Play Ball! After months of idiocy, schedule is in place & camps open July 1st

[NJDevs26]

So without knowing the salary portion, doesn't really sound like the players lost here.

What in the world were the owners holding up for?!

So they wouldn't have to play 80-100 games. They just wanted to run out the clock so they would only have to foot the bill for 50-60 games. But maybe if players proposed partially deferred salaries a few weeks ago they could have gotten more games and eventually more of their salary.

 

[John Price]

 

[GKJ]

I’m not trusting this. Releasing statements is still negotiating out in the open. It could be real or it could be another failed ploy to hang everything on the players when the season is canceled.

 

[Prominence Problem]

I’m not trusting this. Releasing statements is still negotiating out in the open. It could be real or it could be another failed ploy to hang everything on the players when the season is canceled.

Remember, there's a 100% chance there'll be baseball this season

 

[NJDevs26]

I’m not trusting this. Releasing statements is still negotiating out in the open. It could be real or it could be another failed ploy to hang everything on the players when the season is canceled.

To a degree, but I think Manfred and/or Clark also had to counteract the breathless media speculation that a deal was upon us and remind everyone it's still premature.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

MLB did have that 67-page proposal from last month outlining all the health protocols, so I think they have that pretty much in order with likely some tweaking to be done.

Unless you were referring to the report that multiple players and staff have tested positive for the virus.

My comment was more geared towards how do you pull this off relatively safely when 3 teams (Jays will likely be playing out of Dunedin due to quarantine rules) are playing in Florida, 2 playing in Texas, 1 in Arizona and 5 will be in California, all states where the virus' spread is increasing at a rapid pace. It's going to be a challenge, especially if the players are going back to their houses after home games and not hotels.

 

[Rpenny]

compared to all other leagues it is a gong show

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Once again, Major League Baseball and the Players Association do not agree on what actually happened during their negotiations.

First, the parties thought their March deal meant different things. Now, they can’t even agree on whether they reached a new deal in principle.

League sources say commissioner Rob Manfred and union head Tony Clark settled on the framework of an agreement in a face-to-face meeting Tuesday. The union, however, is adamant that no deal was reached, tweeting as much on Wednesday night. Clark informed Manfred that the 60-game season proposed by the league was not long enough, a source said.

The union does not view 60 as enough of an increase from the 50-odd number the league could impose to pass on a potential grievance and agree to an expanded postseason, particularly when the league offered 72 games five days ago. The league believes it extended itself significantly in a comprehensive deal that included a universal DH and other benefits for the players.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

So this is like a 2% increase from their last offer?

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

People should remember that last one next time they want to side with the owners.

 

[Elvis P]

• Sources: MLB players want more than 60 games
• MLB players commit $1M to aid minor leaguers
• Dr. Fauci: MLB shouldn't play too deep into fall
• Ravens and Orioles laud ill superfan's graduation
• Yankees president calls for MLB talks to resume
• Former Cy Young winner McCormick dies at 81
• MLB delays start of international signings period

 

[Timeless Winter]

Players keep finding reasons not to play.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

My comment was more geared towards how do you pull this off relatively safely when 3 teams (Jays will likely be playing out of Dunedin due to quarantine rules) are playing in Florida, 2 playing in Texas, 1 in Arizona and 5 will be in California, all states where the virus' spread is increasing at a rapid pace. It's going to be a challenge, especially if the players are going back to their houses after home games and not hotels.

Completely agree. As someone who has thought that the three North American sports leagues face huge logistical issues to pull this off, it'll be interesting to see. All along I've said the NHL and NBA should scrap this season and figure out a way to get things going safely next season. At least MLB is afforded the luxury (poor use of term considering the circumstances) to start when they can as their season never even started.

All it would take is one outbreak within these bubbles to shut things down again. And I'm still not convinced the majority of these athletes are comfortable flying in to these hot spots and secluded themselves for weeks/months when the virus is raging wild just down the street.

 

[NJDevs26]

Players keep finding reasons not to play.

If it was for the right reason that’d be one thing but it’s all about money on both sides, health and safety be damned

 

[Canes]

Completely agree. As someone who has thought that the three North American sports leagues face huge logistical issues to pull this off, it'll be interesting to see. All along I've said the NHL and NBA should scrap this season and figure out a way to get things going safely next season. At least MLB is afforded the luxury (poor use of term considering the circumstances) to start when they can as their season never even started.

