MLB 2022 Lockout

[OrangeDW]

All I know is daylight savings is right around the corner and if baseball isn’t ready to go in the next few weeks, I’m going to be real, real spiteful. They’ve used up all of their good will with me.

 

[donniesyracuse]

Plus the games are getting harder and harder to watch. Pace of play is too slow; too many relief pitchers, and it's all a game of strikeout, walk or home run. It's like Home Run Derby. Compared to when I first became a fan, around 1970 or so, the ball very rarely gets put into play.

Analytics has taken away so many elements of the game, like the hit-and-run and double steal, hitting the opposite way, bunting, stealing a base. It's like that's all "quaint" now, and the game has become obsessed with velocity and launch angles.

I would rather watch golf, which I never would have said 10 or 20 years ago. And I've never golfed in my life. That's a bad sign for baseball when even old-time fans are bored with your product.

You filled-up my "Old-Guy-Baseball-Takes" BINGO card fast.

 

[Alsacs]

You filled-up my "Old-Guy-Baseball-Takes" BINGO card fast.

Baseball needs incentive for all teams to try and win.
Most of these owners don’t care to even try and win.
They want welfare from the market teams and their portion of the national TV money.

Baseball could actually use a system simliar to European soccer.
You get more money depending on where you finish in the standing and relegation would prevent teams from tanking without publishment.
Relegation would never happen but the stuff about more money from the TV revenue from where you finish could be implemented.

Stat geeks are taking over front offices but again that because they are partially effective and partially a copycat system.

 

[OttoMets]

He doesn’t have any game pics in a Met uni, and at this rate….when will he?

He could borrow my avatar?

 

[IthacaMatt]

So

the real reason there is a lockout is because the luxury tax timed out .. so owners were afraid certain big money teams would go crazy signing big ticket free agents due to no luxury tax

The real battle in baseball labor is owner vs owner with players as a proxy. Owners must be saved from themselves and they use the players to do that

The real issue for baseball is that the bad teams stink, are uncompetitive, and yet are still worth a billion dollars to the owner.

I think the suggestion above to have a minimum salary spend is very important so the bad teams have to remain more competitive. I mean, we've seen teams win only 50-some games in recent years. Few teams in baseball history have been as bad as some recent teams have been.

That's beyond embarrassing, it's larceny toward the fans. You're stealing their money.

 

[OrangeDW]

If Syracuse had a college baseball team, I’d strongly consider just watching that and moving on.

 

[Bayside44]

Baseball needs incentive for all teams to try and win.
Most of these owners don’t care to even try and win.
They want welfare from the market teams and their portion of the national TV money.

Baseball could actually use a system simliar to European soccer.
You get more money depending on where you finish in the standing and relegation would prevent teams from tanking without publishment.
Relegation would never happen but the stuff about more money from the TV revenue from where you finish could be implemented.

Stat geeks are taking over front offices but again that because they are partially effective and partially a copycat system.

The cap is the easy part. If there was some sort of formula for minimum win verse minimum salary that would be helpful. In theory a team can win with a young cheap roster but if they're just mailing it in and not hitting like 70 wins with a cheap payroll there should be disincentives.

 

[GoSU96]

Baseball? Who cares

 

[Madbiker]

The owners objective the entire time has been to break the union. Initial position wanting to lower the CBT threshold from $210M to $180 and drastically increase penalties for exceeding were a non starter. And MLB blew off all discussion for Dec and Jan. There will be no serious negotiation until the owners see if the MLBPA will cave after missing pay checks for April. So no opening day until late May. Hope I'm wrong but I don't think so.

 

[IthacaMatt]

The owners objective the entire time has been to break the union. Initial position wanting to lower the CBT threshold from $210M to $180 and drastically increase penalties for exceeding were a non starter. And MLB blew off all discussion for Dec and Jan. There will be no serious negotiation until the owners see if the MLBPA will cave after missing pay checks for April. So no opening day until late May. Hope I'm wrong but I don't think so.

It's kind of racist of the owners, when you think about it. "These jamokes couldn't have possibly saved anything to carry themselves through a lock out", even though the minimum salary is around $2M a year, and the average is a bit higher than that (spitballing it, so don't crucify me if the numbers are a little different).

Point being, they should have saved enough to have a six month security fund, if you're making 7 figures for more than a couple years and you have a family.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

It's kind of racist of the owners, when you think about it. "These jamokes couldn't have possibly saved anything to carry themselves through a lock out, even though the minimum salary is around $2M a year, and the average is a bit higher than that (spitballing it, so don't crucify me if the numbers are a little different).

