McCutchen asks: Who’s thirsty?
Former Pirates OF has ultimate take on MLB
Leave it to former Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen to summarize baseball’s ongoing financial/labor/return-to-play mess in just 41 seconds.
In a tweet sent at 4:36 p.m. Friday, McCutchen provided an adept analogy. It also features someone going to the bathroom and a child not getting what he or she wants.
A hat trick, you might say.
The only things McCutchen left out included some sort of statement, the use of the term “pro rata” and sources anonymously discussing the situation due to the sensitivity of negotiations.
“It doesn’t matter that we agreed on juice,” McCutchen says in the video. “I’m your dad, and you’re drinking water. Now either you drink this water, or you don’t drink anything at all. … Who’s thirsty?”
Talks between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association were already bad when McCutchen sent his tweet, which has been liked more than 6,000 times, but they somehow got even worse with the news Saturday that the MLBPA no longer wants to negotiate.
“It unfortunately appears that further dialogue with the league would be futile,” MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said in a statement. “It’s time to get back to work. Tell us when and where.”
The players union effectively enabled MLB commissioner Rob Manfred to construct his desired season of 48-54 games and potentially make this
“Now either you drink this water, or you don’t drink anything at all . ... Who’s thirsty?” — Andrew McCutchen
an even bigger joke, a sharp turn that might lead both parties off a cliff — but at least fans will remember who was driving the car.
It’s a fascinating move, really. But it’s also hardly that simple. There still are many things to consider and questions to answer, which is what we’ll try to do here.
1. Can an agreement still occur? Technically, yes. But don’t hold your breath. It was believed, for roughly an hour Saturday night, that the league was going to make a fourth proposal, which many likely viewed as a waste of time considering the union’s rhetoric in Clark’s statement, its repeated desire to earn 100% of salaries for the number of games played, and MLB’s reticence to agree to such a plan.
Perhaps it’s for the best, but it no longer looks like that will happen. Now, the only question is how many games the league will choose. There’s pretty much only one face-saving act left here, and that’s for the owners to read the room and attempt to play more than 48 games, paying players their desired amount.
After all, they signed up to be atop this particular ecosystem and typically make a pretty penny in that role. They also have the most available means to recoup any losses. So why, in the middle of this current situation, are they allowed to essentially stop a sport because they’re losing money? It doesn’t seem fair.
2. After Manfred implements a season, is there anything else to worry about? Only the novel coronavirus. Nothing huge. That’s one of the crazy things here: This conversation has somehow been shoved to the side, dwarfed by the dividing of literally billions of dollars by those who are already incredibly wealthy.
The American way, indeed. But Manfred doesn’t get to dictate these. An agreement must be reached.
It also will be fascinating to see how many players are suddenly just a little more skittish after all of this, perhaps citing a resurgence of the virus in various parts of the country. Having a large group of players pull out would certainly qualify as extreme, but if we’ve learned anything during all of this,
3. What about playoffs? This one’s a real shame, because it hurts the fans the most. By Manfred mandating a season, the players aren’t going to agree to expanded playoffs in 2020 and 2021, which would’ve included 14 or 16 teams.
The additional chunk of revenue likely would’ve kept owners from canning at red lights, but now — just ask Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr., for proof — these poor guys simply will have to find another way to survive.
Fans also likely will lose out on broadcast enhancements such in-game microphones/interviews and additional, promote-the-game events such as the Home Run Derby or an All-Star Game. Which is, you know, fantastic, because the last thing baseball needs right now is to worry about its level of importance.
4. Is the legal wrangling over? Heck no. We’re only just beginning. Should this happen, and the owners don’t make some sort of 11thhour offer they know the players will accept, we could see grievances filed.
The union could argue that the league did not fulfill its obligation to play as many games as possible, while the league might contend that the union — which batted away three proposals like Dikembe Mutombo — lacked “good faith” in salary negotiations.
Neither would impede the start of a shortened season, nor would they ameliorate how baseball is being perceived by the rest of the sporting world right now.
5. So, what was McCutchen’s point? The sticking point is a March 26 agreement, where the two sides got together, talked about stuff, agreed on it, then a couple of weeks later decided that they don’t actually agree on that agreement. Makes sense, no?
In that pact, players believe they agreed to receive full salary for the games they play — their (prorated) juice. The players’ idea of a pay cut amounted to accepting no money when they were unable to work because of COVID-19, a stance that has also drawn plenty of ire from fans.
The owners believe a second round of negotiations are required with no fans in the stands and roughly 40% of their incoming revenue gone.
To try to swing a deal, the league and its owners essentially have offered the same proposal — all with around 30% of salaries — three different ways.
6. The other part of the analogy is the use of water — and obviously needing it to live. Baseball needs its players to survive. The players need the owners to pay them to work. The owners need fans to pay to see the players.
Much like other parts of the COVID-19 crisis, baseball has seen its supply chain break down. Only this time it’s been more about stupidity and greed than anything.
As recently as Saturday, after DeWitt and other owners tried to cry poor, it came out that MLB had struck a billion-dollar deal with Turner Sports to broadcast playoff games.
Think that didn’t raise a few eyebrows with the MLBPA?
But the point is that, at least for now, there’s still plenty of water (and juice) to drink. But it might evaporate soon if someone doesn’t start acting like an adult.