A Grip on Sports: Mariners will make their first pitch toward the future tonight in Houston
A GRIP ON SPORTS • The last time we watched a baseball game on TV, one that counted anyway, the Washington Nationals were winning their first World Series. That seems so long ago, we had these flashbacks to Walter Johnson pitching for Washington. Turns out it was Max Scherzer both times.
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• We really didn’t watch much of the Nationals loss to the Yankees last night. Just enough to wash the memory of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s first pitch out of our mind. I will say this: It’s obvious the guy has been too busy to practice. We’re grateful for that. Anyhow, the game never finished, though it will go into the standings as a New York win. The thunderstorm that rolled through D.C. was the real winner.
By the time the game was called, we were knee deep in the best rivalry in baseball, the Giants and the Dodgers.
Let’s stop a second. Here we are, 100 words into this morning’s column and all we’ve covered is sports. Baseball, to be precise. And by covered, we mean talked about, not something you do with a mask. Rivalries, rain delays, first pitches. Baseball stuff. How cool is that?
Oh, sure, the cardboard cutouts instead of fans were weird. The piped-in crowd noise seemed off. But between the lines there were good plays and bad plays, smart plays and dumb plays, bunts and home runs, strike outs and walks. Baseball. It may not hold the place in our nation’s heart it did the last time a pandemic swept through, but it is still one of the big three sports. And it was being played.
Whether it should be is another question. The news out of the DMV about Juan Soto before the Nats’ game brought that into focus once again. But putting that aside, for the average fan, just having a game on the TV while the hot July night cooled down was special.
It made the day a bit more “normal.”
• You want to know what’s not normal? Having three baseball columns in one newspaper on one day. But that’s what the S-R presented this morning. And this guy got to be part of it.
With the Mariners opening their season this evening in Houston, home of the trash-can-bashing Astros, S-R sports editor Ralph Walter decided to throw caution to the wind and allow three old guys – sorry, Dave, to lump you in that group – to voice their opinions on the upcoming season. It probably would have been safer for Ralph to walk through downtown Houston tonight without a mask, but he decided to risk allowing us to share our thoughts.
Dave Nichols, who also wrote about former Gonzaga star Marco Gonzales looking forward to starting tonight’s game, focused on the M’s future. Gene Warnick, who has been following the team, seemingly, since before it was a team, rails against the idea of playing at all. And myself? Well, we indulged in a little fanciful thinking. Hey, we are always optimistic, right?
• The other big news yesterday concerned Pac-12 football. The San Jose Mercury News’ Jon Wilner tapped his conference sources to let us all know the league would announce a 10-game schedule soon. Each school will have five home and five away games. There will be time built in case of problems, with the conference title game set for one of three weekends in December.
It seems to be the best the conference can do.
But will it matter? Washington State announced yesterday it would go to an almost-complete online fall semester due to the pandemic, with students on campus only in a limited manner. A release later from athletic director Pat Chun seemed to indicate athletes are part of that limited group.
The decision would seem to make it easier to hold, say, football in Pullman, as the lack of other students should limit players’ exposure opportunities. But it also begs the question about safety, and why is it safe for athletes when it isn’t for others.
In WSU’s case, degrees are important. Not in the academic sense but in the levels one. Pullman is a small town when the students aren’t there. Actually, it’s a special small town in that case, one with an infrastructure built for 30,000 but only accessed by about 10,000 during non-school times. However, like most every smaller town in America, the medical facilities aren’t equipped to handle the possibility of a huge COVID-19 outbreak. If the virus raged through the school, it would quickly overpower the limited resources.
What with Spokane’s more-robust reserves already becoming strained – and they are, with a worse August in the forecast – a general surge would be hard to deal without that backup (and more) available.
A smaller population on campus means a smaller flood of patients, if the worst happens. And a better chance to keep the virus under control.
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WSU: We have links, yes we do. Theo Lawson covers the Pac-12 football news. … Theo also talks with Larry Weir for the latest Press Box podcast. … Chad Sokol covers the school’s decision to move to a more online-based fall model. … Around the Pac-12 and college sports, the schedule plans seem to be front and center just about everywhere. … The premium nonconference college football matchups won’t be played this season if fans are not allowed. … And some players, including one from Stanford, may not play because the NCAA doesn’t have its act together. … A former Oregon quarterback is still racking up awards. … A former USC signee wants to attend Washington instead. … Arizona State had one heck of a productive day with commitments. … In basketball news, Colorado is back on the hardwood. … Arizona’s newest assistant is making pretty good money.
Gonzaga: Anton Watson and Jim Meehan spoke together yesterday, the GU player and our beat writer conversing on a Virtual Northwest Passages Forum yesterday. You can read Jim’s story about the conversation and/or watch it in its entirety. … There is speculation the Warriors will pursue Kelly Olynyk in the offseason. That would be fun.
EWU and Idaho: The Big Sky Conference’s first of two virtual media days occurred yesterday. Ryan Collingwood listened in and has this story on what Eastern’s Aaron Best and Idaho’s Paul Petrino had to say. … Around the Big Sky, the preseason polls were released yesterday. Weber State is the favorite again. … Montana was picked to finish second. … Once again, UC Davis is picked to finish in the middle of the pack. The Aggies have surprised before. So has Northern Arizona. … Montana State’s season may not be determined on the field. … The team expected to finish last? Northern Colorado. … Portland State and other smaller schools have seen their recruiting change. … Some folks believe it would be better to play football in the spring. … In basketball news, an incoming Montana transfer is eligible to play this year. … Northern Colorado is not dropping baseball, but switching leagues instead.
Mariners: Besides all the items we shared from the S-R this morning, there is more available for the M’s opening day. … Maybe my Mariner fantasy isn’t all that weird after all. … The roster is loaded with youngsters. … There is hope. … Every position group has its pluses and minuses. …Yes, Gonzales is the M’s ace. …The playoffs this season will feature eight teams from each league. That’s a large increase.
Seahawks: Hey, the roster countdown continues.
Sounders: Seattle’s first knockout-round opponent is set. It is LAFC. … Portland drew with LAFC yesterday and won its group.
Kraken: Yes, we get to put a name to the Seattle hockey section. The team announced its moniker yesterday and what seemed to be the fan favorite won out (or maybe not). If you don’t like the name, you have to admit the logo is pretty cool.
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• My plan for this evening is simple. Watch some of the M’s game. Listen to some of the M’s game. Hope the M’s game finishes before I collapse into the sack. It’s the same plan I’ve had with baseball for a few years now. Until later …