Point being, they should have saved enough to have a six month security fund, if you're making 7 figures for more than a couple years and you have a family.

Well, idk why you would think that. MLB Player Demographics

 

[IthacaMatt]

Well, idk why you would think that. MLB Player Demographics

Not as bad as I thought. Around 7-8% of MLB is black players, vs. around 12% of US society, so under-representation there.

On the other hand, 31% of MLB is Hispanic, vs. only 18% of US society, so clear over-representation.

 

[MSOrange]

 

[upperdeck]

the big issues is that say the owners do come down a chunk on alot of these things. some are better for baseball , some are better for players, some are better for owners.. But even given a bunch of changes you still have a 2 groups that really care more about themselves than the fans or the sport. players are still vastly over paid and owners make too much and the fans are really the only losers in any of it every time. the only real costs that are rising in any of this is salaries.

pay the minors more.

 

[IthacaMatt]

the big issues is that say the owners do come down a chunk on alot of these things. some are better for baseball , some are better for players, some are better for owners.. But even given a bunch of changes you still have a 2 groups that really care more about themselves than the fans or the sport. players are still vastly over paid and owners make too much and the fans are really the only losers in any of it every time. the only real costs that are rising in any of this is salaries.

pay the minors more.

The players union should break away and negotiate a deal directly with a television network.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

The players union should break away and negotiate a deal directly with a television network.

Where would they play: sandlots?
Also, not sure they can. I think they would have to decertify. Any labor lawyers on here?

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

the big issues is that say the owners do come down a chunk on alot of these things. some are better for baseball , some are better for players, some are better for owners.. But even given a bunch of changes you still have a 2 groups that really care more about themselves than the fans or the sport. players are still vastly over paid and owners make too much and the fans are really the only losers in any of it every time. the only real costs that are rising in any of this is salaries.

pay the minors more.

The players are in the top .001% of their craft, in the world. Given the revenues, they should make a lot.
Most of them make a lot less than movie and tv stars. Heck, David Muir makes $5-7M reading the teleprompter.
When fans stop paying for tickets, then you will know it’s too much.

 

[MSOrange]

 

[donniesyracuse]

…players are still vastly over paid…

based on what?

 

[MSOrange]

 

[IthacaMatt]

Where would they play: sandlots?
Also, not sure they can. I think they would have to decertify. Any labor lawyers on here?

Many stadiums are owned and maintained by municipalities. Leases could be worked out for alternate facilities that are maybe smaller stadiums, but sure to be filled. Think about the "Field of Dreams" games. Many cities who haven't had MLB baseball before might be clamoring for franchises.

It's possible, if a TV network, a handful of cities and a handful of rich guys get behind it. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos don't strike me as "baseball guys", but Warren Buffet and Bill Gates and Mark Cuban might be. You never know it how it could turn out.

The USFL started with less than that, or certainly not much more than than that.

Never underestimate the ego of owning a sports team. And how much it could increase in value.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Many stadiums are owned and maintained by municipalities. Leases could be worked out for alternate facilities that are maybe smaller stadiums, but sure to be filled. Think about the "Field of Dreams" games. Many cities who haven't had MLB baseball before might be clamoring for franchises.

It's possible, if a TV network, a handful of cities and a handful of rich guys get behind it. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos don't strike me as "baseball guys", but Warren Buffet and Bill Gates and Mark Cuban might be. You never know it how it could turn out.

The USFL started with less than that, or certainly not much more than than that.

Never underestimate the ego of owning a sports team. And how much it could increase in value.

They already have leases, with the teams.

 

[Briancuse]

based on what?

I have no problem with player salaries they have a unique skill. What really bothers me is the guy making 10 mil a year coming out with the I need to feed my family quotes. It's in poor taste.

 

[Alsacs]

Reminder today is the last day to cancel your MLB.TV subscription, they auto-renew tomorrow.
Make sure you cancel.

The owners are so disgusting.
Anyone who sides with them sucks.
Owners tank, don’t spend to compete and rake in millions but want fans to believe the players are greedy.

 

[upperdeck]

based on what?

any metric you want.. because if players were paid a max a 1 mill a yr that would still be stupid money for 99% of the population and the play would be just as good but more people would be able to attend and enjoy it..