All it would take is one outbreak within these bubbles to shut things down again. And I'm still not convinced the majority of these athletes are comfortable flying in to these hot spots and secluded themselves for weeks/months when the virus is raging wild just down the street.

The virus is here to stay until we get a vaccine, and even then, it will take a long time for all the people who want to be vaccinated to be vaccinated (this is assuming they can find a vaccine which isn't a given), and then there's also crazy anti-vaccine people to deal with. There's very little waiting until next season will change about this. Sports leagues and their athletes could be waiting for a very long time if they want a perfect or even near perfect scenario to return.

 

[southsideIrish]

The virus is here to stay until we get a vaccine, and even then, it will take a long time for all the people who want to be vaccinated to be vaccinated (this is assuming they can find a vaccine which isn't a given), and then there's also crazy anti-vaccine people to deal with. There's very little waiting until next season will change about this. Sports leagues and their athletes could be waiting for a very long time if they want a perfect or even near perfect scenario to return.

Exactly. What's a "hot spot" pretty much depends on what the media says it is. States continue to test more and more people so case #s are going up in some places, that's normal. What's important is the death and serious case #s which continue to steadily drop nationwide. Nowhere in the country are any hospital systems overwhelmed. Europe's case #s and deaths are almost nil so of course you hear nothing about that in the media.

The economies are opening with the damn the torpedoes policy. Barring something catastrophic, they won't be shutting down again. Baseball and sports should follow suit. That being said, with all this labor nonsense and the cheating and everything else, F baseball anyway. I came back after 94 and the steroids. Only so many times they can yank my chain.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

^As far as I know, there aren't any vaccines for any of the corona virus types. Will be interesting to see what transpires on that front going forward.

 

[John Price]

Sounds like the DH will be used in both leagues and there is a possibility there won't be any more pitchers hitting from here on out.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Sounds like the DH will be used in both leagues and there is a possibility there won't be any more pitchers hitting from here on out.

I absolutely HATE that DH thing

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Sounds like the DH will be used in both leagues and there is a possibility there won't be any more pitchers hitting from here on out.

Good...good.

 

[John Price]

Ads already exist on soccer and basketball jerseys. The ads for soccer jerseys are less avoidable but the ones for basketball are pretty small.

 

[NJDevs26]

Children, they're all acting like children

Players: Tell us where and when...but it better be the # of games we want

Owners: We had a deal...WAAH! No more negotiating over a ten-game difference!

How can two sides repeatedly have different interpretations of the same meeting? I'm predisposed to think the owners probably overstated the 'deal in principle' so they could stomp their feet when the players countered it but it's also possible they did have a deal in principle but Bora$ scuttled it, and Clark isn't running the union in fact but Bora$ is. Either way both these sides need to STFU and stop whining about what's now a ten-game difference. Meet in the middle at 65 and get this done with. At this point I'm not looking forward to baseball, I just want this done so I don't have to hear the hypocritical children fighting over billions.

 

[kanuck87]

Children, they're all acting like children

Players: Tell us where and when...but it better be the # of games we want

Owners: We had a deal...WAAH! No more negotiating over a ten-game difference!

How can two sides repeatedly have different interpretations of the same meeting? I'm predisposed to think the owners probably overstated the 'deal in principle' so they could stomp their feet when the players countered it but it's also possible they did have a deal in principle but Bora$ scuttled it, and Clark isn't running the union in fact but Bora$ is. Either way both these sides need to STFU and stop whining about what's now a ten-game difference. Meet in the middle at 65 and get this done with. At this point I'm not looking forward to baseball, I just want this done so I don't have to hear the hypocritical children fighting over billions.

Wow, Clark indicating that Manfred invited a counter-proposal for more games certainly sounds like more shots being fired.

Agreed. Now both sides just look like a bunch of asshats. Just make your offers and shut up.

 

[gilfaizon]

Meet at 64, let the owners take the moral victory and lets get this started.

 

[Elvis P]

• Report: Pujols paying Angels' Dominican staffers
• Mets sign son of Queens congressman to minors
• Manfred quickly rejects union's 70-game plan
• MLB players commit $1M to aid minor leaguers
• Dr. Fauci: MLB shouldn't play too deep into fall
• Ravens and Orioles laud ill superfan's graduation
• Former Cy Young winner McCormick dies at 81