MLB open thread
Thursday, Apr 2, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Secretary of State Jesse White…
“We have lost an extraordinary person with the passing of Chicago White Sox radio announcer Ed Farmer, and I have lost a dear friend,” said Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. “I was proud to partner with Ed on organ/tissue donation awareness and saw first-hand his passion and commitment to this lifesaving program. As a kidney recipient, he dedicated himself to giving back to the program that extended his life for nearly 30 years. Ed and I worked together to bring White Sox players to the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago where they signed autographs, educated the public and most importantly registered people for the state’s organ/tissue donor program. Ed was a hero. My deepest sympathy to the Farmer Family, his White Sox Family and Ed’s many friends and fans.”
The Secretary said it all there. Rest in peace, Ed.
Now, let’s talk baseball and get our minds off the horrors around us.
- L.A. - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:03 am:
If and when MLB returns, won’t there have to be another ’spring training’ period?
They can’t just say, ok, June 1st (arbitrary date) is opening day, have at it.
- North Park - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:05 am:
I was late to the last MLB thread, so in case you missed my comment there, what’s been saving my sanity is MLB.tv making available the last two years of baseball in their archive. Pick the alternate audio stream of “Park”, and you’ll get the game without the announcers. Just the sounds of the crowd and the crack of the bat.
- City Zen - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:08 am:
A true South Sider from Evergreen Park. I’ll miss his voice.
Fun fact: Ed was the Sox only All-Star representative in 1980 ASG. 4 of the 5 pitchers for the AL that year were current/former WS pitchers.
- "Old Timer Dem" - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:12 am:
RIP Ed. A St. Rita legend!
- Notorious RBG - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:16 am:
When I was growing up, my dad would turn the sound down on the TV and the radio up, so we could listen to Ed call the games. I would do the same as an adult. So sad.
- Six Feet of Separation (temporary name) - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:16 am:
L.A. - I’m thinking most all of the month of June as “spring” training, after all, summer doesn’t officially start until the 20th. And a 60 to 75 game season seems about the most they would reasonably want to stretch it, unless they are willing to move the WS to a warm weather neutral site or risk playing in the snow with an orange ball.
- rutro - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:16 am:
I really liked farmer, seemed like a great person, but he was not a good radio announcer.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:16 am:
First, rest in peace, Ed.
As a Cubs fan, continual, (not annual given the last 3 years, including this year) opening day patron, of pains me to say that White Sox fans probably have far more disappointment with no baseball right now than I do.
Upbeat? Here’s that rub…
The ball club on the south side, they are primed to have a great season once play begins. The youth and skill, and “some” pitching, it’s going to be a challenge for any club to take two of three from this White Sox ball club.
Plus, like any young club they got beat badly for a couple lean years, you know in that clubhouse there’s hunger to win.
Stay positive, White Sox fans, that club that will eventually take the field will be tough, very good, and a lot of fun to watch.
Me? I don’t have the Marquee Network, so there’s that.
- Six Feet of Separation (temporary name) - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:17 am:
And yes, Ed Farmer was a class act and knowledgeable announcer. RIP.
- Cool Papa Bell - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:20 am:
Cubs facing big choices after maybe a 64 game season this year. Service time is going to be counted this year for players like Bryant, Baez and Schwarber.
And if you love baseball, The Athletic, has excellent coverage still. And Joe Posnanski’s series on the top 100 players of all time has been excellent.
- Big Jer - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:21 am:
R.I.P. Farmio
For many men, and some women, their lives revolve around Sports, Family, Work, and Sex. With two of the four on hold for awhile I am predicting a mini baby boom at the end of the year.
I miss MLB! I miss MLB!
- Red Ketcher - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:24 am:
July 31 , 1972 Dick Allen , then with White Sox hit Two(2) Inside The Park Home Runs in Same Game in Minn off Same Pitcher - Bert B….
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:28 am:
Farmio was a great announcer and person. RIP. I hope they get the games up on TV even if they broadcast from an empty stadium as soon as they can. There ain’t nothing to do anymore, and baseball would really help pass the time.
- Stu - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:29 am:
===Just the sounds of the crowd and the crack of the bat===
Thank you North Park! That is a great feature.
- Steve Rogers - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:38 am:
I wonder if the Houston Astros are the only team happy about delaying the beginning of the season?
- Pundent - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:41 am:
=If and when MLB returns, won’t there have to be another ’spring training’ period?=
Players would tell you that they don’t need a month of spring training. It’s a vestige of years ago when players like Wilbur Wood would show-up with the off-season beer gut. Today players are conditioning year round. Most rosters are largely set prior to camp as well. I suspect there would be some sort of training period but you probably won’t see non-roster invitees or prospects participating. You could probably run the whole thing in two weeks or less.
