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Hello and happy Thursday everyone.
The 2020 MLB season is off and running, with only a few minor hiccups, and by “minor” I of course mean “not at all minor.”
In an attempt to keep the season going despite the Miami Marlins coronavirus outbreak, the union is reportedly asking players to consider some minor rules adjustments to help increase safety and keep games playable. Among the proposals are a drop to seven innings on one or both ends of a doubleheader, and keeping the 30-man active roster beyond the initial two-week period.
Sources: Union is asking players to consider rules adjustments to maximize their health, according to a memo sent today. On doubleheaders, consideration is a 9-inning & 7-inning game or two 7-inning games. On rosters, question is whether to extend 30-man limit for additional time
— Britt Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) July 29, 2020
At this point, everything is so abnormal that I’m having a hard time even having a reaction to this.
Did Barry Bonds hit a home run today?
Well obviously.
July 30, 1993: Against the Colorado Rockies, Bonds hit a pair of home runs. A solo shot in the 3rd inning off of Greg Harris gave the Giants a 3-0 lead, and a 2-run blast in the 7th inning off of Curt Leskanic scored Matt Williams and gave them an 8-4 lead. They would win 10-4. They were his 30th and 31st homers of the year.
July 30, 1999: Against the Cincinnati Reds, Bonds hit a pair of solo home runs off of Denny Neagle. A 2nd-inning blast cut the Giants deficit to 4-1, a 4th-inning shot cut it to 6-3, and they would lose 7-4. They were his 11th and 12th homers of the year.
July 30, 2004: Against the St. Louis Cardinals, Bonds hit a 2-run home run in the 1st inning off of Chris Carpenter, scoring J.T. Snow. It gave the Giants a 3-0 lead, but they would lose 7-4. It was his 27th homer of the year.
Giants links
- Roger Munter tries to figure out who might be on the next good Giants team (There R Giants)
- Grant Brisbee on how Giants baseball is the same, for better and for worse (The Athletic, subscription required)
- Alex Pavlovic on Kai Correa’s role in Spring Training and Summer Camp (NBC Sports Bay Area)
- Mark W. Sanchez on the good and the bad from Jeff Samardzija’s debut (KNBR)
- Andrew Baggarly on the weirdness of the home opener (The Athletic, subscription required)
- Craig Edwards on how pitchers are ahead of batters (Fangraphs)
- Brian Witt on the improvement that Chadwick Tromp made to get to the majors (NBC Sports Bay Area)
Have a wonderful Thursday, everybody.