torre

Disappointed for all that Karen has not issued a statement, further proof her agent is not good. Always politcally correct to issue a statement for the benefit of future employment. My virus lockdown paranoia on display, but do you all think there could be a possibility of litigation (retaining Shaka) ?

Excerpts: Could Texas have won its all? White thinks so. He noted that Janae Jefferson and Miranda Elish were again playing like All-Americans while youngsters like Courtney Day and Shea O’Leary were finding their strides. Perennial contenders UCLA (Rachael Garcia and Bubba Nickles) and Arizona (Dejah Mulipola) also were missing key players this season due to their involvement with the U.S. Olympic team. “The stars were aligning a little bit for us,” White said. “We had a lot of work to do, but I think we had as good a chance as anyone out there.” This week, the NCAA approved the restoration of the eligibility lost by its spring-sport athletes this year. That ruling meant that seniors across the country could extend their careers into 2021. Three Texas seniors, however, have decided to move on anyway, White told the American-Statesman. Starting shortstop Kaitlyn Slack will head to graduate school at Kansas and join former UT assistant coach Jennifer McFalls’ staff in Lawrence as a graduate assistant. Reagan Hathaway, a fifth-year outfielder who already has a biology degree, won’t return next season. Neither will reserve outfielder Tuesday DerMargosian, who is studying journalism. DerMargosian, Hathaway and Slack all appeared in what turned out to be the final game of the season, a 7-0 win over New Mexico on March 8. “It’s very hard for them. … This is an uncontrollable, there’s nothing you can really do about it,” White said. “You’ve just got to go forward. You always talk about not living with regret.” White doesn’t anticipate the loss of any players to the NCAA transfer portal, but the team hasn’t held any end-of-the-season meetings either. Texas signed six players in its 2020 recruiting class, so as many as 23 names could appear on the 2021 roster. “We made a good decision with 25 lockers in the locker room,” White joked about the softball team’s under-construction training facility. https://www.hookem.com/story/the-stars-were-aligning-a-little-bit-for-us-texas-moves-on-after-2020-seasons-abrupt-ending/

Was their ever a reason/rumor given for all of the player transfers ? (Sedona Prince, et al.) Prince may not be a good example due to other reasons. Maybe internal issues which were key in Aston's demise ? Liked Karen, she frequently attended softball games when schedule permitted.

The waiver will present challenges, particularly with the uncertainity of the MLB Draft (likely only 5 - 10 rounds) and reduced bonuses. Texas' 2020 class (ranked #1) has 14 and the 2021 class has 6 thus far (Perfect Game). Correct me, but I believe the draft eligible are Elder, Ellis, Diaz, Todd, Petrinsky, Fields, Williams, Stehly, Stevens, Zubia (10). Petrinsky, Todd, Ellis and Diaz are Seniors eligible to return. Only Elder probably has a chance of being drafted in the limited draft. Pierce has a difficult decision in managing the roster. Not necessarily in numbers this year, but in playing time. Who will be asked to leave ? Hopefully, he will find teams for those asked to leave. I suppose the positive is that the talent should increase, but great empathy for the draft eligible and those that may be cut. Ohio State's Greg Beals said Tuesday he isn't worried about 2021, when the 35-man roster limit will be relaxed to accommodate seniors choosing to return for another season. The problem comes in 2022, when the limit is back in force. Beals has 11 freshmen coming in this fall, and they will join nine players who will be reclassified as freshmen because the 2021 season ended abruptly March 12. “The greater effect might be two or three years from now,” LSU's Paul Mainieri said. "Most schools in the SEC have their 2021 recruiting classes for high school players already done. So now you're bunching a lot of kids together, and we'll see how it plays out. “As far as this year, the impact is minimal. What is of greater impact is what Major League Baseball does with their draft.” The renewal date for scholarships is July 1, and coaches might not know which players are staying or going by then. If there are five or 10 rounds instead of the usual 40, juniors and seniors who aren't projected to go in the early rounds would be apt to return to school. The more rounds there are, the more likely there'll be fewer junior and seniors returning. The fall semester could be drawing close before the numbers are known. “You've got freshmen that are coming in that were counting on those seniors and juniors leaving or going to the draft,” Mississippi athletic director Keith Carter said, "so what does that look like for the young players and does that change the dynamic with them?” Junior colleges stand to be the beneficiary of the uncertainty. Iowa Western Community College coach Marc Rardin said he recently got four calls in one day from advisers for high school seniors looking for a fallback plan if they aren't drafted and the Division I schools they signed with have clogged rosters. “Some kids who are signed with four-year schools coming out of high school are a little apprehensive about it and want to make sure they get somewhere they can have a chance to develop and play,” Rardin said. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/baseball/2020/03/31/ncaa-throws-baseball-coaches-a-curve-with-added-eligibility/111512752/ (excerpts) Under the terms of the deal hammered out between MLB and the MLBPA, the 2020 draft will be cut to no fewer than five rounds (MLB can expand it if it so chooses and several scouting departments hold out hope that it could be expanded to 10 rounds). The draft will be held as early as the current June 10 start date and as late as July 20. The dates for both periods are fluid because of the evolving novel coronavirus situation. The draft’s signing deadline will be Aug. 1 at the latest, though it could move up based on the draft date. The expectation is that MLB will set a draft date roughly one month before the draft takes place to give teams time to prepare. While no details have been formalized, it is expected that the current draft date will be used to set the cutoff date for draft-eligible 21-year-olds even if the draft date itself is pushed back. For both the 2020 and 2021 drafts, there are provisions for voluntary showcases before the draft (dependent on prevailing conditions around the country) to attempt to help MLB teams see players whose seasons have been cut short by the coronavirus. Potentially even more important, teams will be limited to spending no more than $20,000 to sign any undrafted player. Previously teams could spend up to $125,000 on any late-round pick Assuming the draft is five rounds In 2020, if a college junior goes undrafted, he can either sign for a maximum of $20,000 or return to school, knowing his negotiating leverage will be limited the following year as a senior sign. https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/new-deal-saves-2020-mlb-draft-but-hurts-incoming-talent/ (excerpts)

Yes ! As exemplified by the above replies, everyone is different. But cedar is the "heavyweight" for me.

Flonase works for me. Oral prescription just not as affective and may cause side effects (my experience). About $12-$15 over the counter, iirc, (60sprays) Walmart has its own brand Equate for about $10. Key ingredient is Fluticasone Propionate. It is recommended to spray daily during allergy season but I go by the allergy forecast.

Travel restriction clause may be an issue. As part of the agreement, obtained by ESPN's Jeff Passan, the players and MLB primarily agreed that the 2020 season will not start until each of the following conditions are met: - There are no bans on mass gatherings that would limit the ability to play in front of fans. However, the commissioner could still consider the "use of appropriate substitute neutral sites where economically feasible"; - There are no travel restrictions throughout the United States and Canada; - Medical experts determine that there would be no health risks for players, staff or fans, with the commissioners and union still able to revisit the idea of playing in empty stadiums. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28962850/mlb-mlbpa-agree-stipulations-return-2020-season

Coach also made a donation.

