Ducksnort

Well...what do you all think next steps are? MLB formally sends instructions to teams on when to start the spring training? I would guess that now the focus needs to shift to how the players are going to be kept as safe as possible from Covid.

But can the league still enact expanded playoffs if they want?

I was initially concerned that some players will feel "forced" to play with the league unilaterally mandating beginning of the season. I hope Clark's statement of "players want to play, it's who we are and what we do" speaks for at the very least the vast majority of players, and they play with the same heart and passion that they always do. Hopefully bitterness doesn't take over the players, who are the heart and soul of the game.

Even if they opened the books people will say they held back documents and records so I really don't see the point. It will just be an ongoing fingerpointing fight until one side ultimately gets what they want. Fuel to the fire

I usually side with the owners...I'm far from a trump supporter and I'm not really conservative

I don't watch much of the Bulls or Blackhawks. But the Bulls have never won a title in my lifetime, and I (painfully) watch the Bears on a fairly regular basis. I watched the Bulls when I was a kid...when they had Noah, Heinrich, Deng, Rose, Ben Gordon, even Ben Wallace. More recently Jimmy Buckets. They were fun to watch. When the last of those guys left...I lost interest. Hawks won 3 cups and I can still watch Kaner/Toews. I think the Bulls still won't win for another good while. Bulls it is for me.

Finally. Something to go off of. Exactly one month from today is OD. Spring training next week?

Well I think it's encouraging that initial reports were the owners weren't going to negotiate further and that turned out to be wrong, and we haven't had this most recent deal turned down yet and it's been almost a full 24 hours so that's...something.

That 3rd paragraph...so much yes. That right there in a nutshell is what they need to change in order to get this country back into baseball again. I would be STOKED if they did all of those things. And the league needs to start seriously having discussions about how to make those things happen. I disagree with the first part of your post though. I still think they should try to play this year. I just think with the improvements from so many of our young players we saw last year, I fear the worst could happen with their development. However, I agree that a 50 game season is stupid. If that is seriously the best thing the league can come up with, might as well cancel the season. I'm not even sure how interested in watching I would be. Also, they better refund me my MLB.TV, and/or make the postseason long and accessible to MLB.TV subscribers...

I have some...better news (not necessarily "good" if more than 50 games aren't played IMO). Being the optimist that I am, here is a positive view on the current negotiations. I recommend the read. https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/next-week-will-tell-if-2020-mlb-season-starts-in-early-or-late-july/313495662

An agreement should have been solidified this week and players should be reporting to "Spring Training #2" next week (kind of funny, because this would actually technically be happening mostly in the spring season, when usually spring training happens in the final weeks of Winter). Who knows, maybe no news is good news right now? Maybe leaks have finally stopped?

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-announcers-will-broadcast-road-games-remotely-in-2020-season-per-report/ Basically, announcers will broadcast road games from a remote location and will not travel. Makes sense I guess. Sucks for them. I also read in a Traderumors article that MLB is going to let mayors and governors decide whether or not fans are allowed in stadiums. I think most everyone just totally thought fans wouldn't be allowed in at all this year, but I guess the Texas governor has said stadiums can fill to 50% capacity.

But how is an agreement very close if the owners just struck down the proposal (which, might I add, didn't seem realistic honestly), and refused to counter offer? Sounds like MLB just basically took over.

I hate the idea of a 50 game season. Gross.

To me, this proposal is showing that the players aren't worried very much about contracting the virus as much as getting paid...they want to extend the season by another month.

The pressure cooker is about at max that's for sure

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/05/mlb-mlbpa-deal-not-expected-by-june-1.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook Deal not expected to be finalized by tomorrow's "soft deadline," I think that's pretty obvious to everyone. Heyman says in order for baseball to start back up by the first week of July, look for a deal to be reached between June 5-9. Also this: "In a later Tweet, Heyman states that despite the lack of progress in negotiations, there seems to be a prevailing sense of optimism that ultimately a deal will be reached; both players and owners recognize the steep consequences that a cancelled season could have for the sport. Frankly, there’s too much to lose if the parties can’t find common ground, and such an outcome would certainly cause considerable short- and long-term damage to the sport." I think it's gonna happen folks.

My wife says Lou Piniella (who is one of the broadcasters for the ALCS) sounds like a person trying to impersonate the voice of George Bush. She's not wrong, listen tonight when they show the game ???

Quarantine the sick and bring in the minor-leaguers

I think the players have their hands tied here to be honest. All these guys speaking up via social media their thoughts, no matter how right they might be, if they don't agree to something, they aren't getting paid at all this season. The way I'm seeing it unfold, unfortunately right now it's take what you can get to play, or get nothing at all.

I've heard that Oakland is one of the worst financially-managed organizations in the league

Seems like future major leaguers (current minor leaguers or potential draftees) ger shafted a lot from these negotiations...

2005 Game 1 ALDS on now THIS CROWD IS AMAZING

I don't mean to speak for him, but I think he means the view of whoever thinks the players are looking to be made out the bad guys. And that tweet doesnt make sense to me. Everything I've read paints the owners as the obstacles, not the players.

Yeah. It's time to stop dicking around with this. Either they do it or they don't, and for the sake of the sport it better not be ugly.