While the pandemic was mostly to blame for the 60 game season, the inability of the Players Association and Management to agree killed other proposals that would have meant more games.
Now the Owners have floated what sounds like a reasonable plan: delay spring training a month.Open April 28th with a 154 game schedule. Players paid for 162. DH in NL. You can play up to 12 (or14 I forget) games as split DHs. Expanded playoffs like last year. With (an idea I like) a “selection show” where the top seed gets to pick who they play, then the 2 seed picks etc.
But the Players Asso turned it down. Reportedly because Manfred retains expanded control to stop play if certain pandemic measures hit: such as govt restrictions shutting down 5 or more teams from playing at home; if travel is restricted; if after consultation with medical experts and the Union the risk to players,staff etc is deemed to be unreasonable; or, if the number of regular major leaguers unavailable undermines competitive integrity.
Sounds reasonable. Except there is no salary or service time protection in the event of delays, interruptions etc. If the players trusted Manfred, this would be fairly easy to work through. But they don’t. A possible work stoppage looms after ‘21 as they will need a new CBA.
Baseball is poorly run from the top. Manfred makes Larry Scott look good. At least Scott never referred to a Pac-12 Championship trophy as “ just a piece of metal”. Which is what Manfred called the WS trophy while essentially washing his hands of the Houston cheating scandal.
This will be interesting to follow. Baseball already has problems attracting fans. Particularly amongst the younger set. Having a labor dispute in the middle of a pandemic is not exactly good public relations.
Now the Owners have floated what sounds like a reasonable plan: delay spring training a month.Open April 28th with a 154 game schedule. Players paid for 162. DH in NL. You can play up to 12 (or14 I forget) games as split DHs. Expanded playoffs like last year. With (an idea I like) a “selection show” where the top seed gets to pick who they play, then the 2 seed picks etc.
But the Players Asso turned it down. Reportedly because Manfred retains expanded control to stop play if certain pandemic measures hit: such as govt restrictions shutting down 5 or more teams from playing at home; if travel is restricted; if after consultation with medical experts and the Union the risk to players,staff etc is deemed to be unreasonable; or, if the number of regular major leaguers unavailable undermines competitive integrity.
Sounds reasonable. Except there is no salary or service time protection in the event of delays, interruptions etc. If the players trusted Manfred, this would be fairly easy to work through. But they don’t. A possible work stoppage looms after ‘21 as they will need a new CBA.
Baseball is poorly run from the top. Manfred makes Larry Scott look good. At least Scott never referred to a Pac-12 Championship trophy as “ just a piece of metal”. Which is what Manfred called the WS trophy while essentially washing his hands of the Houston cheating scandal.
This will be interesting to follow. Baseball already has problems attracting fans. Particularly amongst the younger set. Having a labor dispute in the middle of a pandemic is not exactly good public relations.