Written by Sabrina Bradley on 11 July 2020
Globe Life Field front entrance
Globe Life Field from behind home plate
Rangers 60-game schedule features A.L. and N.L. West Division opponents; Rangers and Rockies to play pair of exhibition games in Arlington, July 21-22
Arlington, Texas – The Texas Rangers are scheduled to play the Colorado Rockies in the first regular season game ever at the new Globe Life Field on Friday, July 24 in the team’s 2020 opener. The complete 2020 60-game schedule was announced today by Major League Baseball.
The Rangers will open the 2020 season with a five-game homestand against N.L. West Division opponents, facing the Rockies on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 24, 25, and 26. The club will then host the Arizona Diamondbacks in a two-game series on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 28-29 before going on a six-game, seven-day trip to San Francisco and Oakland.
The Rangers return home on Friday, August 7 for a six-game homestand that features a pair of A.L. West Division foes, the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners. Texas will be at home for 15 of 23 games between August 7 and 30. The club closes the regular season with a four-game series against the defending A.L. champion Houston Astros, September 24-27 at Globe Life Field.
In the abbreviated 60-game schedule in 2020, the Rangers will play 40 games versus A.L. West Division opponents, 20 at Globe Life Field and 20 on the road. That breaks down to three series and ten total games versus each A.L. West team. Texas will face the five N.L. West Division teams for 20 total contests, 10 at Globe Life Field and 10 on the road. That breaks down to eight total series, four home and four road. The Rangers will host every N.L. West club except San Francisco and will play at each N.L. West park except Los Angeles.
2020 game times were also announced today. For home games against Colorado and Houston, the normal game times will be 7:05 p.m. CT for weekday night games, 6:05 p.m. CT on Saturday, and 1:35 p.m. CT on Sunday. For home games against teams in the Pacific time zone (Arizona, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland, San Diego, Seattle), the normal game times will be 8:05 p.m. CT on weekday nights, 6:05 p.m. CT on Saturday, and 1:35 p.m. CT on Sunday. The club will play several weekday getaway games at 3:05 p.m. CT.
Per agreement with Major League Baseball, the Rangers will play 8:05 p.m. CT weekday night home games versus teams in the Pacific time zone with those clubs starting weekday night home games against Texas at 6:05 p.m. PT/8:05 p.m. CT. Please note that these weekday night game times may be adjusted if fans are allowed to attend 2020 Major League games.
Prior to the start of the regular season, the Rangers and Rockies will play a pair of exhibition games at Globe Life Field on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 21-22 with both contests starting at 7:05 p.m. CT.
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Written by Sabrina Bradley on 11 July 2020
Matt Kemp running bases with Dodgers in 2016 By Keith Allison on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, https commons.wikimedia.org
DENVER – The Colorado Rockies announced earlier in the month that they have agreed to terms with outfielder Matt Kemp on a Minor League contract. Kemp will be added to Colorado’s 60-man player pool and will wear #25. An updated version of Colorado’s player pool roster is attached.
• Kemp, 35, is a three-time All-Star (2011-12, 2018) who has batted .285 (1,780-for-6,248) with 932 runs scored, 335 doubles, 37 triples, 281 home runs and 1,010 RBI over parts of 14 Major League seasons with Los Angeles-NL (2006-14, 2018), San Diego (2015-16), Atlanta (2016-17) and Cincinnati (2019) … played 20 games for the Reds last season, batting .200 (12-for-60) with one home run and five RBI … attended Major League Spring Training with the Miami Marlins prior to the March 13 shutdown, and batted .143 (4-for-28) with two RBI and two walks across 11 Grapefruit League games.
• A two-time Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner (won both awards in 2009 and 2011), Kemp finished second in MVP voting in 2011 after batting .324 (195-for-602) and leading the National League with 115 runs scored and 39 home runs … led all of MLB with 126 RBI … in his career at Coors Field, Kemp has batted .327 (109-for-333) with 63 runs, 23 doubles, five triples, 21 home runs and 77 RBI … the 21 home runs in Denver are tied with Sammy Sosa for the second-most opponent home runs in Coors Field history (most: Barry Bonds, 26) … his 77 opponent RBI at the ballpark rank second behind Adrian González (88).
