The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Major League Baseball

  • Justin Turner exposes the World Series to COVID-19

    Justin Turner exposes the World Series to COVID-19

    Justin Turner didn’t need to be the story in the wake of the Dodgers’ first World Series victory in 32 years. Instead here we are, wondering what sort of, if any, punishment Major League Baseball will decide to hand down to Turner after he decided to run out onto the field to celebrate with his teammates and their families after he learned he had tested positive for COVID-19. 

    Putting aside my own feeling about the Dodgers as a Giants supporter, this is simply not fair to LA fans who have been waiting for this day for so long. When the Major League Baseball Players Association made the decision to work with the MLB to host the playoffs at neutral sites in a partial bubble, all players became responsible for trying to maintain that bubble. 

    Turner was removed from the game at the start of the eighth inning after a previously inconclusive test result returned back as a positive. He remained in isolation until the game ended, even tweeting and acknowledging that he had COVID-19. 

    Turner still returned to the field, however against MLB regulations, and hugged his teammates and their family members. He even sat down next to Dave Roberts, the Dodgers general manager, who has survived Hodgkin lymphoma in the past, to pose for a team photo with the trophy while neither of them were wearing masks.

    It’s not unreasonable to expect an adult to follow guidelines they agreed to. Turner’s actions were selfish and unreasoned. It is one thing to be among teammates who you’ve been in close contact with for months, but Turner could have also exposed several people to COVID-19 who may not have even known that he tested positive. 

    It’s more disappointing to see Turner take these actions after having previously served on the MLBPA executive board. Prior to the Dodgers beginning their postseason run, Turner even spoke about how responsible players were taking safety precautions and how that allowed this whole postseason to even happen. 

    It is understandable that Turner wanted to celebrate with his teammates. Those guys participated in a tough season with no fans and came out on top together. Turner is an everyday player, and it would have been doubtlessly hard for him to not be on that field with his teammates. But at the end of the day, that is what every one of those guys signed up for. 

    His teammates will likely support him always in this matter but Turner’s actions have cast all of baseball in a bad light. For two consecutive seasons now the attention will be placed on the MLB to see what decision they make, this time regarding any potential punishment for Turner following their investigation. 

  • Major League Marijuana

    Major League Marijuana

    Why I don’t think marijuana is everything it’s cracked up to be in baseball

    Major League Baseball is an organization that prides itself on having great talent on and off the field. Players are drug-tested fairly regularly and subject to different levels of punishment if caught with opioids or other banned substances. That is all changing with the legalization of marijuana in baseball.

    Marijuana graces the covers of magazines and virtually everything in sight in modern culture like a groundbreaking scientific discovery. Seemingly everyone will go to great lengths to defend the devil lettuce’s honor if one attacks it. In general, marijuana is looked at like a god. Sure, people have benefited from it, but its usage has gotten out of control and the relaxed restrictions of marijuana in baseball are just more nails in the coffin.

    With the increase in American marijuana users comes the increase of ramifications. While there are many compelling arguments for normalizing marijuana usage, there are also legitimate health concerns around it.

    As a matter of fact, marijuana-induced emergency room visits have jumped up, particularly in more left-leaning states.

    According to the Colorado Hospital Association, a collection of more than 100 hospitals in the state of Colorado, “the prevalence of hospitalizations for marijuana exposure in patients aged nine years and older doubled after the legalization of medical marijuana,” and “emergency department visits nearly doubled after the legalization of recreational marijuana.”

    That is scary stuff. Maybe marijuana can wash away anxiety or depression temporarily, but to risk the added side effects is foolish.

    Returning to the realm of Major League Baseball, we find ourselves in the midst of an organization that is trying to appeal to a younger audience by making games more enjoyable and watchable. After all, the kids are the future of the sport.

    Yet the idea that loosening the grip on marijuana in baseball will do no harm couldn’t be more wrong. It is common knowledge that youth look up to ballplayers as role models in many different facets.

    If marijuana is more debilitating to one’s health than beneficial, we should be making it clear that any, and I mean any, drug or substance will not be tolerated in baseball no matter how harmless it may be marketed as. I certainly wouldn’t want my kids to form the idea that they can get away with smoking weed like it’s no big deal. Marijuana and e-cigarettes are already being passed around like packs of gum in middle and high schools and it’s only getting worse.

    “Drugs work very well, at first, for mentally ill people. If you’re anxious, it’ll go away with a couple of hits, a beer. It’s like magic. But then, the tolerance sets in. So, not only do they need to drink more to relieve the anxiety, but every single time they try to stop, the underlying anxiety comes back worse.”

