In addition to pace of play and the influx of home runs this year, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred touched on several other issues facing the league yesterday prior to the All-Star Game. The league is closely tracking the U.S. Supreme Court deciding to hear New Jersey’s appeal of the federal ban on sports gambling. However, Manfred said MLB has not gone as far as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in advocating for legalized gambling. “If there’s going to be a change in the regulatory structure with respect to sports gambling, we need to be in a position to meaningfully engage and shape, try to shape what the new regulatory scheme looks like,” Manfred said. “We’re in the process of talking to our owners and figuring where we want to be in the event that there [is] in fact a significant change coming” (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer).
OPTIMISTIC ABOUT RAYS, A'S: Manfred said that the "potential of the Tampa Bay market makes it worth waiting" for the Rays to work out a new ballpark deal and "remains optimistic of an agreement." He said, "I continue to believe Tampa (Bay) is a viable major-league market, and I also believe it may be better than the alternatives than we have out there. I am hopeful we get to a resolution." Manfred added that MLB "eventually could have to consider alternatives but -- with active talks under way on both sides of the bay and a lease at Tropicana Field through 2027 -- that is not yet the case" (Marc Topkin, TAMPA BAY TIMES, 7/12). Meanwhile, Manfred indicated that he is "not losing patience with the A's, who gave themselves a year to settle on a ballpark site." He said, "Given the change in the control situation, I think it's prudent and sufficient for [A's co-Owner John Fisher] to take a year and make a decision on what site he thinks is the best." Manfred: "I really don't believe that it's my job to have a preference for those sites. They know their market better. They've kept me briefed. They've spent a heck of a lot more time analyzing the sites" (John Shea, S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/12).
LATEST ON EXPANSION: Manfred reiterated it "would be great for baseball to expand," as having 32 teams "does a lot for us from a schedule format perspective." Manfred: "We could have geographic realignment, play up geographically in the playoffs, which would solve a lot of our format problems in the playoffs." He added there are "cities out there that make sense for us.” Manfred did not identify possible expansion cities last night, but he mentioned Montreal, Charlotte and Mexico City earlier in the week. However, he made it clear MLB needs to resolve the ballpark issues in Tampa and Oakland before seriously broaching expansion. Manfred: "We need Major League quality facilities in those two markets, and we just don't have them. ... We need to get that fixed. It's our first order of business" ("Baseball Tonight," ESPN, 7/11).
MORE OFF DAYS COMING: MLBPA Exec Dir Tony Clark said that the '18 schedule "will feature four extra days off for each team," a condition of the new CBA. In N.Y., Ken Davidoff notes that means the season "will start in the middle of the week, as opposed to a Sunday, as has been the case in most recent years." Clark indicated that next season "will feature more forgiving first-pitch times for 'getaway days,' the last game of a series, when teams have to travel far for their next game" (N.Y. POST, 7/12).
CHANGES EYED FOR POSTING RULES: Both MLB and the MLBPA are pursuing changes that would create a single set of posting rules for international players arriving from countries such as Japan, South Korea and Cuba. “What we [would] like to do with the posting system ... is get to a consistent approach with respect to foreign professional players coming to Major League Baseball,” Manfred said. Clark agreed, and said the issue is "under discussion" (Fisher).
