SPANISH HARLEM – 
It has been an embarrassing couple of weeks for Major League Baseball and the Players Association. That’s putting it softly. The damage has been done and only time will tell if they’ve destroyed the way we feel about baseball going forward. SITUATION: We are at the point were games need to start at by mid-July but… will that be enough for fans to watch a sport that has been dying a slow death since the 1994 strike? That failure of leadership resulted in baseball being cancelled with some 50 games left on the schedule.
On Tuesday, it was reported that commissioner Rob Manfred and the Executive Director of the Players Association, Tony Clark, had a face-to-face for the first time to discuss a plan that will start the season. Why has it taken this f**king long? It’s unbelievable to think that proposals from both sides were emailed to each other without any personal interaction between the two organizations. Now, with baseball on the brink of disaster, these two decide it’s in their best interest to have a one-on-one to discuss matters that should have been discussed weeks ago?!
The word is that a new proposal has been offered for a 60-game season starting July 19th. It would have full pro-rated salary for players that are willing to play. That includes an expanded playoffs, allowing more teams to make the playoffs. That would add more revenue to teams that would not see a dime with the regular format. As I write this, nothing is agreed upon so we don’t know if this proposal will be accepted. But at least we have some momentum to get a deal done.
As I sit here and think about my love of baseball, I have to believe that throughout all this mess, baseball fans have either tuned them out or don’t care anymore. That’s sad because this great sport was once considered America’s Pastime and now lingers behind the NFL and NBA in terms of viewers and interest. Will devoted fans even care when the games start?
And here we are, with a proposed plan of 60 games in a league that doesn’t determine its true contenders until 80 games are played. We know the cliche; baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. Until now. Teams will be sprinting to the finish line just to appease the networks that carry their games.
I don’t know how this will work but I will watch because I love the New York Yankees. Will they make the playoffs? What if they come out the gate and stink it up for 30 to 40 games? Most players need a couple months to get in a groove. Pitchers need to get their strength under the legs.
PREDICTION: Look for a ton of injuries to due to the long hiatus and some unusual teams in the playoff hunt. It will be wacky for sure but in the end… will it worth it?
Leave your comments below and come back tomorrow for Replacement Matt, who is always worth it.
