Official *MLB Season Delayed* Thread

[revo]

That's certainly possible, given that past performance does not necessarily equal future results. Though I still think it's very doubtful the players win this arb case.

I actually think it's a cover for internal dissension among the owners about how many games should be played - I don't think they were ready for Tony Clark to do what he did since the MLBPA has always pretty much folded before in cases like this.

However, your conclusion is succinct and inerrant.

The players have a few things on their side in a grievance:
1- they already agreed to a pro rata salary cut and nowhere in the agreement does it say they have to take a bigger haircut, only that more discourse is needed if there are no fans in attendance;
2- they told the union outright they wouldn’t take less than negotiated, yet that’s all the owners presented to them; and,
3- they can likely prove the owners used this tactic to advance the calendar as additional pressure.

[cavebird]

From the ESPN article, Manfred said:

"I had been hopeful that once we got to common ground on the idea that we were gonna pay the players' full prorated salary, that we would get some cooperation in terms of proceeding under the agreement that we negotiated with the MLBPA on March 26." Uh....when did the owners ever offer anything remotely close to that common ground? What kind of bizarro world is he talking about?

[cavebird]

The players have a few things on their side in a grievance:
1- they already agreed to a pro rata salary cut and nowhere in the agreement does it say they have to take a bigger haircut, only that more discourse is needed if there are no fans in attendance;
2- they told the union outright they wouldn’t take less than negotiated, yet that’s all the owners presented to them; and,
3- they can likely prove the owners used this tactic to advance the calendar as additional pressure.

Oh, and revo---you're up.

[fuhrdog]

This proves MLB is in the wrong, as they know the Union will file a grievance against them if Manfred implements a schedule of their choosing, one in which they stand a great chance of losing.

Idiots.

The owners will probably delay some more until the calendar works in their favor. What a train wreck.

[revo]

Just so I have this straight -- they want to pay the players 2/3rds less than their full year salary, and then threaten zero if they sue. Seems like the players don't really have much to lose here, bud. You already guaranteed them a year of service time even in the event of no season.

[Sour Masher]

I have gone from fairly indifferent on the issue of whose fault a lost season would be, mainly lamenting no baseball, to being wholly anti-owner with this latest proclamation from owners. The union said let's play, tell us when and where and the ball was entirely in the owners court. We now know who is entirely to blame if there is no baseball--the owners adding last minute unreasonable demands. As I've said to my pro player friends though, I don't know what practical effect that has. We like baseball. We want baseball. We will pay for baseball whenever the owners decide to sell it to us, even if we recent the owners.

[fuhrdog]

https://twitter.com/psaundersdp/stat...756318721?s=20

[cavebird]

Wow, this is PR 101. Owners usually get the fans on their side, but it appears now that they are actively trying to do the opposite. They can't be that afraid about any monetary loss from a grievance---any negotiated deal that the MLBPA would agree to would end up with the owners getting more or less the same result as imposing a season and losing the grievance. They must be deathly afraid of having to show the real books---they must be making money hand over fist.

[revo]

As if there couldn’t be more bad news, the AP is reporting tonight that “several players have tested positive” for COVID.

[revo]

As if there couldn’t be even more bad news, the WNBA agreed to pay their players for an entire 36 game season despite playing only 22 games. The WNBA!!!!!

[cavebird]

As if there couldn’t be even more bad news, the WNBA agreed to pay their players for an entire 36 game season despite playing only 22 games. The WNBA!!!!!

I think MLB is the only sports league that will not pay the players their full salaries. Baseball is such a mess.

[cavebird]

If Clark was really savvy, he would openly tweet an offer for a 72 game season with full pro-rated salaries, no grievance, and an iron-clad agreement that MLB has to turn over the real books of the 29 teams for which they are not available. (The Braves are a publicly traded corporation---I am technically an MLB owner!--and their books have to be public.). That would really corner Manfred. Not about money, but about negotiating in good faith.

[Sour Masher]

I still think there will be baseball this year, but it was be less games than it should and there will be bad blood. We will have a tiny season this year and looming labor strife.

[Ken]

I've switched from a "blame both" mindset to being purely on the side of blaming the owners. I was wrong before. This is ridiculous.

[Sour Masher]

I've switched from a "blame both" mindset to being purely on the side of blaming the owners. I was wrong before. This is ridiculous.

Yeah, same here. This has clearly become a failure of ownership. The curtain has been pulled back and it is obvious they don't actually care if they put out a product this year, because profits won't be there for many of them. It is incredibly short-sighted.