    Dr. Alex Stalcup

    Beyond setting a bad example for the younger generation, people are using marijuana for non-medical purposes and leaning on it like another shoulder. Especially in Humboldt County, people are socially smoking marijuana and claiming it’s saving their lives.

    I recognize there are some individuals who actually need it to function, but nonetheless, it’s spread like a wildfire and now it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t smoke it or consume edibles.

    Mental health issues affect the extent to which people get addicted to marijuana or other substances, according to Dr. Alex Stalcup, medical director of the New Leaf Treatment Center in a 2016 interview with Healthline Magazine.

    “Drugs work very well, at first, for mentally ill people,” Stalcup said. “If you’re anxious, it’ll go away with a couple of hits, a beer. It’s like magic. But then, the tolerance sets in. So, not only do they need to drink more to relieve the anxiety, but every single time they try to stop, the underlying anxiety comes back worse.”

    Stalcup went on:

    “Fifty to sixty percent of the people with an addiction to marijuana whom [my] clinic treats have some sort of underlying mental health condition,” he said.

    Granted, it is only one clinic, but the point is an overwhelming amount of people across the country who abuse weed are dealing with a mental health crisis of some kind.

    I will admit that I am in the same boat with a lot of these folks, but I will never use weed as a solution to my problems. There is an abundance of other remedies and treatments available to cure internal issues.

    I can’t control what you do. I can’t control what Major League Baseball does. But I hope that baseball will go back to looking at marijuana as a banned substance that could incur fines and treatment.

  • New MLB Rules Come Out of Left Field

    New MLB Rules Come Out of Left Field

    MLB rule changes go against what the game is all about

    America’s pastime. The phrase has become synonymous all over Major League Baseball. As baseball evolves into new seasons, rules are being implemented in an effort to quicken the game and appeal to a younger audience. Many of the rules aren’t too debilitating to the way the game is played, but several key rule changes will do more harm than good.

    There are the more radical, long-term rules like getting rid of the shift or implementing a pitch clock, and then there are the more pressing rules like forcing pitchers to face a minimum of three batters and totally changing up the structure of the postseason.

    Three-batter minimum rule:

    Baseball is all about strategy. One of these strategies involves using a left-handed reliever to get one or two batters out and then bring in another reliever to close out an inning or game. A new rule, which will go into effect beginning this upcoming season, will make it so all relievers need to face at least three batters before being able to leave the mound.

    On its own website, MLB called the rule an effort to reduce the number of pitching changes and cut down the average length of the game.

    On the surface, it seems MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and his entourage are making the game run more smoothly. Digging a little deeper reveals that this is far from the truth.

    Again, baseball revolves around strategy. To mess with the strategy of the game is to play with fire—a big, multi-billion dollar fire. As Sports Illustrated put it, “Messing with strategy to attempt to solve a pace of game problem is a wrong-headed approach.”

    Take the San Francisco Giants for example. In the 2010s, they would frequently use left-handed relievers like Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt to get critical outs against left-handed batters.

    If the three-batter minimum rule was ushered in back then, it would’ve been a different ballgame for all involved. The Giants may not have even won all three of their World Series titles.

    Bringing in the new rule would not only be a strategist’s nightmare, but also would fail to accomplish the initial goal to make the game go faster. It’s an odd rule all around, and other stats weren’t taken into account before its inception.

    Altered postseason structure:

    The details of the new postseason format are very intricate, but to put it in broad terms, the number of teams in both leagues making it to the postseason would increase from five to seven. Opportunities to automatically advance to the next round and manually pick their opponents on a live television show would come to fruition.

    No words can describe the sheer ridiculousness of these new postseason rules. It seems as if Rob Manfred has lost his mind.

    Baseball is already becoming a money-grab reality TV show. The powers that be don’t need to add insult to injury.

    The point of the postseason is only a select few make it in, and an even smaller number move on to higher rounds without weird caveats. Luckily, these new postseason rules are just proposals, as they would destroy baseball from the inside out.

    Yet again, baseball has been and should continue to be about enjoying the game for what it is and not trying to throw curveballs into the mix. These rules are ambitious, but aren’t beneficial to anyone except the people at the very top of the totem pole. It’s in the best interest of Rob Manfred and his cohort to leave the game alone and stay faithful to the notion of baseball being America’s Pastime.

