I think the sentiment is pretty simple Inflation is pricing people out of being able to do things they like to do You turn on the tv to see thousands murdered in Ukraine Makes it pretty tough, for a lot of us, to sympathize with billionaires and millionaires arguing over how to split up our money Many of us could use something positive to turn to, for many of us that is mlb, instead they give us the middle finger
Spoiler Major League Baseball is willing to increase the first competitive-balance tax threshold from $220 million if the Players Association makes moves in other areas, people with knowledge of the league’s thinking say. For the league to move closer to the union’s desired thresholds, which start at $238 million, it would want a variety of adjustments, including a pre-arbitration bonus pool lower than the union’s latest proposal of $80 million and sharp penalties for teams that exceed the thresholds by the highest amounts. Perhaps most important, it would want the union to accept a streamlined process for implementing rules changes beyond the 2023 season. The union, in its latest proposal to the league on Sunday, agreed to grant the league the ability to institute a pitch clock, larger bases and shift restrictions for 2023. The league wants the ability to make other changes for subsequent years within 45 days of the end of a season. Such changes would be implemented upon the recommendations of a competition committee composed of more league than union representatives, effectively giving commissioner Rob Manfred the power to act as he chooses. In previous CBAs, the commissioner had the unilateral right to implement changes only after a year’s notice. As the owners’ lockout continues, the thresholds remain a major sticking point in the negotiations between the parties for a new collective-bargaining agreement. The league already has canceled the first two series of the regular season, and is expected to announce further cancellations this week. The union, which believes teams sometimes treat the first threshold as a de facto salary cap, has asked for increases from $238 million to $263 million over the life of a five-year deal. The league, contending that higher thresholds would lead to greater payroll disparity and competitive imbalance, has proposed the thresholds staying flat at $220 million for the first three years, then increasing to $224 million and $230 million. The first threshold in 2021 was $210 million. Owners are at least somewhat divided on how to increase the thresholds. Four owners — Bob Castellini of the Reds, Chris Ilitch of the Tigers, Ken Kendrick of the Diamondbacks and Arte Moreno of the Angels — last week opposed the league improving its offer on the first threshold from $214 million to $220 million. The league moved forward with the proposal anyway, but additional owners might oppose another increase closer to the midpoint of each side’s request, which would be $229 million. To ratify an agreement, the league will require approval from 23 of 30 owners. The people with knowledge of the league’s thinking, however, said Sunday that agreement on the thresholds would be possible if the union showed flexibility in other parts of the deal. The union says it demonstrated that flexibility with its latest proposal to the league. League spokesman Glen Caplin disagreed, saying, “On some issues, they even went backwards” — a point strongly denied by a union official. The league views the potential to introduce rules changes in an expedited manner as critical to improving the on-field product. An automatic strike zone, automatic runner on second base in extra innings and the step-off rule for pitchers are among the other adjustments the league might want to make after 2023. The league, however, would want to see such changes take effect in 2024, and not wait until 2025 the way the previous CBA required.
Still have to assume over. The minimums for the local TV contracts are all over 100 games like was stated above. That is the next pressure point for the owners.
So much this. I just want to watch the game. I'll be going to more UT and RR games this year than usual, especially when the Sugar Land Whatevers are in town. This is the best/most complete UT team I've seen in years.
Theoretically it helps the runners, more steals and IF hits. At least I think that's the idea behind it.
I guess, just seems weird. It really seems like the league just wants more scoring in general with no thought on pitching issues. Pitch clock No shifts Bigger bases Automated strike zone
I was lucky enough to get to go with my dad and my 9 year old Friday. We looked good. Just a really solid team with no holes and outstanding pitching and defense. It’s going to be a fun season.
This is correct - they implemented it in the independent league and the SB % went way up. Also helps with rounding bases.
I would say MLB wants more action between commercial breaks. Pitch clocks (assuming with keeping batters in box) limits dead time. Steal attempts are action, but likely feels more important to viewer than they actually are (i.e., they add value, but so few of them in grand scheme of things for this to affect scoring much). Shifts decrease hits on balls in play. Removing them will increase scoring, but they aren't the primary cause for less hits on balls in play. Pitchers throwing better pitches has a much greater influence. I quite enjoy Gallo's tears over shifts whether they are Rangers tears or Yankee tears. Automated Strike Zone would likely save a lot of time Not sure if it helps or hurts scoring, but Robo umps doesn't help whoever is behind to extend ABs. So I think this will make games quicker, but likely will cause more walks and strikeouts (less actions, but less time used). I don't see MLB pitchers giving in and throwing a lot of fastballs down the middle when behind. It should curb time spent arguing with ump though.
These ain't Augie Garrido's Horns...they have the same pitching and defense and speed but can also mash.
Yep. Do away with the 3-batter rule, do not ban shifts. The manager can put the 8 positions wherever he wants to, and use his pitchers however he wants to. Universal DH too, LaRussa can bat his pitcher 8th all day until he falls asleep, "manager's decision" Bring on the pitch clock (will be mostly ignored, but), put a clock on the batter between pitches also (haven't thought it through, but let's say that once the pitcher is on the rubber, the hitter has 5? seconds to get in the box) I'm cool with the large bases. More baserunning action is more fun to me. 12 teams is plenty for the Postseason. 5 is better. (3 Divisions and 2 WC) Robo Ump technology is inevitable, just maybe not quite there yet. Now leave the ****ing on-field product alone, assholes, and fix the economics.
I really hate talking about CBA negotiations. The only reason I even care a little bit is seeing how a new CBA will impact the Astros in terms of payroll and the rule changes that could be really annoying. However, regarding this current negotiation, I feel the players did not read the room correctly and asked for way too much. It's like they don't even want to acknowlege the pandemic and possible future repercussions it could have on baseball. If I was on the players negotiating team and wanted to get more of the things they are asking for I would have extended the current CBA deal 1 more year and then negotiate next offseason. The reason I would have wanted to delay the CBA negotiations is because of attendance issues. I think the Astros are a perfect example because they are a team that has been going for it and winning for several years. So in 2019 the Astros went to the World Series and lost in 7 games. The attendace for the Astros that season is listed at 2,857,367. In 2021 the Astros also reached the World Series but lost in 6 games. Minute Maid scaled in the number of fans until May 25th when 100% capacity was allowed. The season total for attendance was 2,068,509. That's a drop of 788,858 fans in attendance from 2019 to 2021. I haven't seen a defininite number on the average Astros ticket price. I've seen a range from 40 to 80 bucks. So for this post I'm going to split the difference and go with a 60 dollar average. So 788,858 in lost attendance at an average price of 60 dollars a ticket is $47,331,480 and that is just ticket sales. That also doesn't include parking, concession sales, memorbilla revenues, etc... Hopefully, after Omicron we are able to return to a more normal life as people are doing already. However, what is to say another vaccine resistant and more deadly strain from the delta variant isn't going to pop up? Or, I know some people that have decided they won't go back to big public evens like baseball games even when the pandemic is over. So how much will the attendance actually bounce back the next 4-5 years which is the length of what the new CBA will likely be? Nobody actually knows. Yet, the players seem to want significant increases when the owners have some serious question marks on their total revenues going forward. Yes, I know the new tv deals and expanded playoffs are/will boost revenues, but even for the Braves that won the World Series and had 568 million in revenue for 2021.... 47 million in lost ticket sales plus parking, concessions, memorbilla, etc. is a sizeable chunk of overall revenues. Also, we have major inflation. How many people can't afford to go to games anymore? Another year to see how attendance would have bounced back might have gotten the players a better deal in the long run.
Couldn't agree more. Around your idea of clocking the pitcher and the batter, my thinking is that the game has slowed down primarily due to gamesmanship in communicating pitches and stealing these signs. We didn't have three-batter rules or pitch clocks or such in the 70s and 80s, yet 120-minute games were common and 3-hour games were the exception rather than the rule. What's changed? Pitchers and catchers take a lot longer to communicate, and batters walk around in circles a lot more. So, pitch clocks and three-batter rules are kinda like brain surgery through the rectum. I suppose one could get there, but how about start where the actual problem is instead?
