COVID-19 impact on MLB season

[owbc]

This is progress. I can see a compromise where they settle on 80-90 games with players receiving some additional revenue but not the full prorated amounts.

[pacopete4]

81 games and call it a deal. Bunch of buffoons.

[SomewhereInTime]

At this point, I say write off 2020, players get 50% pay for the season, contracts automatically extended for a year (since the season was cancelled through neither the fault of owners or players), and just come back for 2021.

 

Don't get me wrong, they'll definitely try to spin it that way, that the season was cancelled due to the pandemic or something, but this would be cancelled due to strike/lockout, we've already got Nascar up and running, soon hockey and basketball will be back. This would be a season lost to labor dispute, nothing more.

[folly412]

 

If Major League Baseball and the players can't come to an agreement on a return-to-play deal, the league has discussed implementing a season in the 50-game range and paying players full prorated salaries. On the latest twist in negotiations:

 

Oh, nice. I also can't wait for the five game NFL season and three game college football season.

[rickh150]

 

If Major League Baseball and the players can't come to an agreement on a return-to-play deal, the league has discussed implementing a season in the 50-game range and paying players full prorated salaries. On the latest twist in negotiations:

 

Oh, nice. I also can't wait for the five game NFL season and three game college football season.

 

A 50 game season would be great, as long as they are not playing the World Series during Thanksgiving.

[brewerfan82]

I wonder how they would split up the schedule on a 50ish game season. Is the latest word still that teams would play their own division and their division's "other league counterpart" only?

 

If those are the parameters, something like this might make sense:

 

- Play each team within the division 10 times (a 5 game home series and a 5 game road series each) - 40 games within division

- Play each team in the opposite division 2 times (a 1 game home series and a 1 game road series each) - 10 games outside division

- 50 games in total

 

That would make things about as equal as you can get. The five game series' would allow for less travelling and also ensure teams don't get lucky in missing other teams' top end starters. For the 1-game series, you could make sure the home team always has a home series either before or after that game as well so that really each team only has five 1-day travel days in their schedule since the home team wouldn't have to travel for each of those series.

[nate82]

 

Oh, nice. I also can't wait for the five game NFL season and three game college football season.

 

I have severe doubts there will be college football this year.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

 

Oh, nice. I also can't wait for the five game NFL season and three game college football season.

 

I have severe doubts there will be college football this year.

 

You're probably right, but where does this stop? If there's no high school football and no college football (likely) why would there be pro football? Why, at that point, should we think baseball 2021 is safe? The "safe" threshold seems to move every week and I am beginning to think anything short of eradication is not going to be acceptable.

 

Everyone should be watching Mickey Mouse closely, of all things. What happens down there is either going to finally get this rolling or set everything back.

[JackNicholson1974]

Didn’t the owners just propose an 82 game season? Now it’s 50? Who are they? My Dad?

 

Son, you can play for 30 more minutes.

No, I want to play for 60 more minutes!

Nope, 30 minutes.

“60!”

Oh you want to argue? Now it’s 15 more minutes!

Huh?

Try me again and it will be 10.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Didn’t the owners just propose an 82 game season? Now it’s 50? Who are they? My Dad?

 

Son, you can play for 30 more minutes.

No, I want to play for 60 more minutes!

Nope, 30 minutes.

“60!”

Oh you want to argue? Now it’s 15 more minutes!

Huh?

Try me again and it will be 10.

 

Just scrap this. Like anyone is going to take a 50-game season champion seriously.

[Vgmastr]

Didn’t the owners just propose an 82 game season? Now it’s 50? Who are they? My Dad?

 

Son, you can play for 30 more minutes.

No, I want to play for 60 more minutes!

Nope, 30 minutes.

“60!”

Oh you want to argue? Now it’s 15 more minutes!

Huh?

Try me again and it will be 10.

 

They proposed an 82 game season if the players took reduced salaries, because the more games they play without fans, the more money they lose. The 50 game proposal is the amount of games they'd agree to with paying the players the amount they already agreed upon when the season was first shut down, and they're saying they could force the players to play it since there's already an agreement for those salaries.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Didn’t the owners just propose an 82 game season? Now it’s 50? Who are they? My Dad?

 

Son, you can play for 30 more minutes.

No, I want to play for 60 more minutes!

Nope, 30 minutes.

“60!”

Oh you want to argue? Now it’s 15 more minutes!

Huh?

Try me again and it will be 10.

 

Just scrap this. Like anyone is going to take a 50-game season champion seriously.

 

I would. Any baseball is better than no baseball. It certainly isn't ideal, though.

 

I think they'll end up doing an 81-game season beginning July 4 weekend. Hopefully.

[JackNicholson1974]

The more games they play without fans, the more money they lose.

 

That seems like a dubious statement.

