COVID-19 impact on MLB season

[adambr2]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/06/rob-manfred-no-longer-confident-2020-season-will-occur.html

 

Manfred is the worst commissioner ever. You literally said just days ago that there would 100% be a season this year.

[folly412]

I'd rather they just called it something like the "MLB Championship Series" if there ends up being a season. A 50 game season starting in August, brought on by owners and players hating each other, featuring a dumb schedule and no fans...that doesn't culminate in a World Series. Just be honest that we're watching the baseball equivalent of the NIT.

[JimH5]

The demand that players waive any legal claims against the league is a deal breaker. No employee in any industry would give their employer such protection.

 

Add this episode to the list of failures on Manfred's record. He's been a terrible commissioner. At a time when the game needs innovation and growth, he's offered nothing.

[TURBO]

Just cancel the season. I've seen parts of Bundesliga matches since they started play again. I don't want to watch MLB in generic stadiums with no fans, playing only a 1/3 of the schedule. Will I? Sure, but it will be really weird and if the Brewers win a WS this way both the journey and end result won't be as satisfying for me. I'll take it, but I woud rather just punt on this season and win it next year.

 

I have a tough time understanding this line of thinking. Whether they have any sort of season this year will likely have no bearing on next year, so why not play in 2020? The game being played on the field is still gonna be baseball, and any baseball this summer would be better than none in my opinion.

 

[MillerParkSouth]

I didn't think it was possible for anyone to hate the game of baseball more than Manfred does, but the owners are lapping him. It's unbelievable and insanely frustrating since this is all so avoidable.

[owbc]

Are the owners playing some sort of perverted long game where they throw baseball in the trash for a year in order to extract concessions from the players in the 2021 CBA when the players are desperate for a paycheck?

[bucks2281]

The demand that players waive any legal claims against the league is a deal breaker. No employee in any industry would give their employer such protection.

 

Add this episode to the list of failures on Manfred's record. He's been a terrible commissioner. At a time when the game needs innovation and growth, he's offered nothing.

 

Seems like MLB is stalling on implementing the 50 game season, so the Union has less of a leg to stand on when they file their grievance.

[pacopete4]

If I’m the players, I don’t sign another collective bargain agreement without it including a new commissioner. If the owners want to stand by that fool, be willing to strike.

[Thurston Fluff]

Maybe I'm just just playing devils advocate here but is Manfred the problem or is this sort of a killing the messenger thing? I really don't know if he's the voice or the brain.

[folly412]

Maybe I'm just just playing devils advocate here but is Manfred the problem or is this sort of a killing the messenger thing? I really don't know if he's the voice or the brain.

 

I would have to hope commissioners are just the voice, simply because I've never understood how the role across all sports is essentially a lifetime appointment. Owners in every league have to be doing damn well, since the shareholders in any other industry would have fired the CEO multiple times over if they presided over the problems of a Bettman, Goodell, or Selig, or were as weak as Manfred.

[JimH5]

The demand that players waive any legal claims against the league is a deal breaker. No employee in any industry would give their employer such protection.

 

Add this episode to the list of failures on Manfred's record. He's been a terrible commissioner. At a time when the game needs innovation and growth, he's offered nothing.

 

Seems like MLB is stalling on implementing the 50 game season, so the Union has less of a leg to stand on when they file their grievance.

 

That sounds like the timing of it fits, but it's pretty gross when industry expects employees to assume all the risk related to getting sick during a pandemic.

 

Employers should be expected to provide reasonable care in trying to keep employees safe. Waiving away rights puts all of that burden on the players.

[crossface21]

The demand that players waive any legal claims against the league is a deal breaker. No employee in any industry would give their employer such protection.

 

Add this episode to the list of failures on Manfred's record. He's been a terrible commissioner. At a time when the game needs innovation and growth, he's offered nothing.

 

Seems like MLB is stalling on implementing the 50 game season, so the Union has less of a leg to stand on when they file their grievance.

 

 

This is exactly what I read on Twitter from a writer. MLB is going to stall long enough to where the MLBPA can't greive the amount of games that are being proposed. And even then, how many players are going to play? This whole thing sucks. This shows that this was all about the owners saving money and cutting everything down to 1/3 this season to save money.

 

Will the players strike next year to gain some leverage for the upcoming CBA negotiations?

 

We aren't going to see meaningful baseball till like 2023.

[NYChez]

Players in all sports, including college, are going to need to decide whether they (through salary or overall scholarships) would prefer a less just portion of a larger pie or a more just portion of a substantially smaller pie.

 

Each day this goes on, more fans will be turned off (especially with the realization that they’ve survived three months without sports), and the pie will become permanently smaller.

[Mr Southpaw]

Players in all sports, including college, are going to need to decide whether they (through salary or overall scholarships) would prefer a less just portion of a larger pie or a more just portion of a substantially smaller pie.

 

Each day this goes on, more fans will be turned off (especially with the realization that they’ve survived three months without sports), and the pie will become permanently smaller.

 

Nice point. Life goes on without rich players and richer owners.

[MrTPlush]

Manfred’s job is essentially to work for the owners...people can continue to blame Manfred, but he is really just a puppet to what owners want. One of Manfred’s main job is TV money and Trevor Bauer hits the nail on the head with what is going on. Owners only want to play so many games at prorated salaries and want the season to end so the playoff schedule doesn’t change. All about $$$$$ and especially postseason money. So basically the owners want to stall until what they want is the longest and best option to take. Thus, giving the players no option but to accept.