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Written by Sabrina Bradley on 11 July 2020
Major League Baseball cancels 2020 All-Star Game and awards the 2022 Midsummer Classic to the Dodgers
MLB, Dodgers and Dodgers Foundation maintain commitment to All-Star Legacy Projects this year
Major League Baseball has announced that the 2020 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, which was scheduled to be hosted by the Los Angeles Dodgers and the City of Los Angeles, is being cancelled. With the Atlanta Braves already named as host of the 2021 All-Star Game in Atlanta, the Dodgers will host the next available Midsummer Classic in 2022.
Based on the health circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic that are beyond MLB’s control along with governmental directives prohibiting large gatherings, the league determined it is unable to conduct the All-Star Game and its week of surrounding fan activities this year.
“Once it became clear we were unable to hold this year’s All-Star festivities, we wanted to award the Dodgers with the next available All-Star Game, which is 2022,” said Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. “I want to thank the Dodgers organization and the City of Los Angeles for being collaborative partners in the early stages of All-Star preparation and for being patient and understanding in navigating the uncertainty created by the pandemic. The 2022 All-Star celebration promises to be a memorable one with events throughout the city and at picturesque Dodger Stadium.”
Said Dodger President & CEO Stan Kasten, “As excited as we were to host this year’s All-Star Game, we know that it will be worth the wait and that Dodger Stadium and Los Angeles will host a world-class event in 2022. We’d like to thank Commissioner Rob Manfred for re-awarding All-Star Week to Los Angeles so quickly, as well as Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Gil Cedillo for their continued support of this premier sporting event, which will have lasting benefits for our community.”
Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Dodgers Foundation (LADF) will honor their commitment to four All-Star Legacy Projects totaling $1.7 million. Originally scheduled to be revealed leading into the All-Star Game this year, the four projects will be unveiled at another time in 2020 (or when it is safe to gather) and will benefit the communities of South Los Angeles, Downtown Skid Row, Lincoln Heights and Chinatown. Additional All-Star Legacy Community project details are below.
“COVID-19 has forced us to make a lot of tough calls and sacrifices — and while it may have disrupted our plans for this year, we can’t wait to welcome baseball’s best to Los Angeles for the 2022 All-Star Game,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “The Dodgers have always brought Angelenos together and baseball has helped America heal time and again. I look forward to welcoming fans from all over the world to our city and Dodger Stadium for this Midsummer Classic.”
“I am thrilled that Council District 1 – home to the legendary Dodger Stadium – will get to host Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game here in 2022. This jewel event will give Los Angeles the opportunity to showcase all it has to offer fans from across the country, and we continue to be committed to making this an event that will leave a significant and lasting impact on our community,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo.
This 2022 All-Star Game will mark the fourth time in franchise history that the Dodgers will hold the Midsummer Classic, including the third time in Los Angeles and the second at Dodger Stadium, which last staged the event in 1980. Previously, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was the site of the second All-Star Game of the 1959 season and in the franchise’s Brooklyn lineage, Ebbets Field hosted the 1949 All-Star Game.
2020 All-Star Legacy Project Descriptions
All-Star Dodgers Dreamfield Upgrades at Gilbert Lindsay Park (South Los Angeles)
Located in South Los Angeles, Gilbert Lindsay Park was built on the site of the first “Wrigley Field,” where the Pacific Coast League (PCL) Angels played from 1925-1957 and the Los Angeles Angels played in 1961. The current Dodgers Dreamfield at Gilbert Lindsay Park, originally renovated in 2005, will receive significant upgrades to support programming, provide a safe and quality place for young women to play softball, and to strengthen community engagement. Enhancements will include a field makeover, new fencing and warning track, new bullpens, solar scoreboards, upgrades to the sprinkler system and the addition of a concrete path and ADA-accessible bleachers. The field will be home to the Natasha Watley Softball League and LADF’s Dodgers RBI program partners.
All-Star Dodgers Dreamfields at Lincoln Park (Lincoln Heights)
One of the city’s oldest parks, Lincoln Park offers six acres of playing fields, green space and walkways next to the Los Angeles River, in addition to extensive programming offered through the adjacent Lincoln Park Recreation Center. This project will renovate the two existing ballfields to include field makeovers, new lights and fencing with windscreen, new bullpens, new solar scoreboards, dugout roofs and foul poles, and upgrades to the sprinkler/watering system. The upgraded fields will be utilized by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and LADF’s Dodgers RBI programs.
