Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)

Source: No economic plan in first session with players

- By Ronald Blum

NEW YORK » As Major League Baseball made an opening presentati­on to the players’ union Tuesday on terms to start the coronaviru­s-delayed season, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker criticized major leaguers for not being willing to cut pay further.

MLB did not made an economic proposal during its opening presentati­on, a person familiar with the discussion told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity.

The meeting lasted between three and four hours. An agreement with the players’ associatio­n is needed to play ball.

Also Tuesday, Ariz. Governor Doug Ducey said pro sports can be played in his state starting Saturday, but without spectators.

Baseball owners gave their go-ahead to their proposal on Monday, a plan that could lead to the coronaviru­s-delayed season starting around the Fourth of July weekend in ballparks without fans.

Players agreed March 26 to a deal in which they would be paid a prorated share of salaries based on the portion of the 162game schedule that is played. As part of the deal, if no games are played they would receive service time for 2020 matching what they earned last year.

Teams will propose that players receive the percentage of their 2020 salaries based on a 50-50 split of revenues MLB receives during the regular-season and postseason, a person familiar with the plan told the AP on Monday. The union views that concept as a salary cap, which it has said it will never agree to.

The average MLB salary is $4.4 million at full price if the season had started on time.

“I realize that the players have the right to haggle over their salaries, but we do live in a moment where the people of Illinois and the people of the United States deserve to get their pastime back, to watch, anyway, on television,” Pritzker said in response to the last question of his news conference.

“If they’re able to come up with safety precaution­s, as has been suggested by Major League Baseball, that works, I hope that the players will understand that the people of our United States need them to recognize that this is an important part of leisure time that all of us want to have during the summer, to watch them play baseball, to root for our favorite teams,” the Illinois Democrat said. “We need that back, that normalcy back, and I hope they’ll be reasonable as they negotiate. But I must say I’m disappoint­ed in many ways that players are holding out for these very, very high salaries and payments during a time when I think everybody is sacrificin­g.”

A member of the family that controls Hyatt hotels, Pritzker’s net worth has been estimated by Forbes at $3.4 billion. The players’ associatio­n declined comment. Players and teams committed in the March deal to “discuss in good faith the economic feasibilit­y of playing games in the absence of spectators or at appropriat­e neutral sites.” Union head Tony Clark has said that negotiatio­n is over, and many players have said they already have deal with terms for 2020 and see no need to bargain more.

Baseball Commission­er Rob Manfred has said about 40% of MLB revenue is tied to gate, including concession­s, parking, ballpark advertisin­g, luxury suites and programs.

Union officials and players have cited the March agreement as setting economic terms and say they have no inclinatio­n for additional cuts.

Players are more interested in medical protocols and testing designed to protect them from and detect the new coronaviru­s.

Ducey announced “Major League Baseball, the NBA, the NHL, the NFL, MLS are able to participat­e and play in the state of Arizona after May 15.”

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