Would Orioles’ minor league teams be affected by a lockout? | MAILBAG

Question: If there is a delayed start to spring training and the season due to a lockout, will MILB (minor league baseball) start spring training and the season on time? From: Kelly B from Cockeysville

Answer: Kelly, if the major league season is delayed, it won’t affect the minor league season. The minor leagues is under a separate Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Hopefully, the major league season will start on time or close to it, and we won’t have to worry about that.

One way it would affect the minor leagues is that players who are on the 40-man roster but not playing in the majors would be unable to play in the minors. That would generally affect only Triple-A teams.

So, if there’s no baseball in Baltimore for a bit, you can go to Chesapeake, Frederick or Delmarva to watch prospects. In case of an extended labor dispute, I’d be doing that, too.

Question: With the Orioles losing fly balls and popups in the sun this season, why don’t players wear flip-down sunglasses like they did in the past?

I even saw an instance this year where an infielder missed a routine popup by losing it in the sun while having a pair of sunglasses perched on the brim of his hat.

If it was too hard to take them off his hat and put them on to make the play, wouldn’t it be much easier to flip the old-style ones down like Brooks used to do. From: Jim

Answer: Jim, Craig Albernaz was very upset about Rece Hinds losing a ball in the sun last Saturday. That was the only run scored in the game, and he was steamed about it.

Yes, every player should have and use sunglasses, and I remember Buck Showalter during one spring training lamenting that players didn’t wear them, and he wanted them to wear flip-down sunglasses.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.