 

It’s kinda of genius to be honest...terrible for the players and the fans though. As the turd show continues daily my willingness to keep my season tickets is growing less and less by the day. I invested a lot of money outside of that into baseball too...I’ve kind of enjoyed that lack of expense this year.

[wallus]

2020 really is a crazy year. I am reading that Brewers fans wouldn't enjoy a World Series title as much this year so therefore what is the point. Last time I checked we haven't won anything and 1982 still reigns supreme. Some of us on here weren't alive to enjoy that season and would like to win one in their lifetimes, even if it is a short season.

[homer]

https://sports.theonion.com/fantasy-baseball-league-commissioner-knows-handling-of-1844049663

[Jimbo]

Just cancel the season. I've seen parts of Bundesliga matches since they started play again. I don't want to watch MLB in generic stadiums with no fans, playing only a 1/3 of the schedule. Will I? Sure, but it will be really weird and if the Brewers win a WS this way both the journey and end result won't be as satisfying for me. I'll take it, but I woud rather just punt on this season and win it next year.

 

Pretty much agree with this. I've watched a few German matches as well and I just get this feel I'm watching exhibition matches. Although, a few stadiums have piped in crowd noises (including jeering the referee) and still use a PA announcer. Corny as it sounds, it does add a dimension to it. I'm thinking the rescheduled Tour de France in September may be the first normal event, since they have zero reliance on ticket sales, just sponsorships and TV ads. Spectators can still line the roads. I've already stated my thoughts on any 2020 baseball season.

[jerichoholicninja]

The demand that players waive any legal claims against the league is a deal breaker. No employee in any industry would give their employer such protection.

 

Add this episode to the list of failures on Manfred's record. He's been a terrible commissioner. At a time when the game needs innovation and growth, he's offered nothing.

 

Seems like MLB is stalling on implementing the 50 game season, so the Union has less of a leg to stand on when they file their grievance.

 

 

This is exactly what I read on Twitter from a writer. MLB is going to stall long enough to where the MLBPA can't greive the amount of games that are being proposed. And even then, how many players are going to play? This whole thing sucks. This shows that this was all about the owners saving money and cutting everything down to 1/3 this season to save money.

 

Will the players strike next year to gain some leverage for the upcoming CBA negotiations?

 

We aren't going to see meaningful baseball till like 2023.

 

Well, ya, that's what the owners have been saying all along. They've been pretty clear this whole time about why they are doing what they are doing.

[owbc]

Well, ya, that's what the owners have been saying all along. They've been pretty clear this whole time about why they are doing what they are doing.

 

And as a side effect they have created unprecedented unity in the players' union and have turned the vast majority of MLB fans against them.

[monty57]

I think this thing is as much about service time as it is anything else. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I heard that if the season isn't played, the players will accrue one year's service time. However if games are played, the players will only accrue as much service time as there are games played. Hence, the Commissioner's statement that games will be played. Players want/need to get paid, and the owners aren't giving up a full year's service time.

 

The owners are probably losing money in every scenario, so they have figured that their best-case scenario is to play 50 games, which should give them an extra year of "control" over young players (not sure how it would effect veterans on guaranteed contracts), while losing the least amount of money. The only way it could get better for them is if players agree to lower salaries for additional games played.

 

Players are losing a lot of money as well. Many players will probably lose their homes if they don't get paid this year. Their best case was to play enough games to get them a full season's service time (I believe that was 114 games), so that's why they threw that number out there. They'd like to play as many games as possible, but only at full salary. From a financial standpoint, they would probably be better off as a whole (and certainly the younger players) if they took some per-game cut but played more games. However, from a bargaining standpoint, they don't want to look like they're caving to the owners.

 

In short, both sides would probably be better off with >50 games played at a lowered salary level, but both sides have drawn the line in the sand for future bargaining position. If neither side is planning on moving, then I wish they would just announce the 50-game season. That they haven't done that already gives me some hope that we might end up with a longer season, but I'm not counting on it.

 

If the lawyers would leave the room, we'd already be playing baseball. However, the lawyers run baseball from both sides of the table. At the end of the day, they're the only ones who are coming out financially ahead this season.

[jerichoholicninja]

Well, ya, that's what the owners have been saying all along. They've been pretty clear this whole time about why they are doing what they are doing.

 

And as a side effect they have created unprecedented unity in the players' union and have turned the vast majority of MLB fans against them.

 

I really doubt that. There are more players that are fringe roster guys who I'm sure would rather be playing and receiving something more than the couple hundred bucks a week they're getting now than there are guys at the top who are set financially whether there is a season or not. As for the fans, I'm sure whatever "side" everyone was on before all this hasn't really changed. More so probably, fans are blaming both sides for idiots.

[TURBO]

yup, there is blame to be had on both sides for certain.

 

greedy bastards, all of them.

[SeaBass]

IDK I feel like the players have a solid argument for their actions being less greedy. Maybe if the league hadn't been suppressing salaries the last several seasons, or if some here will bristle at that accusation, they've at least taken advantage of a market that allows tanking teams and luxury tax dodgers to help inadvertently suppress spending on salaries league wide, maybe the players wouldn't be so entrenched in their position and would be more willing to help the owners absorb some losses. The environment in 2020 is a scenario the owners could never have predicted and it's biting them hard in a place they didn't think possible. So while I can't disagree that the players are being greedy in a way, I feel like it's more justified.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

yup, there is blame to be had on both sides for certain.

 

greedy bastards, all of them.

 

Here, here

 

I don't get the people that are exonerating the players completely in this mess, while vilifying the owners. It is far from a black and white situation. Like you said, there is plenty of blame to go around on both sides.