Elephant Rumblings: A’s bleacher fans have social distance party on Zoom

A’s Coverage:

• Slusser: Coronavirus risks have A’s wary of reported MLB plan to start season in May ($)
• Coffey: Photographer Michael Zagaris keeps giving us a look behind teams’ closed doors ($$$)
• Brazil: Mike Fiers, Jesús Luzardo build close bond while social distancing in pandemic
• Brazil (video): How Mike Fiers rewarded Profar and Laureano after they helped keep his no-no intact
• Hickey: Athletics Bench Coach Christenson Sees Open Questions About a Potential Spring Training II
• Hickey: How Will MLB Make Up for the Sounds of Silence in Empty Stadiums?
• Gallegos: Who will have the A’s next retired number?

Best of AN:

• Oakland A’s trivia: Career home run list
• Oakland A’s Moneyball: The Autograph Hunter, Part 2

MLB News:

• Rosenthal: Some in government support plan for baseball’s return; obstacles remain

Baseball Interest Stories:

• Clemens: Baseball in Arizona — Could it Work?
• Edwards: Assessing Reliever Value in a Shorter Season
• Todd: Mike Clevinger, The One That Got Away From The Halos
• Castrovince: How Wilmer Flores’ tears changed baseball history
• Trivia: Can you guess which star’s autograph this is?
• Posnanski: Favorite Players — Fernando Valenzuela ($$$)
• Jaffe: Remembering Al Kaline, Mr. Tiger (1934-2020)
• Baseball America: Explaining The 20-80 Baseball Scouting Scale ($$$)

Today in Baseball History:

• 1912 - In the first game ever played at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox defeat Harvard University in an exhibition game played in a snow storm.
• 1913 - The Brooklyn Superbas and Philadelphia Phillies play the first game in the history of Ebbets Field. A crowd of 10,000 watches the visiting Phillies win, 1 - 0. The new ballpark is named after Brooklyn owner Charles Ebbets.
• 1965 - U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson joins 47,878 fans for the opening of Harris County Domed Stadium (the Astrodome). The Houston Astros win an exhibition game against the New York Yankees, 2 - 1, in 12 innings. Yankees outfielder Mickey Mantle hits the first-ever indoor home run in the new park.
• 1971 - The Oakland Athletics trade 1B/OF Felipe Alou to the New York Yankees in exchange for two prospects. In 1972, Alou’s younger brother, Matty, will join him in New York pinstripes. The Yankees will acquire him in another deal with Oakland.
• 1981 - On Opening Day, Dodgers rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, in replacement of injured starter Jerry Reuss, shuts out the visiting Astros, 2 - 0, on five hits, in his first major league start. Valenzuela will go on to win eight consecutive games.
• 1993 - At Mile High Stadium, the Colorado Rockies beat the Montreal Expos, 11 - 4, for their first victory ever and set a National League record for attendance in their home debut. The crowd of 80,227 breaks the NL record of 78,672 set on April 18, 1958, by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• 1994 - Recently-retired NBA legend Michael Jordan makes his professional baseball debut by going hitless for AA Birmingham. Chattanooga is a 10 - 3 winner over the White Sox affiliate club.
• 2001 - Pittsburgh’s PNC Park makes its major league debut as hometown product Sean Casey leads the visiting Reds past the Pirates, 8 - 2. The Reds first baseman, who hit the first home run ever at Miller Park three days ago, goes 4 for 4 and again has the honor of hitting the first home run in a major league park’s history. The bat which was used to hit both historic homers is sent to the Hall of Fame.

Best of Twitter:

Rooted in Zoom

Catfish’s birthday was yesterday, but this stat may live on forever with the modern downtick in wins for starting pitchers.

Nailed it

Hand-shaking was always an overvalued commodity

Ripken just joined Twitter and he’s already HOF-caliber at it

Not exactly baseball-related, but will hopefully put a smile on your face to start your day!