Mariners Moose Tracks, 3/29/20: Rangers good, Astros bad, COVID-19 the worst, Bartolo excellent

Hello from my particular quarantine island. Big day yesterday: I went out for the first time in a week to pick up dinner. After cooking all week I promised myself One (1) Reward of takeout, supporting a local business, and also if I had to do one single more dish I would pitch them all into the yard and shoot them with a shotgun, Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead-style (an excellent quarantine movie if you are looking for one). I scoured West Seattle Blog for a list of restaurants that are open and seeking business, carefully weighed my choices, and finally decided: Mexican; specifically, a burrito the size of my head. I called and arranged for curbside pickup, and reader, I was not but up the driveway when some fellow walking his dog decided to give me a Long Hard Stare, disapproving twist to the lip and all. The disgust! The judgery! I must beseech you all: DO NOT DO THIS. Definitely stay at home, if your work allows! Definitely only venture out when necessary and safe! Remember that we live in a city and stick to your own neighborhood, which is defined by THE LIMIT OF HOW FAR YOU CAN WALK, not bicycle or drive, yes I feel very strongly about this which is why I’m getting all my exercise in house (okay, playing Just Dance) and not walking around everywhere. But also, there’s no need to be outright aggressive to people just trying to complete a necessary task like pick up dinner because having to make one more recipe with the jumbo pack of chicken thighs you found at Fred Meyer will make you flavor the meat with your tears. JUST SAYING. Okay, rant over. On to the links:

In Mariners news:

Alas, friends, I got nothin. Perhaps I could interest you in some ex-Mariners news?

If you’re counting, that means the Zunino children are Rhett and Paisley, and I’m pretty sure they’re building a new-country supergroup over there.

• I have been collecting stories from Mariners prospects as they attempt to figure out ways to get their work in under difficult circumstances. Today’s entry is AquaSox pitcher Jarod Bayless, who threw uphill off concrete at an empty carwash under a gathering tornado and then came home and recorded a video telling young pitchers how they too could use the tools at their disposal:

Around the league:

• Baseball-related coronavirus cases have been cropping up much more slowly than I thought they would, given the proximity shared by most players both in work and home situations (and probably a large amount of this is due to unreported cases among healthy individuals), but it’s the coaches I’ve been worried about, who mostly fall squarely within the high-risk demographic. Those fears were confirmed today with this announcement that a beloved A’s minor-league coach is on life support:

(By the way, the reason I say “life support” and not “a ventilator” is because I saw a tweet the other day that pointed out the fact that “ventilator” feels like it undersells the severity of what the machine does: it breathes for people. When people talk about someone being on life support, they’re usually talking about someone who is on a ventilator. From all accounts, “Webby” is treasured by the players with whom he has worked, and we are all hoping for the best for him.)

• Speaking of baseball legends fighting off COVID-19:

• Feels like things were getting a little heavy, so let me just remind you that the Astros thankfully will not let us forget they truly suck.
• I have been thinking about this Joey Gallo tweet a lot today:

Like, definitely the sound of him hitting the ball is probably upsetting (LOUD NOISES and all), but it seems like that would be...kind of it? The net dampens any noise beyond that, especially because it’s on a carpet. Granted those industrial loft-type apartments with high ceilings are pretty much noiseboxes in my experience, but I don’t know, I feel like I’ve lived with worse neighbors. Props to JG for being considerate, though. I am really unhappy that between this and the way he looks in the powder blue unis my off-season appreciation of Joey Gallo has increased by multitudes. 2020, when will your reign of terror end?

• [Stares in minor leaguer] Stay vigilant, friends.

Kate’s pick:

It’s been a hard week. You deserve this.