The ball and chain of the MLB lockout continued when owners and players were far apart on the major issues at the lockout negotiations in Jupiter Florida for the ninth straight day of in person meetings (file photo from the Athletic)
MLB: Owners and Players No Deal – – Season on Life Support
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
Jupiter, Florida… Owners and players’ union representatives negotiated for 16 hours, beginning Monday, Feb. 28 at 10AM until around 4 AM Tuesday the 1st of March. Both sides were dead locked this morning.
The main sticking point is the CBT (Competitive Balance Tax). Negotiations were extended after the first deadline expired. The owners made the last proposal and it was rejected unanimously by the players union. And Adios! everybody left and went home empty handed.
It has been 91 days since MLB locked out the players. The lockout started on December 2, 2021. It was thought some progress was made but not enough to close a deal that would run the business of baseball until 2027.
It has been a heck of a roller-coaster of a ride during these past eight continuous days of negotiations. Meetings have been held at the St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training park, Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in sunny Jupiter, Florida.
Major League Players’ Association leaders agreed unanimously not to accept MLB’s final proposal and there will be no deal on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement before today’s 5PM ET deadline. MLB threatened to cancel its March 31 Opening Day without a new deal. Owners also said, as late as Sunday, they were willing to cancel the entire April calendar of games.
A sad situation for the game of baseball, and for all in the business of baseball that has a financial interest. This includes the ancillary people, self-employed, media, reporters, radio and TV stations, announcers, stadium workers, vendors, food truck drivers, Uber/Lyft drivers, local restaurants, the hospitality people and many more.
In other words all the people that depend on the baseball industry to put food on their table, pay their mortgage, pay the car note, the rent and raise their kids, are “up a creek without a paddle”. All because people that rule the business, owners and players, billionaires and millionaires, could not get their own greedy ways. In my book, and overall, I blame booth sides – owners and players. A $5 gallon of gas doesn’t affect them much.
One thing I do agree with this Commissioner, (which I agree few times), this is “a disastrous outcome” to the game. A sport that once was called “The National Pastime”, today has become “The National Joke” .
Amaury Pi Gonzalez will update you on the MLB lockout at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
