Official *MLB Season Delayed* Thread

[cleo]

MLB is using an excuse of a potential 2nd wave of the virus to curb the number of games and stop play by Oct 31, but how does that explain the NFL & college football going full swing by then?

My first thought is that the owners don't want to have the season start only to have a possible shutdown again right as the playoffs are going. If there is a 2nd wave and football has to shutdown for 2 months, they could restart and recover. But I would think MLB would not consider another restart if there was another shutdown.

Hate to say it, but just scrap the 2020 season.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Heard today on local sports radio that they were told owners are spilt in thirds--One third wants to cancel the season, one third wants to play it and the rest are on the fence. I don't know how accurate this is so YMMV.

[revo]

The MLBPA just issued a statement that they had a call with 100 players and they will not consider any more pay cuts under any circumstances.

So I think the odds of a season just shrank considerably.

[cavebird]

The MLBPA just issued a statement that they had a call with 100 players and they will not consider any more pay cuts under any circumstances.

So I think the odds of a season just shrank considerably.

I don't think that really means anything. The last thing the owners considered offering was the 50-game season which technically does not involve any further pay cuts---just fewer games at the same pro-rata. I think the real problem is the owners fighting amongst themselves so much that they can't really propose anything. I don't get the idea that owners are really worried about a second wave of Covid in the fall. If you are going to play, you have to put everyone in a bubble to play whenever you start. Once in the bubble, it really doesn't matter what is going on outside of the bubble. The players were already ready to fight at the end of 2021 because they got rolled in the last CBA (and Clark doesn't want to get fired, so he's itching for a fight). Now the owners don't really know what to do outside of all of them agreeing that they'll roll the players if they can. It makes things a mess.

[chancellor]

Heard today on local sports radio that they were told owners are spilt in thirds--One third wants to cancel the season, one third wants to play it and the rest are on the fence. I don't know how accurate this is so YMMV.

Makes sense since they want to play about one-third of a season!

[revo]

Texas Gov. Abbott, for better or worse, said all Texas sports teams could have 25%-50% capacity at its games. It's possible that other states follow suit. So there possibly goes one major argument for the owners.

[revo]

How does MLB justify wanting to end any regular season by October 1st for fear of a 2nd COVID wave, yet also wanting to have an expanded Arizona Fall League in November?

[chancellor]

The financial risk of losing the playoffs versus cancelling AFL is probably a couple orders of magnitude greater.

It’s all about the Benjamin’s

[revo]

The financial risk of losing the playoffs versus cancelling AFL is probably a couple orders of magnitude greater.

It’s all about the Benjamin’s

Oh sure. But they're using COVID as an excuse to end the season earlier while simultaneously starting the AFL up. In other words, they're caught in a hypocrisy. If they're really concerned about a 2nd wave hitting in November, the AFL would have been put to bed by now.

[Sour Masher]

In the better late than never category, The A's owner saw all the backlash and decided to reverse course as the only owner in baseball who was gonna cut off the $400 minor league pay. He still left a stain on himself and the team, but it is certainly better he backed off this than if he had doubled down.

[Kevin Seitzer]

Oh sure. But they're using COVID as an excuse to end the season earlier while simultaneously starting the AFL up. In other words, they're caught in a hypocrisy. If they're really concerned about a 2nd wave hitting in November, the AFL would have been put to bed by now.

AFL will be killed in a heartbeat if there's a big risk of COVID due to a big second wave at the time. It's far easier to plan now and cancel later than the other way around on something like that where there is nothing (or little) public at stake.

[rhd]

I didnt see an actual post here saying so but the Japan League will start their season on June 19. It will be 120 games, which means that the regular season will extend to at least late October. They will do away w the 1st 2 rounds of playoffs and hold only the championship series. Stadiums will be closed to the public. There were 2 Yomiuri Giants players that tested positive but are both negative now.

[revo]

I didnt see an actual post here saying so but the Japan League will start their season on June 19. It will be 120 games, which means that the regular season will extend to at least late October. They will do away w the 1st 2 rounds of playoffs and hold only the championship series. Stadiums will be closed to the public. There were 2 Yomiuri Giants players that tested positive but are both negative now.

I wonder if MLB asked the Japanese Leagues how they can afford to stay in business with no fans in attendance.

[rhd]

I wonder if MLB asked the Japanese Leagues how they can afford to stay in business with no fans in attendance.

In addition to all the other disappointing and embarrassing things occurring in the US this year, I think it would be even more embarrassment if the MLB season gets cancelled when less competitive pro baseball leagues in at least 3 other countries will be playing.

[revo]

MLB made another proposal today to the MLBPA:
-76 game season at 75% of salary, which ups the total salary pool to 35% from 31%
-drops to 50% with no postseason
-no draft pick comp temporarily for free agents (which means little as only a small handful will get a QO this offseason)

Most beat writers believe the players think this is a step backwards, which of course would mean that MLB is just not serious about any negotiation and will just allow Manfred to impose a shorter season.