After the above post, an interview was published today in the AAS. Lengthy, but worth the read. Excerpts: Your long-awaited jersey retirement ceremony was supposed to happened on Wednesday. Have you heard from Texas about a rescheduling? I have not heard from anybody about rescheduling. Obviously as soon as they canceled things, I knew that was out of the window. But I’ve again told my husband that I’ve waited 14 years, what’s 15? I’m just assuming they’ve got bigger fish to fry, figuring out the blanketed year of eligibility for everyone and what that means and (what) that means to the school and athletic department. I know there is bigger fish for them to fry. I’m not worried about it. I know at some point we’ll talk about rescheduling it. (Texas athletic director) Chris Del Conte has been great in letting me know that it was going to happen eventually, and so he made that happen. I know it’s not going to get lost in the shuffle. Speaking of Miranda, what are your thoughts on her and the season that Texas was having? Miranda’s a great pitcher. We all knew that before she even came to Texas, which is why everyone got excited that she came to Texas because she had made a name for herself at Oregon. She was at the national team tryout in January for the 2019 team and I talked to her a little bit. She’s a great competitor, she wants to win, she obviously works hard. You can tell that she keeps herself in great shape, which is awesome. Not a lot of younger athletes understand how much that can pay off for you. Her and I have had brief exchanges on social media. She’s always been super nice and so supportive of what I did previously. I’m completely supportive of everything she’s doing now. In fact, before the season started, I said, “Take us back to the Promised Land” and she was like, “That’s the plan.” I was really excited that she decided to come to Texas with Coach White (White). I’ve been so excited to see the program continue to rise. They were having an incredible year and I thought this would be the year they would go back to Oklahoma City. I think they had a great chance to make a run at the title. Hopefully they can put all the pieces back together for next season, too. If they return most of their seniors, they obviously they’ll have just as strong of a team. https://www.hookem.com/story/statesman-interview-cat-osterman-on-a-postponed-olympics-2021-and-miranda-elish/

Thoughts for Cat ! After many years, today was to be the jersey retirement ceremony - plus, no Olympics. Need to win the game against coronavirus. Stay strong, #8.

VPNs are a safeguard, but what is your operating system (Windows.Mac) and Antivirus and do you have the latest updates ? Would do a complete scan and also with other available online free scans (Kaspersky, Norton, Microsoft Safety Scanner,etc). If not too much of a problem, backup data and do a clean install. RogueKiller is a good one. https://www.adlice.com/download/roguekiller/

Excerpts from a lengthy article: Good to see Morgan Cooper is still in the game. Life in the minor leagues is hardly glamorous. Most players do not make a livable wage, and not all prospects received a sizable signing bonus. Paychecks don’t come during the offseason. It took until Thursday for MLB to pledge that its minor leaguers would be compensated through April 8. With limited financial resources, many minor leaguers are in the same boat. Booted from spring training, how do they stay in shape and prepare for the upcoming season? The Texas campus has been shuttered, so the ex-Longhorns don’t have access to UT’s new multi-million dollar development center. High schools and gyms across the nation have also been closed. Kingham has turned to home workouts; his girlfriend has stepped up as his throwing partner. Kansas City outfield prospect Travis Jones plans on using the old batting cage in his parents’ backyard in Humble. Ty Culbreth, a left-hander in Colorado’s farm system, is training alongside a few others and treating this time as if it were December or January. Morgan Cooper, who was a second-round pick in 2017, has been allowed to stay in Arizona at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ facility since he is rehabbing an injury. “Right now, my training is mainly outside, trying to find little things to do here and there to keep my body in shape and ready to go,” said Kyle Johnston, a pitcher in Toronto’s organization. A local option for UT’s minor leaguers — at least those who swing a bat — did open its doors last week. The Hitforth facility in South Austin has several ties to Texas. Owner Lowell Galindo is a Longhorn Network host who does play-by-play for baseball broadcasts. Former UT infielder Masen Hibbeler is a coach on the Hitforth staff. Hitforth is described by Jeff Leach, its director of hitting, as a “hitter’s heaven.” It’s also a haven for the technologically savvy. The facility uses HitTrax, Blast and Driveline to track data. The iPitch machines can be calibrated to imitate any type of pitcher. Hitforth is targeting clients who are both competitive and committed, whether they be 10-year-olds or in high school. (Hitforth does not yet instruct softball, but does have a pitching machine for that sport). In addition to lessons, the facility is designed so that hitting competitions can be staged. Fun and swag — bandanas, chains and arm sleeves — are also encouraged. “We want this to be a place that empowers athletes to realize their full potential as powerful, athletic hitters,” Galindo said. “(Ideally that would) bleed through into other areas of their life. … We want this to be the foundation of their confidence.” Membership is not cheap — $100 each month gets you unlimited hitting and data tracking, and an initiation fee and individual lessons are extra. Galindo, though, recently tweeted that Longhorns on a professional hiatus can use the facility for free. He’s heard from minor leaguers like Zane Gurwitz (Los Angeles Angels), Bret Boswell (Colorado) and Michael Cantu (San Diego). For Galindo, offering up his facility was a way to pay the Longhorns back for the time they’ve spent with him and young fans like his son, Mack. “To me it was a no-brainer that we would provide them with the opportunity to get all the swings in that they possibly need,” Galindo said. “It’s family, right?” https://www.hookem.com/story/as-the-coronavirus-puts-their-baseball-careers-on-hold-ex-longhorns-look-for-some-spring-training/ Former Texas player Masen Hibbeler instructs 17-year old Landon Pyles at the new Hitforth hitting facility in South Austin on March 20.

