Posted on 05/28/2020 6:06:56 PM PDT by Libloather
At least one player thinks there won't be a 2020 MLB season as players and owners dispute over money.
Jon Heyman of MLB Network discussed a recent call between the league and the players association Thursday on Ordway, Merloni & Fauria (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI), relaying a message from someone involved.
"The call was last night. I was getting texts. I got a text from a player—and I think they are going to get a deal, I think they are going to work it out. I can't believe they are going to blow it up over economics. But, from a very smart player, he said to me ... 'On call now. I think the chances for a season are pretty close to zero.' That was the entire text," Heyman said.
"It's not going well, I will say that," Heyman added. "I am taking a step back. He is in the middle of it. Taking a step back, I believe both sides understand they need to play the games if they can in terms of their health. They cannot blow it up over money. They just cannot do it."
The 2020 season was initially delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, but owners have approved a proposal for a July start with each team playing 82 games.
The holdup has been due to the financial concerns of playing games without fans in attendance.
(Excerpt) Read more at bleacherreport.com ...
MLB teams are releasing hundreds of minor leaguers; here are three factors that led to massive cuts
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-teams-are-releasing-hundreds-of-minor-leaguers-here-are-three-factors-that-led-to-massive-cuts/
They are going to blow it up over money. This will be as bad as 1994-95. Maybe worse.
Well, it’s tough to pay people if you don’t have the revenue. And if the players won’t take that into account...there won’t be a season.
They were going to make the conditions to allow a season so ridiculous anyway that I’d rather see them wait until they can bring back the game we all know and love. And allow full capacity at our stadiums.
We can wait until next year so our game can survive intact.
It’s pretty hard to have any sympathy for multi-millionaire players when we have 20% unemployment.
You don’t think there will be a “flu” season next year?
“ I can’t believe they are going to blow it up over economics.”
I think l read a few weeks ago the players were unwilling to accept pay cuts the owners wanted because of a shorter season and the empty seats. I am not sure though.
I only read a few articles about it but some of the rules were ridiculous. Players couldn’t high five each other, couldn’t spit, had to sit in the stands if not needed in the dugout for that half inning, couldn’t shower after the game, etc.
I feel many of the sports teams are shooting themselves in the foot if they take a year off. As much as I enjoy watching Or attending a game, by now I haven’t really missed it yet this year. Initially when opening day was supposed to be pushed to mid April I was waiting to see it come back, by now I don’t miss it anymore and have stared to loose interest.
They weren't even taking into account the fans. The spectators are as much a part of the game as the two teams that are playing. You can't play baseball with no one watching, it's just not baseball anymore. It's something, but it's not baseball.
I don't think professional sports realize what they are up against. There will be no professional sports as we know it under these conditions. The players and owners are going to lose everything. The MLB is going to go bankrupt unless we change our mindset about the threat of this virus. The Texas Rangers are sitting on a billion dollar new stadium that is going to remain empty. That is going to bankrupt the team and this will be repeated throughout the league.
I think the real deal-breaker was the ban on sunflower seeds.
I was looking forward to the Houston Asterisks getting booed around the league.
I read the baseball is a 10 billion dollar business and roughly half of that Revenue comes from ticket sales.
So if they have to play games in front of empty stadiums, ticket Revenue will decline about 166 million dollars per team.
Whatever agreement on splitting revenue or prorating salaries they come up with, all the teams are looking at absorbing huge operating losses perhaps in the tens of millions of dollars this year.
We hate to think about it, but the owners would come out way ahead financially if they just scrapped the season.
They have got to be able to sell tickets this season, even if they cannot sell out the ballpark , and have to do social distancing and not sell all of the tickets. They desperately need that Revenue in order to pay all of their operating expenses, of which player salaries are probably the biggest single expense that they have.
MLB organization have a really good idea which of their kids are going to ever play in the bigs. the other 90% of everyone in MiLB are there to simply fill the lineup card so the youngsters with potential get playing experience.
harsh, but that’s the reality.
Time for the Rockford Peaches to Make a comeback. The TV revenue would support a league with reasonable comp to the players and the owners.
I cringe at almost all of the new rule changes every year, because I realize that youngsters will never get to experience some of the thrills of the game that I enjoyed throughout my lifetime, because they took it out of the game by rule changes. Ever since they went to the stupid DH rule I've been screaming for them to change it back and to leave baseball the hell alone. They haven't. They just keep making it a little less the endurance test it once was.
Now they want to turn it into a nambi pambi, take the managers out of the equation, time limited game, and that's even before the virus. I'll still take it because it's all we've have left of it now.
We can wait for a good return. A return with a big roar across this nation.
As a side note, I was watching live pro baseball from Korea today. It was good to see some real baseball besides recorded for a change.
If the owners and players, all millionaires, there will be calls for punitive actions to be taken against MLB. For example, revoking its anti-trust exemption. No politician will want to be seen as defending the greed of MLB.
An edit function would be nice.
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