Tuesday Morning Hot Links

The Astros beat the Royals 6-3. Lance McCullers threw 5IP, 4H/1ER, 6K:0BB.

McCullers:
The word for the day for me was 'grateful.' I was grateful for the ability for the stars to align for us to play tonight with the weather that was possible. Grateful for my teammates and the opportunity to pitch on a big league mound. It was a good day.

Chandler Rome: McCullers showed the Astros he's ready for the regular season.

Josh Reddick and Martin Maldonado each hit two-run homers.

Aledmys Diaz was the DH over Tucker because Diaz needs the PAs.

The bullpen will be the problem.

*Ryan Pressly will be the Astros' closer until Roberto Osuna returns from...whatever he is returning from. Also, Dusty on traveling to Kansas City:
The major difference was guys were yelling across the cabin versus going over and talking to them because you had to stay in your seat. That's going to be really challenging, especially for the real social guys, to stay in your seat. Guys like to play cards on long trips to Seattle or something like that.

*Dusty said that the travel to Kansas City was "typical minor-league activity"

*Justin Verlander, on what getting the ball on Opening Day 2020 means to him.

*The Athletic did an AL West roundtable. It's very well-done, and I love Jake Kaplan, but Levi Weaver needs to be a National Baseball voice.

Throwback to Jake Kaplan's February piece on Cristian Javier's "Invisiball."

*It has been (now) 18 days since there has been any sort of update regarding Yordan and Urquidy. God bless God bless.

*Nine years ago last night Jose Altuve made his Major League debut. Your MLB hits leaders since July 20, 2011:

1. Altuve - 1567
2. Robinson Cano - 1395
3. Eric Hosmer (?) - 1387
4. Adam Jones - 1386
5. Freddie Freeman - 1361
5. Starlin Castro - 1361
7. Nick Markakis - 1357
8. Elvis Andrus - 1345
9. Paul Goldschmidt - 1337
10. Mike Trout - 1323

*ESPN's Sam Miller, who I generally appreciate and respect: What We Lose When We Can't Boo The Astros. Some reactions, as I read this piece:

1. No, no one in Minute Maid Park would boo the Astros on Opening Day.
2. It's a good history of booing and sign-stealing.
3. Sam Miller is a good writer, and has been a Net Positive for baseball coverage at ESPN dawt cawm.
4. Aubrey Huff is an insufferable prick, and needs to be remembered forever as such.
5. Boo whoever and whatever you want.

*ESPN says to take the Astros at -130 to win the AL West.

*FanGraphs' David Laurilia: Brent Strom remembers his MLB debut. It's a delight.

*Clayton Kershaw is actually a Good Person, no matter what shirt he wears over 162 games (and however many postseason games result in not-a-World-Series).

*The Brain Geniuses at MLBHQ started to take a look at modernizing Base Ball. Did it include accountability of umpires? No! Did it include making sure that you could take your family to a game for less than $200? Haha! Did they save the minor-leagues? Getouttatown! No, the Best and Brightest decided that maybe you could press a button to boo someone and it would play over the loudspeakers. You know that saying that the worst thing about Christianity is actual Christians? The worst thing about Baseball is MLB.

*I Didn't Know Why I Was Running Until I Was Forced To Stand Still. I've had some setbacks recently, given the general cultural climate, in my goals regarding my overall health, but I'm sort of planning today to recommit to it.

*An Oxford University COVID vaccine is promising.

*AL.com: Inside College Football's Coronavirus Information War.

*Freakin' Bryan Adams and Sporty Spice did a duet a long time ago that I had forgotten about, but remembered this morning, so if this (banger) has to be in my head, then it shall be in yours also: