America's pastime is past due

Rob Manfred, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, stood in front of the press on Wednesday, March 2, to announce the cancellation of the first two series of the baseball season. This did not come as a surprise; the MLB has been on a “lockout” for over three months and will continue to be locked-out until a deal is made between the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and the league owners. 

The MLBPA is the trade union representing all players in the league. The union also represents coaches, managers and athletic trainers who have a contract with the MLB. The league owners and the MLBPA have disagreed on numerous topics and a lockout ensued when a Collective Bargaining Agreement wasn’t agreed upon by the Dec. 2 deadline.

The main reasoning behind the two sides’ disagreement is what sets baseball apart from other American professional sports: the lack of a salary cap. The MLB is essentially a free market, meaning each team can spend as much money as they feel necessary to build their team. However, when teams exceed a certain payroll limit (2021’s was $210 Million), they are taxed heavily on it. This luxury tax, also known as competitive balance tax, is the primary topic the owners and MLBPA are fighting over. The union wants to increase the current threshold of $210 million to $238 million, with it increasing sequentially to $263 million by 2026.

Even with this decision yet to be solved, the groups are also in a debate over salary minimums and the format of the post-season. Minor League players received pay bumps last year of around $200 weekly depending on which class they play in, according toSports Illustrated. This raise barely addresses the fundamental issue that most minor league players still live below the poverty line and often work a second or third job to make a living.

Players have not been shy voicing their opinions. Marco Gonzales, a pitcher for the Seattle Mariners, tweeted, “I wish the people who run this game loved it as much as the players and fans do.” 

Players aren’t the only ones in an uproar about the MLB Lockout. One of the busiest and most exciting parts of the season is Opening Day, and fans travel from all around the country to watch their favorite teams kick off the season. “It’s disappointing for fans and especially for kids who have been looking forward to watching the stars they look up to,” Blake Dragan, vice president of MSU’s club baseball team, said.

The negotiations have surfaced some interesting proposals for upcoming seasons. While many topics have been heavily debated, the union granted the league the ability to implement three new changes. The given changes can be implemented as early as 2023 and include adding a pitch clock, banning the defensive shift and increasing the size of bases. The pitch clock has already been in use in college and semi-professional baseball — it was designed to decrease time in between pitches and the game as a whole. The MLB is always looking to make the game more exciting to fans, and the application of wider bases and banning shifts is an effort to increase the number of hits and action seen in games.

With the MLB lockout already postponing four regular-season series and a large portion of spring training, players and fans aren’t the only ones who are impacted. Many people rely on spring training and regular-season games to bring in money, so cutting games means many people will miss paychecks. The MLBPA created a $1 Million fund for workers who were impacted by this matter, which will be distributed to stadium staff and concession crews, as well as a $500,000 fund for non-profits who are impacted by the owner-initiated lockout. MLB is also creating a $1 million fund for spring training ballpark workers. As of now, it is still unclear when each party will come to an agreement and the lockout will be lifted. 

Manfred and the MLB announced the season will be pushed again back with another week of games being canceled on Wednesday, March 9. As of press time, Opening Day for the 2022 season is tentatively scheduled for April 14.