Maybe we are seeing the “beginning of the end” of the lockout! It has been reported that MLB offered to raise the base luxury tax threshold to $228MM next season, with that figure rising to $238MM over the course of the CBA. That’s enough progress that the players can call it a WIN. Of course, MLB will want some concessions as well. They will want the 14-team playoff (which I…
This post was inspired by a couple of things. First, David Ortiz and Minnie Minoso were elected to the Hall of Fame, and a suggestion by one of our readers on my post about Larry Doby. The Dominican, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, have all contributed many players to the big leagues. But Mexico, Panama, and Columbia have also sent players to the majors. By country here are the counts, these…
I am not a Manfred Man (see what I did there? Not everyone will get that…), but this delay of the baseball season is not on Rob Manfred. It’s on his bosses. He takes his marching orders from them – he does not tell them what to do. Baseball has a huge problem with its ownership. The “have” teams are getting filthy rich and they have a chance to win…
Who remembers the 1995 Replacement players? Those that remember that time know full well that the option of owners playing a season with replacement players is not an option that can be ever considered again. Spring training 1995 was three weeks of comedic exhibition baseball. Former Major Leaguer Pedro Borbon returned to pitch for the Reds at age 48. After striking out his first hitter, he attempted to field a…
I told my wife yesterday that the players rejected the owner’s offer and that there was going to be NO BASEBALL SEASON this year. She said: “Honey, that’s negative, think positive!” so, I thought about it for a while and realized that I am a “glass half full person.” I am optimistic in general. I am a positive person! So, I have changed my opinion on the baseball season: “I…
Many baseball fans are on the side of the players. After all, it is those “damn greedy owners” who are responsible. NOT SO FAST! I have some questions: How do the owners make their money? How do players make their money? The owners make their money by playing games, selling tickets, and selling broadcasting rights to those games, and concessions. There are other ways, but that is substantially it. The…
There evidently was progress made in the negotiations on Sunday and I think the players and the owners both feel a sense of urgency to settle this. I am not a big fan of Bob Nightengale, but he hit it out of the proverbial ballpark on Sunday when he wrote this in the Arizona Republic: The players are livid at the owners, convinced they are making a killing and would rather…
I have always been told that if you want to find out what is behind anything, you should “follow the money.” So, that is exactly what I am going to do. The BIG MONEY can be found in the paychecks of Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Max Scherzer, Corey Seager, and numerous other multi-millionaires in MLB. Of course, it can be found in the owner’s pockets as well. But, before you…
Another story idea from SpokaneBob. The game had its start at Dodger Stadium in 1967. It was a softball game between celebrities and MLB baseball players. The Managers were Leo Durocher for the Stars and Milton Berle for the big league players. The MLB players included Wills, who was with the Pirates, Brooks Robinson, Clemente, Mays, Frank Howard, Killebrew, McCovey. Jim Garner started for the celebs and after giving up…
I am not on the side of the MLBPA or the MLB Owners. I am on the side of truth and fairness. I am a baseball fan. I want to see fair competition. I want to see small market teams do well. If the Dodgers really have the #1 Farm System in baseball, it is because they “bought it” by spending more on facilities, trainers, scouts, analytics, front office, and…