And the MLB 2020 season negotiations begin

[CBeisbol]

Scott Boras to pay the salaries of his minor league clients who were released this week
https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status...421201408?s=19

sCoTt BoRaS iS gReEdY

[Cynical]

The entire idea that "the owners shouldn't have to hold up their end of a contract they freely signed with players because it's inconvenient for them to do so at the moment!" is so absurd that I'm shocked that so many people are advocating for it.

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by Cynical

The entire idea that "the owners shouldn't have to hold up their end of a contract they freely signed with players because it's inconvenient for them to do so at the moment!" is so absurd that I'm shocked that so many people are advocating for it.

The media works for rich people - like the owners.
Literally, Ted Turner

[neugey]

A cynical part of me is starting to suspect that sometime in my lifetime (I'm 48) I will actually live to see one of the major American sports literally place 100% of their teams into the playoffs. They are becoming so beholden to playoff revenue these days I can't rule it out.

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by neugey

A cynical part of me is starting to suspect that sometime in my lifetime (I'm 48) I will actually live to see one of the major American sports literally place 100% of their teams into the playoffs. They are becoming so beholden to playoff revenue these days I can't rule it out.

I don't see why that's a problem
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Of course, I also see the regular season and playoffs as pretty much completely separate entities. With success in the regular season, and what it takes to be successful, being a lot different than what it takes to be successful in the playoffs.

[cephasjames]

Originally Posted by Cynical

The entire idea that "the owners shouldn't have to hold up their end of a contract they freely signed with players because it's inconvenient for them to do so at the moment!" is so absurd that I'm shocked that so many people are advocating for it.

Not intending to side with anyone, but, from many of the articles I've read, it sounds like the owners believe they are working completely within the parameters of the contract they freely signed. They believe the wording of the contract gives them the room to request more pay cuts from the players based on not having fans. Their interpretation may be wrong, but they are not trying to get out of a contract they signed. Just use it to their advantage.

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by cephasjames

Not intending to side with anyone, but, from many of the articles I've read, it sounds like the owners believe they are working completely within the parameters of the contract they freely signed. They believe the wording of the contract gives them the room to request more pay cuts from the players based on not having fans. Their interpretation may be wrong, but they are not trying to get out of a contract they signed. Just use it to their advantage.

lmao

[dkgo]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

Playoffs are too much. Wasn't the regular season enough to figure out who the best team is?

The goal of sports in the US is not to figure out who the best team is. It's to provide entertainment and generate revenue.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by cephasjames

I'm curious how the 114 games will be scheduled. Because June 30-Oct. 31 is only 124 days. I'm guessing lots of doubleheaders?

They do 162 games in 180 days right now. The correct off days in proportion would be 13.

[cephasjames]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

lmao

Do you have a link to an article that shows the owners wanting to break that contract or go outsides its bounds? Even articles that have a pro-player slant, like most on cbssports.com, don't make either of those claims.

[neugey]

Originally Posted by dkgo

The goal of sports in the US is not to figure out who the best team is. It's to provide entertainment and generate revenue.

Don't let Michael Jordan hear you say that.

[cephasjames]

Originally Posted by dkgo

The goal of sports in the US is not to figure out who the best team is. It's to provide entertainment and generate revenue.

I don't think it needs to be either/or. It can be both. Yes, sports are a business designed to make money by entertaining. But within that entertainment business, the goal of those playing the sport is to figure out who the best team is. Making money and crowning a champion are not mutually exclusive.

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by dkgo

It's to provide entertainment and generate revenue.

That's why you see teams putting out vague statements about equality, but hardly ever mention police brutality explicitly.

They don't want to risk alienating a portion of their fanbase.

[TheMaus2]

Do away with the playoffs completely and do a cup style playoff during the season!

[cephasjames]

As I've been thinking about it, I wonder if the owners might be coming back with a 50 game season because that's, like the 114 games proposed by the players, 32 games off from the original 82 game proposal. The owners say they don't like the 114 game option because they are concerned with the coronavirus coming back in the fall and canceling the postseason. 82 games will be half a season with an opportunity to hopefully do the playoffs before the coronavirus potentially kicks in again. The owners conceded on the prorated salaries. Now they are hoping the players will concede on the number of games and bring it back to 82.

[actionjackson]

Originally Posted by RchW

They do 162 games in 180 days right now. The correct off days in proportion would be 13.

I think it used to be 162 in 182 (26 weeks), and now it's 162 in 186, hence Opening Day the Thursday before it used to be.

[cephasjames]

Cubs' Tom Ricketts says most revenue goes right back into team

"Here's something I hope baseball fans understand," Ricketts said. "Most baseball owners don't take money out of their team. They raise all the revenue they can from tickets and media rights, and they take out their expenses, and they give all the money left to their GM to spend.

"The league itself does not make a lot of cash. I think there is a perception that we hoard cash and we take money out and it's all sitting in a pile we've collected over the years. Well, it isn't. Because no one anticipated a pandemic. No one expects to have to draw down on the reserves from the past. Every team has to figure out a way to plug the hole."

Understanding slightly how business works, I get the plausibility of this argument (as I have seen this very thing with friends who own businesses). But perception says otherwise. And without the owners opening their books, perception is going to win out and people are going to continue to see them as billionaire cash hoarders sitting on piles of gold like Scrooge McDuck.

[TheMaus2]

I get that some owners are less fortunate than others (cough Frank McCourt cough) but an MLB team's market value is what, at least a billion?

[dkgo]

Originally Posted by cephasjames

Cubs' Tom Ricketts says most revenue goes right back into team

Understanding slightly how business works, I get the plausibility of this argument (as I have seen this very thing with friends who own businesses). But perception says otherwise. And without the owners opening their books, perception is going to win out and people are going to continue to see them as billionaire cash hoarders sitting on piles of gold like Scrooge McDuck.

Even if what he says is true (which I don't really believe), by owning a business when things go south you have to put more money into it. It's not guaranteed to increase in valuation forever.

[cephasjames]

Originally Posted by dkgo

Even if what he says is true (which I don't really believe), by owning a business when things go south you have to put more money into it. It's not guaranteed to increase in valuation forever.

Yep. And every business at some point has to eat costs to make it through lean points.