No hope for Parker ? Suppose her lack of PT even in games decided was telling. Luv her mechanics at the plate and thought fielding was a matter of gaining confidence. Great academic, may not want to enter portal.

Best to you in the future, Kaitlyn. Great season this year - most improved player on the team and always a great teammate. Super family, Mom is head coach at Liberty. Texas senior Kaitlyn Slack won’t return to the Longhorns’ infield in 2021. On Thursday, Slack announced that this spring will count as her senior season. Slack was the starting shortstop for a 24-3 Texas team that was ranked third in the NFCA poll. The rest of UT’s season was cancelled last week due to fears over the coronavirus outbreak. A NCAA committee recently suggested that athletes regain the eligibility that was lost this spring. No formal plans have been publicized, however, and it doesn’t appear that Slack will take the NCAA up on whatever it offers. The daughter of a softball coach, Slack chose Texas over Alabama and Houston. The Liberty native then became a 139-time starter and consistent defensive presence for the Longhorns. As a senior, Slack was hitting .324 with a key homer in a 3-2 win over Utah on Feb. 14. Two years ago, Slack’s RBI single was the difference in a regional upending of Minnesota. Slack, who is studying marketing, is one of six seniors on Texas’ roster. Classmate Miranda Elish has already said that she will pitch at Texas in 2021 if the NCAA allows it. The plans for outfielders Kaitlyn Washington, Reagan Hathaway and Tuesday DerMargosian and utility player Shannon Rhodes have not yet been revealed. https://www.hookem.com/2020/03/19/ncaa-proposal-notwithstanding-texas-ss-kaitlyn-slack-decides-to-end-her-softball-career/

What a bummer for the draft eligible if it happens. AP Sources; MLB Could Skip Draft; Service Time Big Issue NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball is considering skipping its amateur draft this year and putting off the next international signing period as a way to preserve cash while games are affected by the new coronavirus, people familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press. Talks between management and the players' association are ongoing and include the contentious issue of major league service time, which determines eligibility for free agency and salary arbitration. MLB has proposed crediting full service for 130 games or more and proportional service for a shorter season, the people said on condition of anonymity because those details have not been made public. The union has taken the position that a full season of service should be credited even if no games are played, one of the people said. Scheduling has been left open since there is no way to determine when the season could start. Opening day has been pushed back from March 26 to mid-May at the earliest, and both sides are committed to playing as many games as possible. Some radical solutions, such as more doubleheaders and playing deep into autumn by using enclosed stadiums and warm-weather sites, have not been thoroughly discussed yet. With the prospect of expected cash not coming in from tickets, broadcast and sponsorship contracts, teams have told the commissioner's office they are fearful they may have to lay off administrative staff. Signing bonuses for amateur players total about $400 million annually. Baseball moved the first round of the draft to Omaha, Nebraska, ahead of the College World Series in June, but the CWS was canceled last week. The international signing period runs from July 2 to June 15. While bonus rules for the draft and international players are part of the collective bargaining agreement, management could attempt to cite the national emergency as reason to make unilateral changes. With a Republican administration in Washington, the union would have a difficult path with a legal challenge before the National Labor Relations Board. The sides also are discussing whether MLB would advance money to players, who get paid only during the regular season. The Uniform Player's Contract has a provision allowing the baseball commissioner to suspend the deal during any national emergency when Major League Baseball is not played. How much money would be advanced and which players the money would go to are also a part of the negotiation. Advances could go to the entire 40-man roster or a subset. Also under discussion is the union's desire to have players receive allowance money, even if they have returned home from spring training. Among the other issues are adjusting salaries, luxury tax rules, revenue sharing and performance bonuses thresholds in the event of a season of fewer than 162 games, and relaxing schedule and roster rules. Getting money to players with minor league contracts, who are not covered by the union, is likely to be decided later by MLB. The sides also are discussing a transaction freeze. https://www.journalreview.com/stories/ap-sources-mlb-could-skip-draft-service-time-big-issue,116175

