep track of this stuff anymore.

Is growing vegetables essential?  It would help keep me home and out of the stores (albeit a little way down the timeline).  Or am I hurting the farmers who are throwing away produce if I do that?

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16 hours ago, JonnyCat said:

Could you have missed my point any more? As a CONTRACTOR, deemed essential by my state, yes I need to be at the Home Depot. THEY are also causing a supply chain issue as well. I'm talking about the kind of people hoarding toilet paper and ordering a bunch of useless SH*# on Amazon or whatever. These are the same ones that could care less about following the guidelines. I don't give a crap about what anyone thinks, I know what I see and experience at the Depot on a daily basis. So unless you're in my shoes, STFU!

The point is, if you don't need to be out, stay at home! That's what they want us to do. Correct? Buying potting soil for some flower garden is not essential. If people are not going to follow the directives of the state, which are only go out for absolute essentials, then what's the point of restrictions? You might as well just open everything up and let people figure it out on their own.

You're a piece of work.  You state you are in "rant on" mode, and now you're telling me to STFU because I disagree with you?? Could you miss MY point any more???  I don''t care that the government said your work is essential - the government has applied no logic to these determinations in many states (for example, in Illinois pot stores are deemed essential, when they were just "legalized" - under state law, not federal - 4 months before).  Define "need to be out."  Maybe those people at Home Depot look at you and say YOU don't need to be out.  The states have NOT limited business to only "absolute essentials," so the point to the restriction is ridiculous.  For example, in Michigan you can go out on a row boat but now a power boat - pure moronity.  I agree - we SHOULD open up everything.  No one is ever in anyone's exact same shoes.  You're incredibly rude - look in the mirror when you tell people what to do.  

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Hey now -- essential means "generating sales tax revenue for the state of Illinois".  Newly legalized recreational pot while people are trapped at home and coping is necessary!  :P

 

Kind of like how the Springfield mayor authorized restaurants to sell take-out liquor with food -- after a few weeks and seeing sales tax not being generated.

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1 hour ago, The Man in Blue said:

Yeah man, smoke a legal one and chill out!  :P

Yeah, I can do that anywhere across the country here.   There's a pot shop at the corner, right next to my favourite Shawarma place.

The thing is, a couple of weeks ago I decided to try an edible...bought a chocolate bar with 10 mg of THC and it didn't do a damned thing for me...it was just a $7 chocolate bar.   May have to upgrade to heroin.

I will say though, the roll-on CBD treatment works wonders when my gout flares up - I've stopped taking the pharmaceuticals for it.

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2 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

@Rock Bottom and @JonnyCat .... both of ya .....take a breath .....cool down please.   This whole friggin thing has everyone uptight at times ..... we need civility, and I can count on both of you to keep it that way :nod: 

My apologies to both of you! 

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18 hours ago, Matt said:

I just tried that--didn't seem to work for me.

That's too bad - I know it's been hit and miss for people.  Luckily it worked for me (in this case anyway) - those anti-inflammatory meds for gout were pretty potent (they worked too, but given the choice between the two working solutions i don't think it's a choice at all). 

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Well, for better or worse, baseball is opening back up around us with a bang.  My son is driving about 4 hours west to work a three day "showcase" this weekend in Sterlington, LA. I guess at this point with everything going on social distancing is pretty much out the window--or that's at least what I see on the news every day/night.

Not sure what "rules" are in effect but I'll find out once he gets there.

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I think my two cents of now. I think it was wise to keep caution, but I believe that most of the dangers exist indoors, and in crowded spaces. I think that it's safer to be outdoors, and I don't think there's much risk for an umpire getting sick in the outdoor heat, or infecting others. I'd be okay umpiring, I think. 

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On 6/6/2020 at 5:00 PM, TheRockawayKid said:

I think my two cents of now. I think it was wise to keep caution, but I believe that most of the dangers exist indoors, and in crowded spaces. I think that it's safer to be outdoors, and I don't think there's much risk for an umpire getting sick in the outdoor heat, or infecting others. I'd be okay umpiring, I think. 

It's safer, but the heat has nothing to do with it (just ask Brazil).   Outdoors there's less common surface area to touch, and less objects to share, but it's something to be aware of.  If you're wearing a mask, keeping your distance and constantly sanitizing your hands it's easier to avoid spreading or catching it outdoors vs indoors, but there are things to avoid or be wary, especially with objects that are touched by multiple people.

In our area we've had a couple of minor incidents where at least ten people got infected over two different backyard gatherings.   They followed most of the rules, kept their distance, stayed outdoors,  but something as simple as using a shared mustard bottle or a serving spoon, or passing a can of beer to someone, allowed one person to infect five or six other people, outdoors, in the course of one (warm and sunny) afternoon....and it happened at two different locations, with two different sets of people.

This is why golf courses are opening with no rakes in sand traps and no one touches the pins.

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On 6/6/2020 at 6:00 PM, TheRockawayKid said:

I'd be okay umpiring, I think.

I have been. I went from no games since March to 4 doubleheaders in 5 days this past week. The counties I've been in have lifted all restrictions based on the spread of the infection (could be changed on a moment's notice). And I've been told that if anybody participating in any of the games tests positive, everybody on both teams and all umpires are expected to self-quarantine for 14 days.

I can live with that.

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  • 1 month later...

Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) pulled the plug on all fall sports yesterday.  No intent to reschedule or push to spring.

http://iesa.org

We know that there will be many people within the school system who will applaud this decision and there will be many who will be strongly opposed. At the forefront of the Board decision is that the activities must be conducted within the current limitations that have been placed on the schools by the IDPH. In particular, the mandate that there can be no physical contact between athletes and that students must be socially distanced (6 ft. of separation) makes the administration and conduct of games and contests very difficult and in some cases impossible to adhere to the mandates. While there are plenty of youth league baseball and softball teams playing games and tournaments this summer, many are not adhering to the same stringent guidelines. Because summer leagues and travel ball are taking place, this may make the decision of the IESA Board of Directors seem odd. The difference is that schools will be held to the IDPH mandates and the youth summer contests are not. It would make little sense for IESA to move forward with these activities that would require schools to be in direct conflict with mandates by state agencies that have regulatory control over the schools.

COVID-19 has changed the world. However, this decision is not the end of the world. It is not the news that most students and parents want. At the end of the day, we work with junior high and middle school students. They are not professional athletes; they are not college athletes; they are not high school athletes. They will not be missing out on any college scholarships. These are mainly 12-14 year old kids who likely will have many more opportunities to participate (perhaps even later this school year in other activities). We recognize that athletics play a huge role in the lives of students. Activities, despite their importance in the development of students, can never take precedence over the health and safety of those same students as well as the health and safety of contest officials, game management, and parents/fans who attend contests. The IESA Board of Directors made a difficult decision but in the end they simply felt that there are too many unknowns to proceed safely at this level of play.

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