MLB 2022

[-Jrabbit]

Hey, it's mid-February. Time for the annual "pitchers and catchers report" stories... but hey, they're locked out.

Get it together, MLB.

[Flatlander Fox]

It's very, very depressing. Baseball is such a great sport, but they are doing their best to wreck it.

[Berzerker]

owners dont want to fund current # of minor leaguers?

[-Jrabbit]

It's far more than one issue, and the players are more united than usual because it's 2022 and a lot easier to get full info on the financials.

The billionaires, frankly, will be fine either with or without their teams. More importantly, they know that the millionaires have much more to lose by not playing.

I'm trying to be optimistic, but I really think there's cause for concern re starting the season on time (3/31).

[SlowwHand]

Pushed back.

[-Jrabbit]

They pushed back the start of spring training. Commish says they need an agreement by end of month to avoid messing up opening day.
I know all we really get is the PR version of events, but even then it's not looking good.

[EPW]

ML Baseball is dead to me if they put advertisements on uniforms.

[-Jrabbit]

Might as well stop now. It's already the Nike-New Era-UnderArmour Logo League. Just a matter of time.

These idiots in MLB better figure out a CBA; they do NOT want to learn whether the general public would miss them. Franchise values (the only thing the owners actually care about) could drop significantly.

[-Jrabbit]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Major League Baseball has canceled opening day, with Commissioner Rob Manfred announcing Tuesday the sport will lose regular-season games over a labor dispute for the first time in 27 years after acrimonious lockout talks collapsed in the hours before management’s deadline.

Manfred said he is canceling the first two series of the season that was set to begin March 31, dropping the schedule from 162 games to likely 156 games at most. Manfred said the league and union have not made plans for future negotiations. Players won’t be paid for missed games.

After the sides made progress during 13 negotiating sessions over 16 1/2 hours Monday, the league send the players’ association a “best and final offer” Tuesday on the ninth straight day of negotiations. Players rejected that offer, setting the stage for MLB to follow through on its threat to cancel opening day.

Well, I guess that's one way to shorten the season...

[EPW]

Do we know what the major stumbling blocks are?

[-Jrabbit]

Actually, it seems to be a straight-up money grab. This is a $10billion+ industry and they can't agree on a team/player split (usually around 50% plus or minus a few points in pro sports leagues).

Here we are, with spring upon us and mask/distancing mandates largely behind us, and MLB thinks making their product unavailable is the smart move. This shows max hubris with a total lack of vision and awareness. In other words...

UNBELIEVABLE STUPIDITY!

[-Jrabbit]

72 hours later, the stupidity continues.
No sign of giving a crap about their fans.

I'm close to reaching the point of wondering if the whole thing might just collapse...

[EPW]

[-Jrabbit]

Well, the winter sports now run until July, which is when NFL camps open up.

If MLB thinks they can expect their whole fan base to come running back after showing us just how little they care, they are setting themselves up for a nasty surprise.

[-Jrabbit]

March 10 and it appears MLB and the players have reached a deal to end the lockout.

Summary from ESPN:

• Opening Day moves to April 7
• A full 162-game schedule will be played
• Spring training camps open with a March 11 voluntary report date and March 13 mandatory date
• Spring training games start March 17
• Free agency to begin immediately once CBA is ratified
• Playoffs expand to 12 teams, beginning this season (adds 2 more teams instead of 4)
• The National League adopts the designated hitter starting this season (quietly buried at the bottom)
• CBT (Competitive Balance Tax, aka the luxury tax) threshold expected to begin at $230 million and grow to $244 million

Now, PLAY BALL!

[EPW]

And it looks like they got rid of the dumb extra inning rules and shortened double hitter games. I'm not sure if the shift is banned or not, or when robo umps are going to be a thing.