Probably would offer reimbursement/credit as they are for the Spring sports. Many of you, our valued and passionate Baseball and Softball season ticket holders and ticket purchasers, have asked about your options. We have a few ways you can manage the remaining balance of your ticket and parking purchases. You can gift the remaining value to the Longhorn Foundation, have your account credited for future purchases, or request a refund for your remaining balance by April 3 of this year. You should have received an email with detailed information, but please know you can always reach out to us directly at 512-471-3333. https://texassports.com/news/2020/3/17/forty-acres-insider-march-17.aspx

If Miranda Elish has her way, the final memory that Texas fans have of the ace pitcher won’t be a perfect game. Elish took to Instagram on Sunday to announce that she plans on returning to Texas in 2021. Elish’s senior season was cut short last week due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus. On Thursday, the NCAA cancelled its spring championships. A day later, the Big 12 called off the rest of its springtime competitions. Elish’s plans are contingent on the NCAA giving her an additional year of eligibility. A NCAA committee recently proposed that athletes involved in spring sports be gifted back the year of eligibility they are losing in 2020. Such a plan has not yet been finalized. Additionally, the NCAA has not yet announced how it will handle logistics like the distribution of scholarships and roster sizes. https://www.hookem.com/2020/03/15/after-coronavirus-cancellations-cut-short-her-senior-year-miranda-elish-to-return-to-texas-in-2021/

https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/BuyNew.asp?EventID=307013#.Xmo2YnOSm00 At present time, no fan restrictions. 972-731-9200 Should be a good game. UTA is solid this year (12-4)

Any news on Sullivan ? Hasn't played since Boise St.

Rant warning: The bleachers may be Plonskyesque, similar to the LF dilemma in baseball a few years ago. - The area is now mainly used for tailgaters, mainly player's parents, friends, and others who bring lawn chairs. The players often go there after games to eat with their parents and socialize with the fans. It is a great atmosphere for everyone. Perhaps there will be room, but their space is greatly reduced. - Note the $5 charge. A GA ticket is not much more if any with frequent specials. There are fans that watch the game for free there, like the LF wall. - As seen on TV, a large part of the fan base are young softball players and their families. They will not want to sit in the bleachers to miss the excitement of the stadium, tshirt/prize giveaways, and being on the videoboard. The scoreboard/videoboard can't be fully viewed, if at all, from the bleacher area even if they are on the cameras. Perhaps they will have giveways in the bleachers. - imo, Texas Softball is not yet at the point where bleacher seating is needed. Perhaps temporarily for a Regional or Super Regional or key games, but certainly not on a permanent basis. - May be wrong, we'll see. Maybe it is just a trial for Cat's ceremony. Just hate to see the environment for the parents and fans affected. Boosted by its first No. 1 ranking in 14 years, Texas Softball (20-3) is adding temporary bleacher seating behind the right field wall for the remainder of the season. The new stadium set-up is slated to begin with the Tuesday, March 25 game vs UT Arlington when Cat Osterman's #8 jersey will be retired in pre-game ceremonies. Less than 100 general admission tickets currently remain available for that game at TexasSports.com/Tickets. Once regular stadium seating is completely sold, general admission bleacher seating will become available atTexasSports.com/Tickets. The right field bleachers will have separate entrances, portable restrooms, and concessions available for fans. Tickets will cost just $5 per person and will not include access to the rest of the stadium. https://texassports.com/news/2020/3/5/softball-additional-bleacher-seating-being-added-to-red-charline-mccombs-field.aspx

