Phils & Covid

[nycphils]

“Secret lizard people”

Well, that’s less dangerous than accusing the Jews as per the usual ridiculous accusation of who runs the world, I guess.

The movie Idiocracy looms as more and more prescient every day. Soon we will be spraying Brawndo on the crops.

[bkox]

“Secret lizard people”

Well, that’s less dangerous than accusing the Jews as per the usual ridiculous accusation of who runs the world, I guess.

The movie Idiocracy looms as more and more prescient every day. Soon we will be spraying Brawndo on the crops.

That guy that set the bomb off in downtown Nashville on Christmas Day also believed in the lizard people and 5g conspiracies

[BaseballCat]

Sorry - perhaps I should not say this - but this women looks half lizard...
Gosh, as a science teacher this idiotic non-thinking pains me. How can they think most of this stuff is true, let alone someone that claims to be a doctor?

[julio]

Much as I'm willing to just define non-vaxxers as idiots, the other side of this coin is this. While there are exceptions, the bulk of those avoiding the COVID vaccines fall into two groups: African Americans and white evangelical Christians.

• Many African Americans are suspicious of any health information that comes from Washington... and with good historical reason. Too many times, our enlightened society has used African Americans as guinea pigs.

• Many Evangelicals are being told by their faith leaders that either they don't need the vaccines (God will provide!), or that the vaccines are tainted (developed or tested using stem cell lines derived - 40 years ago - from aborted fetuses). Add to that reinforcement from their most widely watched secular news sources (Fox News, OAN, Newsmax), and they've been sold a bill of goods. Now, I would characterize them as foolish for believing what they're being told by any of those sources (including their pastors), but if you've spent your life in an evangelical faith tradition, you've long since been conditioned to trust these faith leaders.

With the AAs, it's a matter of trust - and the solution there, I think, is to reach them using messengers they trust. Barack and Michelle Obama come to mind. Black faith leaders (assuming these people are not caught up in the "God will provide" subculture).

With the evangelicals... I have no idea. I'm not sure most of them are reachable.

By the way, even though I'm skeptical of the reality of God, I understand enough Christian theology to appreciate that the "God will provide" argument is bunk.

To this last point, reflect on this (apocryphal) story:

It rained steadily for three weeks. The river rose, and burst its banks, flooding the neighborhood. As the waters approached the house, the local police came, urging the family to evacuate, and offering a lift.

"No, thank you, officer," the father replied. "God will provide."

The waters continued to rise, and the family was forced to retreat to the second floor. Fortunately, the local fire department had floor rescue personnel, who came by in their boat to rescue the family.

"No thank you," the father told the fireman. "God will provide."

The waters continued their rise, and the family climbed on the roof of their house, as even the attic began to take water. As things looked bleak, a National Guard helicopter appeared overhead, offering to lift the family members to safety.

"No, thank you, the family's father said. "God will provide."

Shortly thereafter, the family was swept off the roof by the raging waters, and all drowned. When the family approached the pearly gates, the father spoke, angrily, to St. Peter.

"We had faith - great faith. We believed that God would provide. Why did God abandon us, and let us all die?"

God (who was standing off to St. Peter's right) looked at the father, and said, "Why did I not provide? Why did I not provide? I sent you a police officer! I sent you a fire rescue boat! I sent you a helicopter! I provided you with a path to safety - three times!"

We have multiple vaccines that work, that show all signs of being effective and extremely safe. If you are among those who believe that "God will provide" - well, He has. He cannot force you to accept his gift. That's on you.

[LoneStarPhan]

Those vax numbers have changed my mind on the approach to the trade deadline. IF the players don't care about the post season, then DD should become a seller and try to stockpile some talent for 2022 and 2023. I would certainly use vaccination status as a major consideration in any deals. Dump unvaccinated and trade only for vaccinated players.

Can the evangelicals not see that they have already been sent 3 chances to be prepared to face this pandemic? I have always believed that God expects us to do our part. Given 3 viable, effective, and overwhelmingly safe vaccines to fight COVID, why would they expect God to protect them if they refuse to avail themselves of what has been provided.

Again, I am almost beside myself with disappointment in the Phillies' players who are behaving so irresponsibly.

[bkox]

Dump unvaccinated and trade only for vaccinated players.

I keep seeing this thought... but what it the unvaccinated include Harper, Wheeler and Realmuto?

And can teams legally ask about another team's player's vaccine status?