All-Star Dodgers Dreamfield at William Mead Homes (Chinatown)
Boys & Girls Clubs of West San Gabriel Valley operates six locations in Los Angeles, including the William Mead Clubhouse, which supports nearly 200 members. In partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, this project will renovate an existing ballfield (currently unplayable) into a safe and quality place to play for Clubhouse kids and nearly 3,500 youth in the community. Renovations include a complete field makeover and installation of fencing, windscreens, scoreboard, backstop signage and more. Upgrades will also be made to the Club’s outdoor space creating a safe, enjoyable space to engage teen members.
All-Star Veterans Courtyard (Downtown Skid Row)
The Veterans Service Center, operated by Volunteers of America Los Angeles, is the first point of contact for homeless veterans in Downtown LA. In collaboration with veteran-led organization The Mission Continues, this effort will upgrade existing outdoor gathering space facilities in Skid Row/Downtown LA for veterans receiving day services and those in long-term housing on site, with the following: painting and cosmetic repairs to existing structures and new lighting, new landscaping (refreshed green space, garden beds) and meditation garden, new outdoor dining space, upgraded workout equipment, new benches, and additional beautification projects.
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Written by Sabrina Bradley on 11 July 2020
Rogers Center in Toronto Panoramic view of Blue Jays game with open roof 2006 photo CC BY-SA 3.0, https commons.wikimedia.org
The Toronto Blue Jays have announced that its summer training camp will be staged at Rogers Centre in preparation for the 2020 MLB season. Players and club personnel are currently completing intake screening in Dunedin, FL, where they will board private charter flights to Toronto this weekend. Only those that test negative for COVID-19 during the intake process will be permitted to join the travelling party to Canada.
The plan for hosting summer training camp in Toronto required government and public health approval at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels. At its core, the plan necessitates players and club personnel to enter a closed environment at Rogers Centre, which is isolated from the general public. In collaboration with public health agencies, the Blue Jays have established comprehensive protocols to ensure the highest standards of health and safety are met prior to and during travel, and to create a cohort quarantine environment at Rogers Centre and the adjoining hotel. These protocols will be in place in addition to those outlined in the 2020 MLB Operations Manual. Please see the attached health and safety summary for more information.
While no final decision has been made on a site for Blue Jays regular season home games, the club’s preference remains Rogers Centre. The team continues to pursue this option with the health and safety of the general public and the team at the forefront. The Blue Jays will communicate updates about the regular season as information becomes available.
The Blue Jays would like to thank the municipal, provincial, and federal governments and public health agencies for their care and consideration through this process. The team is honoured to represent an entire nation and will take great pride and responsibility in staging training camp safely on Canadian soil.
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Written by Sabrina Bradley on 11 July 2020
Jonathan Lucroy with Texas in 2016 By Keith Allison on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, https commons.wikimedia.org
BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox have added catcher Jonathan Lucroy to their Club Player Pool. He will participate in Major League Summer Camp as a non-roster invitee.
Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.
The Red Sox have 48 players in their Club Player Pool, including 37 members of the 40-man roster and 11 non-roster invitees.
BOSTON RED SOX CLUB PLAYER POOL (48)
PITCHERS (24): Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Colten Brewer, Austin Brice, Nathan Eovaldi, Matt Hall, Kyle Hart, Heath Hembree, Darwinzon Hernandez, Brian Johnson, Robinson Leyer, Chris Mazza, Collin McHugh, Josh Osich, Martín Pérez, Eduardo Rodriguez, Mike Shawaryn, Jeffrey Springs, Domingo Tapia, Josh Taylor, Phillips Valdez, Marcus Walden, Ryan Weber, Brandon Workman
CATCHERS (6): Jett Bandy, Juan Centeno, Jonathan Lucroy, Kevin Plawecki, Christian Vázquez, Connor Wong
INFIELDERS (11): Jonathan Araúz, Xander Bogaerts, C.J. Chatham, Michael Chavis, Bobby Dalbec, Rafael Devers, Marco Hernández, Tzu-Wei Lin, Mitch Moreland, Yairo Muñoz, José Peraza
OUTFIELDERS (7): John Andreoli, Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., J.D. Martinez, Kevin Pillar, César Puello, Alex Verdugo
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