  • 2018 MLB season preview

    2018 MLB season preview

    The wait is finally over as the 2018 Major League Baseball regular season kicked off on March 29 after one of the most busy off-seasons in recent memory.

    Key Additions:

    1. Shohei Ohtani – Starting Pitcher/Designated Hitter (Angels)

    2. Giancarlo Stanton – Outfielder (Yankees)

    3. Marcell Ozuna – Outfielder (Cardinals)

    4. Christian Yelich – Outfielder (Brewers)

    5. Jake Arrieta – Starting Pitcher (Phillies)

    6. J.D. Martinez – Outfielder/Designated Hitter (Red Sox)

    7. Andrew McCutchen – Outfielder (Giants)

    8. Evan Longoria – Third Baseman (Giants)

    9. Yu Darvish – Starting Pitcher (Cubs)

    10. Eric Hosmer – First Baseman (Padres)

    Most Improved Teams:

    1. Minnesota Twins – The Twins were considered about a year or two ahead of schedule when they snuck into the second wilcard spot in the American League last year and finished with an 85-77 record. Minnesota is flooded with young talent, which is led by centerfielder Byron Buxton (.253 16 hr 29 sb) and third baseman Miguel Sano (.264 28 hr 77 RBI). They also have some good veteran presence in Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer to help even the lineup out.In addition, they added pitchers Lance Lynn and Jake Odorizzi to a rotation that already included Ervin Santana and budding star Jose Berrios. A division title seems unrealistic this season due to the talent of the Cleveland Indians, but look for the Twins to fight for a wildcard spot once again.
    2. New York Yankees – The Yankees added National League Most Valuable Player Giancarlo Stanton (59 hr), third baseman Brandon Drury and second baseman Neil Walker to a team that took the World Series champion Houston Astros to seven games in the ALCS.Their lineup was already dangerous, and adding Stanton to the middle of the lineup with the reigning American League rookie of the year Aaron Judge (52 hr 114 RBI) and catcher Gary Sanchez (33 hr 90 RBI) could be deadly. They will certainly be in the hunt for an American League East title and will likely battle it out with the Boston Red Sox for the entire season.
    3. Philadelphia Phillies – The Phillies made a last second headline in March by signing Jake Arrieta to be the ace of an already talented rotation. Arrieta is one of the top right-handed pitchers in the league and will be accompanied by Aaron Nola (3.54 ERA, 184 strikeouts), Jerad Eickhoff and Vince Velasquez.Nola is obviously the headliner there, but don’t sleep on the other two. They are both in their mid-20’s, and have the stuff to be great complimentary pieces in a major league rotation. Their lineup is full of prospects that are either ready to burst onto the scene or already have: Rhys Hoskins (18 hr in 170 at-bats last year), J.P. Crawford, Scott Kingery. Newly-signed first baseman Carlos Santana, Odubel Herrera and Maikel Franco will fill out the lineup, making Philly a dark-horse playoff contender this season.

    Sleepers:

    1. Jose Berrios – Starting Pitcher (Twins): The right-hander has a devastating combination of a running fastball that touches 100 mph and a slider that hitters cannot seem to touch when they are on. Berrios has the potential to be one of the top pitchers in the game and it is only a matter of time before he puts it all together for a full season.

    2. Ronald Acuña – Outfielder (Braves): The only reason Acuña isn’t on the big league roster to begin the season is that the Braves are waiting 13 days in order to push his impending free agency back one season, just as the Cubs did with Kris Bryant during his rookie season. Acuña is considered a five-tool player and is expected to have the same impact that Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Bryant have had on their respective teams in recent years.

    3. Gleyber Torres – Infielder (Yankees): The Yankees added a couple of infielders in the offseason in order to bridge the gap for the impending call up of Torres, but if he can continue to produce at a high level in the minor leagues, then he will definitely force the Yankees hand. Torres is another five-tool player that can do it all, and his bat is tremendous. Don’t be surprised if he is a key part of the Yankee’s playoff run by the end of this season.

    The teams to beat this season are surely the Dodgers and the Astros in their respective leagues, as neither lost any key players this offseason (and the Astros actually added a potential all-star in Gerrit Cole).

    In the NL, the Cubs and Nationals seem like the only other championship contenders as of now. They are both in win now mode and have the same cores in place as last season.

    The AL playoff race should be more interesting, however, as the Yankees, Red Sox and Indians all have the talent to take down the Astros.

    However, it is a 162-game season and a lot can happen. Don’t be surprised to see some of those sleeper teams sneak into the playoff race.