Alomar makes Twitter plea for diamond sanity

On a day when Marlins player rep Miguel Rojas compared Major League Baseball talks to the crime drama “Money Heist” and Nationals ace Max Scherzer reiterated that players are ready to return to the field any time despite a breakdown in talks — “tell us when and where” — Blue Jays Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar made a personal plea.

In a Twitter post, the 52-yearold legend who batted .300 over 17 seasons appealed to both sides to come together for the good of the game and its fans, one day after commissioner Rob Manfred backtracked from his bold assertion that the season was “100 per cent” guaranteed to play out with a shortened schedule:

“As a former player, I know the current players want to play. It’s what they do. I have so much respect for the players, and I know they are the reason we watch this game. Players want to be respected by ownership, and their rights recognized. I truly believe that.

As someone who works in the baseball industry, I have witnessed firsthand how deeply commissioner Manfred cares about the game. Rob Manfred and the team at MLB want nothing more than to start the season, and for baseball to prosper. I truly believe that.

As a fan, my hope is that the two sides can come together, find common ground so we can play a baseball season. The outcome of the current situation is so important to all of us, but it’s even more important to the next generation of players and fans who are watching us closely to see how we respond during these challenging times.

Our game has been through a brutal work stoppage before. This is not a road we collectively ever want to go down again. I remember how painful 1994 was for all of us, so if I can help build a bridge, I would like to do that.

With all the difficulties happening in the world today, we need sports and baseball more than ever.

I personally want to encourage both sides to work together, be open minded, and let’s get baseball back.”