Rob Manfred and the owners' relationship with players will likely be tested during CBA talksGETTY IMAGES
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's unilateral resolution to begin the '20 season reflects "much deeper problems for the sport," and few of those problems can be "resolved without repairing a deep chasm between the union and ownership, a schism that could soon swallow up the sport," according to Tyler Kepner of the N.Y. TIMES. The current CBA expires in December '21, and that deal is a "clear victory for the owners, who have managed to keep the average salary virtually stagnant" -- around $4.4M -- since it was ratified in December '16, despite rising industry revenue. That dynamic has "increasingly loomed over the major leagues for the last few seasons." It explains why the MLBPA was "wary of giving any ground -- even amid a pandemic -- and why many observers fear the end of the current CBA could bring the first work stoppage since the strike" that canceled the '94 World Series and "devastated the sport’s momentum for years." Manfred and MLB Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem have "struggled to forge a productive relationship" with MLBPA Exec Dir Tony Clark and union Chief Negotiator Bruce Meyer, who was hired in '18 (N.Y. TIMES, 6/26).
LACK OF UNDERSTANDING: In Cleveland, Terry Pluto writes it is "hard to imagine a much worse way for MLB to resume." The "loudest voices have featured name-calling, complaining and an appalling lack of understanding of what life is like in 2020, the year of COVID-19, unemployment and social unrest." Pluto: "For the last few months, I kept wondering if either side really wanted to play ball this season. Yes, individual owners, front office people, players, coaches, etc. want the game to resume. But key decision makers made everything so hard, seemingly looking for reasons not to agree. It’s an irresponsible and insulting approach to a crisis" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 6/26).
LET THERE BE BASEBALL! In Cincinnati, Dave Clark pushes for MLB to lift its TV blackout rules, writing, "If there was ever a season to lift restrictions and let fans watch or listen to any games they want, this is it." Clark: "Won't happen. But it should. ... Doesn't feel like something MLB would do though -- not after everything we've seen and heard as of late" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 6/26).
THE NEW NORMAL: In Dallas, Kevin Sherrington notes MLB officials hoped their health and safety protocols would help the league be able to “return a sense of normalcy.” But there is "nothing normal about any of this." Any player who sticks to the guidelines laid out in this manual should "get an MVP award," or "at least an Eagle Scout badge" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/26).