TAMPA — If George Steinbrenner were alive and still running the Yankees, they’d be looking for new trainers and team doctors -- even after a bunch of them were fired last winter. You can almost hear Steinbrenner bellowing: “Can anyone diagnose a (bleeping) injury around here?” Three of the Yankees biggest -- and highest-paid stars -- outfielder Aaron Judge and pitchers James Paxton and Luis Severino have been sidelined in spring training with injuries they suffered last season. Doctor J could’ve kept the Yankees healthier. Judge, the latest star sidelined in this massive screwup, has a stress fracture to his first right rib that he suffered while diving for a ball in September. The Yankees will reassess Judge after two weeks, they said Friday -- as if Judge, after failing to heal over the past six months will miraculous mend in two weeks. Opening Day is less than three weeks away. And think about what we just said: Judge had a broken bone in his body and Yankees doctors couldn’t find it -- even after Judge told team trainers he heard a “crack” and a “pop" last Sept. 18, when he tried to rob the Angels’ Albert Pujols of a single. After sitting one day, Judge was back in the lineup for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, even though he needed multiple cortisone shots to deal with his pain. As far as we know, the Yankees didn’t run anymore tests, didn’t give Judge a strategy for the offseason, didn’t closely monitor his activities. So, Judge worked out like a maniac, hitting all winter, and throughout November, December and January, there was more shoulder and pec discomfort. “Me pissed about how the season ended last year and the changes I wanted to make, I went right back to it,” Judge said. “We’ve all been through pain, bumps and bruises. In my head, I felt like it was something that I could fight through, and I think that kind of cost me a little bit there.” Judge will begin the 2020 season on the injured list. Who knows when he might be ready to play? Given the way the Yankees have botched this, would it surprise anyone to hear Judge will have surgery and miss the entire season? According to verywellhealth.com, Judge’s injury takes three to six months to heal without surgery. He was told on Friday that he’s probably halfway through the healing process, so best-case scenario he’s six weeks to three months from being healed. https://www.nj.com/yankees/2020/03/it-wasnt-batting-practice-it-was-malpractice-yankees-are-to-blame-for-aaron-judges-botched-diagnosis.html

ss, you gonna' start the baseball thread ? gettin' late 😊

Thanks for the updates, ss. Liberty is pretty solid, wish I had gone to the game. They are 8-11 but have played all the SEC schools, Wash, Flt St, UCLA, split with Michigan, beat Ole Miss. http://www.liberty.edu/flames/index.cfm?PID=36961&teamID=2

From the Fullerton site. Much respect for Coach Vanderhook. Played for Augie at Fullerton. Came from Cali to attend the memorial service at the Erwin Center. So emotional had difficulty in holding his head up. FULLERTON, Calif. – After an eight game homestand, the Titans head to Texas to take on the Longhorns beginning Friday afternoon with first pitch set for 4:30 p.m. PT. Saturday and Sunday will be an early start on the West Coast with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m. PT and 11:30 p.m. PT. This weekend will be a remembrance of the great Augie Garrido, who led both Cal State Fullerton and Texas to national championships. Garrido won national titles in 1979, 1984 and 1995 while at Fullerton and in 2002 and 2005 with Texas. In 21 seasons under Garrido's guidance, the Titans won a total of 929 games. Garrido then led the Longhorns to 824 wins in 20 seasons to bring his career wins total to 1,975, the second-most all-time. With Garrido having led both programs it's not secret as to why Cal State Fullerton and Texas are among the top-10 winningest programs in college baseball history and are two of the seven programs with four or more national titles. The two teams will meet for the first time since 2004 in the College World Series when the Titans defeated the Garrido led Longhorns 3-2 to claim their fourth national championship. https://www.fullertontitans.com/sports/m-basebl/2019-20/releases/20200305twomuu