July 15, 2020 [LINK / comment]

Globe Life Field update

Globe Life Field

I made good on my plans to finish all the versions of the Globe Life Field diagrams, and as you can imagine, it took quite a bit of doing. Late nights tweaking pixels on the computer screen over and over again like a zombie, until I finally got it right -- or pretty close, at least. For the last two days I thought I had it all done, but then I came across discrepancies that forced me to re-do major portions. For example, the angle of the bend in the grandstand just beyond the right field foul pole is much different than I had previously estimated, and this resulted in the size of the two right field decks "growing" by at least 20 feet. Now you can see how the retractable roof operates, and can compare the lower-level to the upper-level diagrams. Note that because there is virtually no overhang between the first and second decks, I did a second-deck diagram instead of a first-deck one. To compare the new, improved diagram version to what I presented last week, just roll your mouse over the thumbnail image above.

I have read some less than favorable reviews of Globe Life Field, but the negativity seems to stem from the high cost to the local taxpayers and the dubious necessity of building a new baseball palace when the "old" one was still in its prime. As I have said before, Globe Life Park (or whatever of the myriad other names it has been called over the years) was poorly designed (hardly any shade) and way too big, but it was serviceable and could have been improved. My impression of Globe Life Field (the new one), has improved as I have become acquainted with all the sundry details of how it is put together. The big brick support arches beyond left field are a major aesthetic feature, and I made a point to clarify that in my "exposed" (no roof) diagram version.

Nervous hopes for baseball

With only eight days before the 2020 baseball season starts, there are continuing indications of uncertainty and nervousness. In Canada, the government is trying to get Major League Baseball to adjust the Toronto Blue Jays' schedule to minimize the frequency of border crossings. At present, only essential travel from the U.S. into Canada is permitted, due to the coronavirus. I don't see how Canada's request can be reasonably accommodated. The Nats play the Blue Jays in Washington on July 27 and 28, followed by two games in Toronto.

The Washington Nationals are scheduled to play a practice game with the Philadelphia Phillies in D.C. this Saturday, followed by two games against the Orioles -- one in Baltimore and then one back home. That will do it for "summer training," and after taking Wednesday off to rest, the Nationals welcome the New York Yankees to Nationals Park on Thursday to open the 2020 season. Did I mention that's just eight days from now??!!

Several Nats players have been in quarantine because of possible contact with the coronavirus while visiting family members in Latin America; the most notable one is the young superstar slugger Juan Soto. Losing him would be a huge blow to the Nats' hopes for a repeat World Series title. Since Nats pitcher Joe Ross has opted out of the 2020 season, Erick Fedde is the presumed fifth man in the starting rotation. Like Ross, he has shown occasional great promise over the last few years, but has had control problems. (See today's Washington Post.)