OBSERVATIONS: Where baseball is heading is not good

By HAL McCOY

UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, about to anwer Nadine’s call to change a light bulb in the sun room. Why? Every night before we go to sleep, I give Nadine three kisses and quickly ask, “What are we doing tomorrow?” Last night she said, “Big day. We are going to change a light bulb in the sun room.” OK, off to grab the ladder. Now what?

—This is where baseball headed is and to us old fogie traditionalists it doesn’t look good.

If and when baseball returns, there will be no American League/National League designation. Teams will be intermixed according to geographic locations.

It is something MLB wants. Permanently.

The designated hitter will be used by all teams.

It is something MLB wants. Permanently.

There will be expanded playoffs — many more teams involved, like the NBA, NHL and NFL.

It is something MLB wants. Permanently.

If all this happens in 2020, you can wager that it all will be implemented permanently in the future.

And it stinks.

As former Cincinnati Reds infielder and current broadcast Doug Flynn said on Facebook; “I hope not, but this group in charge may use this virus to get it done. Once the game began being controlled off the field (agents and lawyers) the game headed south.”

—QUOTE: From musician Robert Earl Wilson: “A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.” (One of Wilson’s songs was ‘Can You Feel It Now’ and we’d sure like to feel some baseball right now.)

—Before the Covid-19 turned most of us into hibernating hermits, I vowed to go on a diet and lose 10 pounds. I only have 20 pounds to go.

—The dysfunctional Cincinnati Bengals did it again. They released quarterback Andy Dalton. Released him. They didn’t trade him, not so much as for an old football. They just released him, sent him out the lockerroom door with little more than, “Good-bye, good luck and, uh, thanks.”

The New England Patriots lost Tom Brady and did not draft a quarterback. Does that mean Dalton ends up with the Patriots?

If so, wonder what size ring Dalton wears?

It might be more likely that Dalton ends up with the Jacksonville Jaguars and a reunion with Jay Gruden.

QUOTE: From jobless quarterback Andy Dalton: “The quarterback is the leader of the team and the quarterback is the one player who has the ball in his hand every single play.” (No wonder the Bengals let him go. He forgot about the punter, which the Bengals do a lot.)

—They are staging a virtual Kentucky Derby on Saturday with a 13-horse field of former Triple Crown winners.

The field in order of post positions and odds: 1. Affirmed (5-1), 2. Assault (20-1), 3. Secretariat (7-2), 4. Sir Barton (20-1), 5. Seattle Slew (5-1), 6. American Pharoah (6-1), 7. Gallant Fox (20-1), 8. Citation (4-1). 9. War Admiral (8-1), 10. Whirlaway (6-1), 11. Count Fleet (6-1), 12. Justify (15-1), Omaha (20-1).

If Secretariat doesn’t win this race, it’s fixed.

When I was a kid, there was a horse racing game with a five-horse field that included Seabiscuit, Gallant Fox, Whirlaway, Twenty Grand and Citation. The horses advanced when you spun a spinner. I loved Seabiscuit.

Seabiscut isn’t in Saturday’s field because he didn’t race in any Triple Crown races as a 3-year-old because he was a dud his first two years.

He was entered in a low-level $6,000 claiming race at Saratoga and nobody claimed him.

Then he came alive and became a national phenomenon as the top money winning in the 1940s. He beat the 1937 Triple-Crown winner, War Admiral, by 4 lengths in a two-horse match race at Pimlico and was voted American Horse of the Year for 1938.

Anyway, my trifecta pick for the virtual race: Secretariat, Seattle Slow, Affirmed.

—QUOTE: From baseball novelist Roger Kahn: “Horse racing is animated roulette.” (And you have about the same odds of winning at horse racing as you do at roulette.

—Former Dayton Chaminade-Julienne star Ron Hunter is the basketball coach at Tulane University and he had to endure something last week that no coach should have to endure.

His star player, guard Teshaun Hightower, was arrested and charged with murder. Hightower, a junior who averaged 15.9 points last season, had declared for the NBA draft, but left it open for a possible return to Tulane.

But, he was charged, along with four others, for a murder in Georgia last Saturday and was dismissed from the program on Sunday.

Hightower’s attorney says Teshaun’s brother, Jeffery, actually fired the shot in self-defense because the victim pointed a gun at Teshaun.

No comment here, other than. . .why, why, why?

—They’ve canceled the Hall of Fame ceremonies in Cooperstown and this year’s inductees will be inducted next year. They’ve also canceled the Little League World Series. And they have canceled the Cape Cod Summer League.

But NASCAR is returning May 17 at Darlington, S.C., with no fans.

Apparently, though, there has been racing on I75. Some dunderhead in a Ferrari was clocked recently at 146 miles an hour. He must have known that Ohio State Highway Patrol cars, Dodge Chargers, max out a 145.