 

By that rationale they lose the least money by playing zero games. If it’s about money for the owners, then this should be their stance. Apparently more games on TV with a sports starved captive audience produces little to no profit. Fine. Cancel the season then. I’m sick of this.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The more games they play without fans, the more money they lose.

 

That seems like a dubious statement.

 

By that rationale they lose the least money by playing zero games. If it’s about money for the owners, then this should be their stance. Apparently more games on TV with a sports starved captive audience produces little to no profit. Fine. Cancel the season then. I’m sick of this.

 

There's a breakpoint though where the number of games provides diminishing returns and at a certain point negative returns because there are no fans. Playing some games is worth it for the TV deal, but the value per game goes down the more games there are. It's not really dubious at all. Zero tickets, zero concessions, zero in-house merch sales. TV advertisers won't pay a whole lot more for 82 broadcasts vs. 50.

[ZBTMP]

 

Oh, nice. I also can't wait for the five game NFL season and three game college football season.

 

I have severe doubts there will be college football this year.

 

NCAA doesn’t have to get player agreement on how to split up reduced revenue. They also have large TV contracts at the power 5 level that more than cover expenses. Wisconsin football is expected to be on campus next week. You really believe the SEC isn’t having football? If certain midmajors decide not to play, there will be some scheduling chaos, but Id be very surprised if schools punted on $40 million+ in TV contracts.

This is a positive development to me. Seems like there will be a season and the owners believe they can make money at 50 games. 50 games are better than no games from a player prospective. Its just a matter of how many games they can get.

[ZBTMP]

Didn’t the owners just propose an 82 game season? Now it’s 50? Who are they? My Dad?

 

Son, you can play for 30 more minutes.

No, I want to play for 60 more minutes!

Nope, 30 minutes.

“60!”

Oh you want to argue? Now it’s 15 more minutes!

Huh?

Try me again and it will be 10.

 

Just scrap this. Like anyone is going to take a 50-game season champion seriously.

 

If you don’t care to watch Christian Yelich in his prime trying to tie a game in the ninth against the Craig kimbrel because the Pirates aren’t 15 games out, that’s your choice. Someone still has to win the games. There will be great individual performances, exciting improbably victories, playoff drama and everything we love about baseball. Sure the best team might not win it all. That’s no different than any other season just the probability of it happening that way is slightly greater.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I'd still watch it, and it would probably be fun, but you're kidding yourself if you think history is going to treat a 50-game season with weirdo playoffs and no fans the same as all the others. It's a gimmick at this point. Gimmicks can still be fun but seriously, if the Brewers win a WS this way, no one outside of MKE County is going to recognize that. Maybe you don't care. Maybe I don't care.

[dlk9s]

I'd be pretty pissed if I were a player who suffered a major injury during a 50-game season.

[TURBO]

I'd still watch it, and it would probably be fun, but you're kidding yourself if you think history is going to treat a 50-game season with weirdo playoffs and no fans the same as all the others. It's a gimmick at this point. Gimmicks can still be fun but seriously, if the Brewers win a WS this way, no one outside of MKE County is going to recognize that. Maybe you don't care. Maybe I don't care.

 

If they play a 50 game season, or an 80 game season, there will be a World Series Champion. I would rather it be us than someone else, so if that happens, and the Brewers win it, I'll party like it's 1982!

[pacopete4]

I will take any sort of winning just to never hear Rock blabber on about 1982 anymore. The same goes for a no-hitter. Someone just do it already.

[ZBTMP]

I'd be pretty pissed if I were a player who suffered a major injury during a 50-game season.

 

I’ll concede there is some risk that a player without a guaranteed contract for 2021 is going to get hurt and he isn’t good enough for the team to dedicate a roster spot through their rehab. But if you are that player, you weren’t guaranteed to be in the big leagues in 2021 anyway. Almost all players are going to be far better off with 30%+ of their salaries in their pocket than sitting this one out and the union probably knows that.

[owbc]

I will take any sort of winning just to never hear Rock blabber on about 1982 anymore. The same goes for a no-hitter. Someone just do it already.

 

[nate82]

Sounds like they are close on a deal the sticking point looks to be the number of games to be played.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlbpa-on-board-with-leagues-plan-for-regional-schedule-in-2020-season-per-report/

[brewerfan82]

Alright, let's split the difference and get this done! 12 games against each team in the division (2 home series and 2 road series) and 6 games against each interleague counterpart (1 home series and 1 road series) for 78 games total.

[JackNicholson1974]

Sounds like they are close on a deal the sticking point looks to be the number of games to be played.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlbpa-on-board-with-leagues-plan-for-regional-schedule-in-2020-season-per-report/

 

Regional play. What am I missing here? Once you are on a plane and headed to new location, who cares if you land in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia? St. Louis or Texas?