“PLAY BALL!!!” is what I am hoping to hear soon from the home plate umpire, but first I want to hear that it is safe to play baseball.
This 2020 virus plagued season has lead to the baseball world being divided. In such a tragic time of worldwide lost, everyone needs to put their differences aside and try to live in understanding. If you have been following baseball lately, you know there has been division between the owners and players. From an outside perspective, I have come to understand both sides’ concern. I won’t dig into that now, but I will tell you that Commissioner Rob Manfred’s plans to impose a 60-game season.
After more than a month of negotiations between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA), the two sides can’t come to an agreement. The players voted against a 60-game proposal from the league yesterday, in turn, the owners voted unanimously to grant Manfred the power to implement a season.
This means the 2020 MLB season will most likely be scheduled despite the fact that the owners and the players union can’t see eye-to-eye yet.
So how did end up in this complicated mess?
According to https://www.cbssports.com/, “We’ve kept a running timeline of each significant move (whether it was a step forward or a step back) in MLB/MLBPA talks since they began on May 12.” With that being said, I have provided a link to the actual article that provides a break down of the timeline. Just in case you need a reminder of what has been going on in baseball, please click here: https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-2020-season-timeline-of-how-testy-negotiations-led-to-owners-voting-to-impose-schedule/
At this point, I would guess that this is the most optimistic shot at starting a season. Honestly, I don’t understand why it took until now to get something down that would impose a game plan for the start of a 2020 season. I just hope that a season can get underway that will be safe for everyone.
There still needs to be an agreement between the two sides on safety regulations and a start date. In my opinion, I would have to agree with the information that Jim Bowden tweeted out. In the tweet, he said the following:
So let’s set our expectations:
1. Opening day between July 15-20th
2. Full Prorated Salaries
3. 16 Team playoff format for 20 and 21
4. Universal DH
5. Geographic Schedule
6. Both sides agree no grievances
7. Play between 60-70 games
8 Regular Season ends 9/27
9 WS ends late Oct
Hopefully these points or something close to them will be the ones that will provide a 2020 baseball season. Now that Manfred has stepped in, I am also hoping that the void between the two sides will be filled.
The Pinstriped Baseball Lane 