Will they come to an agreement? (formerly The First Reports...)

[Lipman 1]

Many have been speculating about a labor stoppage for the upcoming baseball season. Ronald Blum of the AP has come out with a story and CBS Sportsline has added details which says a work stoppage is "almost certain" and will begin on December 1 when the current CBA deal expires.

Here is the link to the Blum story from CBS Sportsline:

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/m...rs-per-report/

And here is a nice summery of the issues that are in play:

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/m...y-this-winter/

Remember in the event of a work stoppage on December 1 no off-season moves, free agent signings etc can be done

Stay tuned...

[notjimrose]

I hope both sides tread carefully here. One of the things we learned during their sniping last summer leading up to the abbreviated season was that the fanbase appears to be pretty fed up with both sides. I fear any sort of prolonged stoppage that impacts spring training, let alone the regular season, will be catastrophic to the long term health of the league.

[Dumpjerry]

I hope both sides tread carefully here. One of the things we learned during their sniping last summer leading up to the abbreviated season was that the fanbase appears to be pretty fed up with both sides. I fear any sort of prolonged stoppage that impacts spring training, let alone the regular season, will be catastrophic to the long term health of the league.

More significantly was the long road to regaining the fans' loyalty after the 1994 fiasco.

[Lipman 1]

I hope both sides tread carefully here. One of the things we learned during their sniping last summer leading up to the abbreviated season was that the fanbase appears to be pretty fed up with both sides. I fear any sort of prolonged stoppage that impacts spring training, let alone the regular season, will be catastrophic to the long term health of the league.

Speaking of the abbreviated season, the MLBPA just presented a four hour oral report to the arbitrator on why the 60 game pandemic season was wrong and that owners were manipulating it in order not to have to pay players.

[Harwar]

After the last strike almost destroyed the sport, i can't believe that they are even considering a work stoppage . they had to orchestrate that famous home run battle between Sosa and McGuire to bring people back . that's not gonna fly this time.

[Lipman 1]

After the last strike almost destroyed the sport, i can't believe that they are even considering a work stoppage . they had to orchestrate that famous home run battle between Sosa and McGuire to bring people back . that's not gonna fly this time.

I don't blame the players, if you read the second link in my post, CBS Sportsline talks about the areas where the players feel they are getting shafted. Things like the average salary going down three straight years, owners making record profits (according to sources like Forbes Business), teams deliberately tanking and manipulating service time. Plus the 60 game slate last year where Manfred's own comments appear to show the owners had no intention of playing more games because they didn't want to pay players more money.

As early as last year Kenley Jansen (I don't know if he's the Dodgers player rep) was talking about a strike as were some others.

The MLBPA is pretty pissed off right now.

I think it's a bad situation and I wouldn't be surprised if regular season games got wiped out at some point either because of a lockout or a strike.

[LITTLE NELL]

A pox on both of their houses.

[Dumpjerry]

A pox on both of their houses.

Agreed.

Yes, the players are probably being shafted somewhat. But like in 1994, it is very hard to find sympathy for guys under 40 years old playing a kid's game for high-six and seven-figure annual incomes. It's not like they are coal miners getting pennies on the dollar for putting their lives on the line while the bosses are getting very wealthy.

Most of the players (especially the ones under 30 years old) probably make in one week what everyone else in their high school graduating class makes in one year.

[longtimefan]

I don't have a lot of compassion for the players. The players believe their compensation should increase as the owner's revenue increase. Consider the employees of any major corporation. Their income is not decided by the company's value. The individual is paid according to their performance, perceived worth, and competitive wages. If the company has a great income year, the employees don't automatically have a raise equivalent to the company's income growth.

[Lipman 1]

Agreed.

Yes, the players are probably being shafted somewhat. But like in 1994, it is very hard to find sympathy for guys under 40 years old playing a kid's game for high-six and seven-figure annual incomes. It's not like they are coal miners getting pennies on the dollar for putting their lives on the line while the bosses are getting very wealthy.

Most of the players (especially the ones under 30 years old) probably make in one week what everyone else in their high school graduating class makes in one year.

Players like any other person is entitled to whatever the free market is willing to pay them. They beat long odds to get to the very top of their profession like say...I don't know, the best lawyers in America. When that happens they deserve to be paid better than the vast majority of other citizens.

[Dumpjerry]

Players like any other person is entitled to whatever the free market is willing to pay them. They beat long odds to get to the very top of their profession like say...I don't know, the best lawyers in America. When that happens they deserve to be paid better than the vast majority of other citizens.

Many top lawyers get less than 35k a year. Depends on the nature of the practice, not the quality of the lawyer.

[LITTLE NELL]

Agreed.

Yes, the players are probably being shafted somewhat. But like in 1994, it is very hard to find sympathy for guys under 40 years old playing a kid's game for high-six and seven-figure annual incomes. It's not like they are coal miners getting pennies on the dollar for putting their lives on the line while the bosses are getting very wealthy.

Most of the players (especially the ones under 30 years old) probably make in one week what everyone else in their high school graduating class makes in one year.

Take a DH that's making 10 million a year, that is 61,000 dollars a game and if he comes to the plate 4 times a game he's picking up over 15,000 everytime he steps in the batters box. Back when I was in the work force I never made 61K a year so if any player thinks it's a good time to strike and expect any kind of sympathy from me, they can go pound sand.

[voodoochile]

Take a DH that's making 10 million a year, that is 61,000 dollars a game and if he comes to the plate 4 times a game he's picking up over 15,000 everytime he steps in the batters box. Back when I was in the work force I never made 61K a year so if any player thinks it's a good time to strike and expect any kind of sympathy from me, they can go pound sand.

Entertainers always are highly Paid. These are some of the best in the world at a sport billions of people follow.

[shingo10]

The timing is so tricky right now with so many people suffering from the pandemic. Even with completely valid points a lot of people are going to struggle to find any sympathy for the back and forth between owners and players and I fear what it will do to the game. Really hoping for a miracle. Not to mention that the Sox are set up for a window of contention that is the payoff of a long process that included several years of meaningless, non-competitive baseball. Last year was the pandemic, this year was the injuries, please don't let next year be the strike.

[Lipman 1]

Entertainers always are highly Paid. These are some of the best in the world at a sport billions of people follow.

Well stated.

Or to put it another way (or two), nobody that I know of ever paid money to see an owner at a game and a players career is a hell of a lot shorter than an owner's who especially today are printing money hand over foot in MLB because of the many lucrative revenue avenues and streams.