2021 Wish List
As the worst year in nearly 15 centuries comes to a close, it’s time to look forward to what 2021 might bring.
Unlike far too many Americans—but fortunately, not a majority—I know the calendar changing to 2021 won’t magically make 2020 go away. If anything, the next six months are probably going to be harder than the last six months even with two vaccines in the pipeline because we still have other public-health threats.
So maybe that’s my first wish… that we can beat back the ignorance in time to have something closer to normal for baseball. I’m not naïve enough to believe it’ll happen by April, even if MLB seems to think so.
But maybe by Memorial Day?
And if the big boys can start in late May, then maybe our guys can start by mid-June? After a season of nothing, I’d be happy with one last short season – and a chance to visit all four full-season teams in one summer (now that that can be done again).
I know when this was first broached in the comments, there were wishes for individual players. I’m not sure if I have enough strong feelings for any one player to single them out. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but hear me out.
If everyone can play again, against other teams, in games that count, with stats, boxscores, and cameras (and eventually, scouts and fans) that’ll be huge.
Carter Kieboom is no longer a prospect per se, but I’m sure a lot of you want to see him succeed after failing and flailing this past summer. In a “normal” year, he’d have been sent down to play every day at AAA for a few weeks instead of being sent down to a glorified XST for a few days.
But there are many more like Kieboom who didn’t get a chance at all, and unless the Lerners go hog-wild in free agency [pause here to allow readers to wipe off beverage spray from their screens] the Nationals need to get younger, which means they need to get their prospects (and the ones they’ll trade for) playing again.
Feel free to let us know what you’re wishing for 2021 in the comments.
I’m in Tier 3 here in Virginia for the vaccine so I figure to get my shot in March sometime.
Then it’s go time to catch a lot of games in 2021. A lot more trips to Harrisburg in 2021 sounds great. Such a great place to watch a game and the best seats in the house are about $12.
Luke’s column reminds me of a wine commercial from 10-15 years ago. A bunch of 30′ somethings were sitting around and one says to another “so you wanna open a restaurant”. The other guy says “I want to play 2nd base but yea I’m going to open a restaurant”.
For me I want to be a starting pitcher but yea I’m in the insurance business. Next year I get to go to all these different stadiums and watch players chasing their dreams. Sounds great!
My hours at work were cut back in March. Thankfully, my job wasn’t cut, so I’m considering myself lucky. But I’d like to get those hours back at some point.
Hoping that my loved ones and I stay safe until we’re all able to get vaccinated. I have a sibling who works at a hospital (different state) and is getting vaccinated early next week. Hopefully the rest of us won’t be waiting too much longer, but obviously frontline healthcare workers and those at greatest risk should be first in line — that’s only right.
I would have called myself crazy at the start of all this for even suggesting it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if athletes/coaches/etc. are able to get their vaccinations before many of the rest of us, allowing sports like MLB (and maybe even college basketball and baseball) to get going by the start of spring. Considering the NFL and even the major college football conferences have played on through a pandemic that just occasionally shuts down an entire team for a week or two or worse (see: Oregon backing into the Pac-12 championship), I think I overestimated the extent to which there would be public outcry for treating sports field personnel as “essential”. Americans love their sports.
Would be nice if the West Coast doesn’t entirely catch on fire and the Southeast and Caribbean don’t get whomped by an endless procession of tropical storms and hurricanes in 2021. But that’s in the hands of the big guy in the sky. (If anyone in the federal government is reading this, it’s not too late to start working to mitigate the effects of climate change…)
And of course, I want to go to a bunch of minor league baseball games next year, shell peanuts, drink beer, maybe even have a few hot dogs and an way-too-sweet lemonade or two. I don’t care if I never get back.
RHP Ryan Brinley coming back from TJ and making his debut.
Now there’s news to brighten the season! Brinley was one of a trio of 2015-draftee relievers who looked so promising right away, and who the Nats pushed all the way to Hags, where they were great. The other two were Koda Glover and Andrew Lee. I don’t know what fates that trio cursed while in Hagerstown, but man, the injuries they’ve all dealt with have been cruel. Glover already retired long ago, Lee just turned 27, and Brinley will be 28 in April. Everyone roots for guys like that.
That was already one of my real “Wish List” thoughts–that the extra year off would allow for some extended recovery and more strengthening for several players.