The Daily Outkick: Friday, February 14, 2020

The Astros’ Front Office Created Codebreaker. The Players Took It From There. (Wall Street Journal) In a 2017 email, an Astros executive called outfielder Carlos Beltrán ‘the godfather of the whole program.’

China Says Six Health Workers Have Died, Singapore Warns Of Recession (CNBC) The United States does “not have high confidence in the information coming out of China” regarding the count of coronavirus cases, a senior administration official told CNBC.

Breaking Down The Astros' Latest Public Relations Meltdown (SI) A public relations expert analyzes the Astros' poor effort to apologize for their sign-stealing scheme.

Bernie Sanders’ Pipe Dreams (Axios) Bernie Sanders has risen to the top of the Democrats’ 2020 pack on the appeal of his far-left idealism and promises of a “revolution” — but he’ll have a hard time turning revolution into reality if he gets the chance.

The QB Commitment Index, Pre–Free Agency Edition (The Ringer) Valentine’s Day is here, and love is in the air for some signal-callers and their teams. Others are headed for an ugly divorce, whether they know it or not.

Joe Manchin, Who Voted To Oust Trump, Says He May Endorse His Reelection (Fox News) “Everybody can change,” Manchin told Politico. “Maybe the president will change, you know? Maybe that uniter will come out, versus the divider.”

Ted Johnson Describes Experience Of Negotiating Contract With Bill Belichick (Yahoo! Sports) To no one's surprise, negotiating contracts with Bill Belichick isn't the most pleasant experience.

Could ‘Somewhat Liberal’ Democrats Hold The Key To The Primary? (538) In entrance and exit polls for the Democratic primaries, and in many other surveys, pollsters often ask respondents to describe their ideology in one of four ways: very liberal, somewhat liberal, moderate or conservative.

Astros Cheating Scandal: MLB Players, Fans React To 'Embarrassing' Press Conference (CBS Sports) People are not exactly buying these apologies.

Warren Says Bloomberg Shouldn’t Be Nominee, Citing Redlining Remarks (New York Times) Her comments about Michael Bloomberg came as she tries to reignite enthusiasm for her campaign.

NBA Viewership Remains Down Compared To Last Year Heading Into All-Star Weekend (Awful Announcing) Viewership is down 12% for the league’s national broadcast partners.

Poll: Is It Acceptable To Recline Your Seat On A Packed Airplane? (For The Win) Are you #TeamRecline or #TeamSeatPunch. Cast your vote below.

Gerrit Cole Gets Yankees Relief Far Away From Astros Dumpster Fire (New York Post) “I guess I’m just fortunate to be able to be here, move past it, and, I guess, get to experience all the great things about coming to a new team.”

Valentine's Day: Do You Know The Origins Of The Holiday? (Fox News) Whether you’re coupled, single, celebrating Galentine’s Day or eulogizing end of ‘cuffing’ season — when Valentine’s Day hits on February 14th, you’ll inexorably be forced to reflect on that status.