BASEBALL ON BRINK
As other leagues get ready to return, MLB flounders
TAMPA — While the NBA and NHL seem to be edging ever closer to finishing their seasons after a 12-week hiatus due to the coronavirus, baseball seems to be heading to the edge. While an extremely shortened season still seems like the eventual outcome, the MLBPA released a statement Thursday night responding to what it sees as a “threat,” from the owners.
“In this time of unprecedented suffering at home and abroad, players want nothing more than to get back to work and provide baseball fans with the game we all love,” MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said in a statement Thursday night that explained it came after a call with 100 players. “But we cannot do this alone.
“Earlier this week, Major League Baseball communicated its intention to schedule a dramatically shortened 2020 season unless players negotiate salary concessions. The concessions being sought are in addition to billions in player salary reductions that have already been agreed upon.”
That threat is a 50-game season, which the owners, who rejected out of hand the players’ proposal for a 114game season that would give them expanded playoffs for this season and next, seem determined to go forward with.
The players had agreed to prorated salaries in a March agreement and their proposal came in response to the owners’ suggestion of a sliding scale of further pay cuts, which they say are needed because it is unlikely fans will be in the ballparks.
“This threat came in response to an association proposal aimed at charting a path forward. Among other things, players proposed more
games, two years of expanded playoffs, salary deferrals in the event of a 2020 playoff cancellation, and the exploration of additional jewel events and broadcast enhancements aimed at creatively bringing our players to the fans while simultaneously increasing the value of our product. Rather than engage, the league replied it will shorten the season unless Players agree to further salary reductions.”
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is preparing to move ahead with a plan under the original March agreement, which would still pay the players their full per-game salary, but would limit the season to 50 games. Under that March agreement, which advanced the players $170 million for partial salaries, MLB has to make the “best effort,” to play as many games as possible. With owners claiming they could lose $640,000 per home game played without fans, the limited schedule is seen as a way to limit losses.
Texas announced on Thursday afternoon that there could be games with half the crowd allowed into stadiums. The players, who have asked owners to open their books, could find grounds to grieve this. They also have to sign off on the health and safety procedures to bring back the sport while there has yet to be a vaccine or cure for COVID-19.
While the owners would like to have baseball come back on July 4 as some patriotic panacea for the national anxiety, economic depression and scare of the pandemic, that window is closing fast.
With the NFL announcing the next steps in its preparation to start their season — coaches allowed into facilities for small group workouts — and the NBA and NHL finalizing deals, baseball is caught in a struggle between players and owners.
Thursday night, the players made it clear they are willing to take the health risk to bring the game back, but they should not have to take on additional financial losses as well.
“Earlier today we held a conference call of the association’s executive board and several other MLBPA player leaders. The overwhelming consensus of the board is that players are ready to report, ready to get back on the field, and they are willing to do so under unprecedented conditions that could affect the health and safety of not just themselves, but their families as well,” Clark said. “The league’s demand for additional concessions was resoundingly rejected. Important work remains to be done in order to safely resume the season. We stand ready to complete that work and look forward to getting back on the field.”