- Stones - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:42 am:
This season I’ve been more optimistic about the White Sox than I have been in years. Figures this happens. Reminds me of the strike in ‘94.
- ValMacher - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:43 am:
Rest in Peace, Dear Farmio!
He personified the soul of the South Side.
I will never forget “punching him in the grill”.
Radio won’t be the same.
- Eire17 - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 11:46 am:
City Zen—love the shout out for EP! Ed was a great guy and went to young. Also late great White Sox ace Billy Pierce birthday today. Go Sox.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 12:07 pm:
===Players would tell you that they don’t need a month of spring training. ===
Position players would say that. Pitchers wouldn’t, or at least shouldn’t. They need at least a three-week throwing program to ramp up. And realistically, hitters need to face live pitching to get their timing ready.
If and when it gets underway, I’d expect a 3-4 week “spring” training, followed by a truncated schedule, maybe as few as 50 games.
If I were doing it, though, I’d have a one-month season to determine playoff seeds in August, then play an all-teams playoff bracket in September - top team in each league gets a first round bye. 3-game series in round 1, 5-game series in round 2, 7 games for the rest). Keeps all teams alive…for a while
- KeepCalmAndCarryOn - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 12:13 pm:
Can’t believe that the Astros suspensions are going to count whether or not this season happens! Cheaters need to pay.
Also wondering, for Cubs fans, are the chances KB gets traded going up or down?
- Practical Politics - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 12:17 pm:
2020 is going to be the shortest season since player strikes of 1981 and 1994. The 1981 season was partially salvaged, not so in 1994 (Sorry White Sox).
My hope is that MLB uses this crisis as an opportunity to reconsider inter-league play and the restoration of the classic 154 game schedule (to allow more days for the expanded playoffs).
A balanced playing schedule is another wish of mine, but may not be doable.
- Amalia - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 12:18 pm:
Track, wall, (sadly) gone. Miss you Ed.
- Practical Politics - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 12:20 pm:
As an announcer, Farmer was an acquired taste. Over time, I got used to him.
In Chicago, there used to be formulaic traditions when the two teams had bad seasons: the Cubs would fire their managed; the White Sox would change uniform designs and fire radio broadcaster(s).
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 12:25 pm:
The Cubs remain undefeated, so there’s that.
I watched game seven on Marquee earlier this week. I still can’t believe Maddon pulled Kyle Hendricks so early.
- bogey golfer - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 12:27 pm:
I admire his strength in enduring his health issue all these years.
- MakePoliticsCoolAgain - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 12:30 pm:
-The Athletic-
As a subscriber for almost 2 years, The Athletic might have the best journalistic coverage of all things sports in the country.
- Anyone Remember - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 1:02 pm:
MLB had 30 classic games available online (1 for each team) last week for Opening Day. Just checked the link, still working. Even if you root for the “local” team(s), there is … the Red Sox starting the comeback from 3 down in 2004, no-hitters, a perfect game, a Hall of Fame World Series pitching performance. Enjoy!
https://www.mlb.com/news/opening-day-at-home
- Anon edit - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 1:13 pm:
That was me, I meant to say “on California Avenue.”
- Dutch - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 1:25 pm:
Listening to his radio call was like listening to old-time baseball announcing for me. There was a bit of inherent nostalgia in his style.
- Father Ted - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 1:28 pm:
Many never got comfortable with Farmer’s dry sense of humor or digressing from the game to tell a story. For my part, I could not get enough of either one. He could not have been more kind or giving of his time when I’ve met him in person.
- 10th Ward - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 1:34 pm:
had the chance to meet Ed along with DJ at a golf course. Both were friendly and engaging as I interrupted their lunch to say hi. As a fellow Catholic Leaguer from 6410 S. Dante, we each gave our best alums in baseball. Ed was surprised of the name of the Mount Carmel guy I put forth but he agreed and shared a quick story about Denny McLain. RIP Rita Mustang
- Northsider - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 1:56 pm:
So, yesterday was apparently a busy day on the trade/signings wire…
- Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 2:58 pm:
==I still can’t believe Maddon pulled Kyle Hendricks so early.==
I watched it on Fox the other day - full version, which was nice - and got just as teed off at Maddon about that as I did in ‘16
- Pundent - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 4:00 pm:
=I still can’t believe Maddon pulled Kyle Hendricks so early.=
From keeping Champman on the mound with a 9-2 lead to giving Hendricks a quick hook Maddon made a number of really questionable decisions. Fortunately the talent was there to overcome them. But imagine how vilified he would have been if it didn’t work out? I think his schtick was a bit overrated.
- Harvest76 - Thursday, Apr 2, 20 @ 5:29 pm:
No baseball being played, so I watched the Ken Burns PBS docuseries “Baseball”. Lemons can at least make lemonade, right?