This is the weather forecast for the Mets’ series in Colorado this week:

Doesn’t Thursday look beautiful? Spring hasn’t yet sprung for the Mets, who opened at home before going to Philadelphia. They played last weekend in snowy Minnesota; Sunday’s game was postponed due to inclement weather. Whether they will play their four-game series as scheduled in Colorado is uncertain, but unlikely.

I realize MLB scheduling is complex—teams want more home games in the summer and prefer home stands during holiday weekends—but let’s use some common sense here. Players shouldn’t have to dress like this.

I spoke with Peter Greenberg, a sports agent who represents many prominent Latin players, today and asked him about how his clients are handling the lower temperatures. He said it’s possible some young Latin players won’t have played in the cold until they reach the majors, as decisions about which minor leagues to send players to are sometimes based on the weather. Greenberg said that “typically Latin players don’t like playing in the cold,” but it’s something they must deal with, particularly this season. “There’s always a concern about injuries, especially with pitchers,” he said, referring to all players taking the field in colder temperatures. Performance and injury risk relative to the weather is nearly impossible to assess across the sport, but teams should be monitoring their players on a case-by-case basis.

Now that we’ve warmed up, let’s look at other noteworthy items from the first two weeks of the season:
Continue reading Call to the Pen: Cold Weather, Jay-Z the Agent and More →