Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker weighed in on MLB's return plan and "seemed to suggest players should accept" the owners' proposal for the "sake of fans who miss the game," according to Paul Sullivan of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Pritzker yesterday criticized players for "holding out" for more money while other Americans are "sacrificing" during the pandemic. Pritzker said he realizes the players "have the right to haggle over their salaries," but U.S. citizens "deserve to get their pastime back." Pritzker: "We need that back, that normalcy back, and hope they'll be reasonable as they negotiate. But I must say I'm disappointed in many ways that players are holding out for these very, very high salaries" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/13).
NOT READY YET? Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said that she "doesn't believe Chicago will be ready for 'large crowds in a ball field' by July and said any plan to start the professional baseball season must be done in consultation with local cities." Lightfoot: "I can't predict where we’re going to be in July. I think there's got to be a lot of coordination and conversation from MLB, the local teams, with their relevant city and health departments. I'm not going to support something that puts people at risk." However, Lightfoot said that the city "can consider the possibility if it can be done safely" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/13).