[LoneStarPhan]

I do not say trade all unvaccinated players, but try to make those you are trading, selected from the unvaccinated. I absolutely would not bring any unvaccinated player on board. Clearly, some unvaccinated may be among those you would not trade, although I certainly would have some talks with the team leaders (vaccinated or unvaccinated) about the importance to the TEAM of getting everyone the vaccine.

[andyb]

And can teams legally ask about another team's player's vaccine status?

Yes. There is no federal law preventing this and Pennsylvania is not one of the handful of states that has passed a law making this illegal. I am sure teams know their own internal status. They might not be able to disclose it to other teams however.

Baseball really should enforce masks for unvaccinated players all the time except during the game itself. That might prevent all these contact tracing absences. If the Phillies have 12 unvaccinated players, they could literally be without almost half their roster on a day's notice because of contact tracing rules.

[allentown]

I keep seeing this thought... but what it the unvaccinated include Harper, Wheeler and Realmuto?

Well, if they can be traded, then we lose some big salaries. There is a more severe problem when the team leaders adopt the anti-vax position. A clear majority of baseball teams have reached at least 85% vaccinated, while we have nearly 50% of our players refusing the jab. This isn't a matter of individual choice, this is a matter of team culture. It is a team culture that is fairly unique to our team (with about 3/4 of teams meeting the 85% goal, I'm guessing few teams are floating around 50%}. So... if we are fairly unique in not being willing to get a vaccination, which close to 70% of adults 21+ have gotten and a large majority of MLB players have received, what does this say about Phillies culture. We are a team with a long history of underperforming after 2008 and then not even reaching .500 for a decade. It would be fair to say we have a culture of losing. The losing can't be blamed on the owners not spending $. If you won't take the jab to win, what else won't you do to win? We gave millions to LGJ, who quickly ate himself out of baseball. Our scouts decided he was a fit in Philies culture. Refusing the jab may be a 'personal choice', but it seems to be a red flag indication that the team culture stinks.

We know that Republicans and Evangelicals and African Americans have lower vax rates and greater fear of the jab. Are the demographics of the Phillies players that different from the rest of MLB? Who is it that drives the culture? Is it the player leaders, on-field staff, upper management, ownership.

If Harper, Realmuto, and Wheeler are the ones driving this losers' culture, then fine with me if they are traded.

On the other hand, do the Phillies draft and trade for players of a particular political/religious/philosophical belief system. Anti-vaxxers are a distinct minority in America. They are half our team.

[Squire]

I can pretty much guarantee you that Bryce Harper is among the non-vaccinated.

[zambonir]

I have always assumed as much, and am kind of shocked the press hasn't asked. Even if they just get a no-comment.

There's really only two conclusions: that the leaders are among the unvaxxed, or that they are bad leaders.

Anti-vaxxers are a distinct minority in America. They are half our team.

Anti-vaxxers may be a distinct minority, but the gap between our team's vaccination rate and the national vaccination rate isn't that large, and most of our presumed unvaccinated American players come from places where it's actually lower than the team's rate (Wheeler's home county in Georgia, for instance was at 30% last time I looked).

[schillingfan]

But all of our players are of age to be vaccinated. We should be higher than 60% of all Americans, which includes those who can’t be vaccinated.

[flyers19rw]

The CBA expires in December. I’ll be surprised if the owners don’t push for something in the new one that addresses this situation. It may not make vaccinations mandatory but this getting paid for missed play should be gone.

[zambonir]

Pretty sure the 60% number is adults. I don't think it even includes the 12-18 range, as that group only became eligible more recently.

[bkox]

this is total population.. including kids that arent eligible yet. Just under 50%.

sadly the Philles are about average if you look at the 18-24 and 25-39 age ranges.

[schillingfan]

Yeah that came out wrong. As of today 49.8% of all Americans are vaccinated, 60% of all adults, meaning we should be higher than 60%, as there is strong encouragement, motivation and education of the players, yet we are at the rate of all Americans, which includes children. In other words, I’m aghast!

[zambonir]

So really - alas - the team and our minor leaguers are not at all an outlier for their age groups, where 45-50% have not even gotten a first shot.

[flyers19rw]

Falter and Hammer on to the Covid list

[zambonir]

Fun!

This really has the potential to be a special moment in the history of the Philadelphia Phillies, right up there with '64, 10,000 losses and drafting J.D. Drew.

[LoneStarPhan]

https://twitter.com/ToddZolecki/status/1417613928927055878

It's almost comical how the Phillies continue to screw the team's chances. It is one thing to have bad luck but quite a different thing to make deliberate choices that undermine your team.

Moniak and Llovera added to the active roster to replace Falter and Hammer.

Time for the fans to rise up and call out the players that are at fault.