Will There Be a 2020 Season?

[SoxAce]

1 hour ago, DirtySox said:

 

WE BACK BOYS!

[Jack Parkman]

Trevor Bauer remains awesome.

 

I'm as pro labor as you can get, but the MLBPA were pretty dumb to reject that proposal yesterday. 

Edited June 23, 2020 by Jack Parkman

[ScootsMcGoots]

3 hours ago, DirtySox said:

 

 

2 hours ago, DirtySox said:

 

 

1 hour ago, DirtySox said:

 

So in a matter of a little over 2 hours, this dude tweets, "Manfred will announce a schedule," "wait, no he's not, more dicking around needs to happen first," "just kidding, he announced it."

What in the hell?

[Harold's Leg Lift]

9 minutes ago, Jack Parkman said:

I'm as pro labor as you can get, but the MLBPA were pretty dumb to reject that proposal yesterday. 

They wouldn't have gained anything from agreeing to that proposal and now they have the opportunity to file a grievance.  They also showed solidarity like never before going into the most important cba in league history.  The players did very well for themselves.  

[Jack Parkman]

1 hour ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

They wouldn't have gained anything from agreeing to that proposal and now they have the opportunity to file a grievance.  They also showed solidarity like never before going into the most important cba in league history.  The players did very well for themselves.  

They could lose the battle but win the war. Now is not the time for this fight. After 2021 is when you fight. This is doing more damage to the sport, than helping. 

Edited June 23, 2020 by Jack Parkman

[CeaseAndExist]

3 hours ago, Quin said:

By keeping the grievance, players won this.

*Disclaimer that Bob is accurate

 

There's very little chance the players win any grievance, and even if they do it just means the owners will look to recoup those costs by cutting payroll in the upcoming offseason and in the next CBA negotiations, so I'm not sure it makes a huge difference either way. 

I really, really wish people would stop looking at these negotiations as players or owners "winning" though. Both are losing, and both are doing tremendous damage to the sport long-term out of a very short-term interest. And neither side seems to fully appreciate that covid-19, even in a good labor/economic climate, is a threat not just to this season but to the financial feasibility of MLB moving forward

[Chisoxfn]

2 hours ago, ScooterMcGee said:

 

 

So in a matter of a little over 2 hours, this dude tweets, "Manfred will announce a schedule," "wait, no he's not, more dicking around needs to happen first," "just kidding, he announced it."

What in the hell?

So what does this mean? Was this a way for kind of everyone to agree in a somewhat amicable way, without directly agreeing?  It kind of seems like everyone almost decided lets just go back to the basics with a couple exceptions and play ball. We can't keep doing anything else, so owners, you do that and players can't be that upset (since it lines up with the initial terms) and owners ultimately aren't that far off from what they more recently negotiated (other than they get to keep all of the playoff revenue - but without expanded playoffs which would have been an avenue for them to recoup a bit of revenue).  

[SoxAce]

Rodon just confirmed it on twitch chat FWIW.

[Chisoxfn]

6 minutes ago, SoxAce said:

Rodon just confirmed it on twitch chat FWIW.

What did he confirm? That he is ready to play and expects to be on the opening day roster while ultimately serving as the closer during the Sox miraculous 2020 world series championship run!  

[SoxAce]

17 minutes ago, Chisoxfn said:

What did he confirm? That he is ready to play and expects to be on the opening day roster while ultimately serving as the closer during the Sox miraculous 2020 world series championship run!  

Haha. Someone asked him if there was gonna be baseball he said "Looks like it". He was packing his stuff from Arizona earlier. 

[hogan873]

I'm excited there's going to be baseball.  No one is happy about only 60 games, but this is a better outcome than what it could have been.  More than anything, I'm happy that we'll get to see this team, that we were so excited about in January, finally play together.

Interesting to see over the next few weeks:
- What will the schedule look like?
- How many players will be on the roster?
- Who will make the expanded roster?
- Will any Sox players opt out?
- Where will the Sox set up their taxi squad?

Now let's keep our fingers crossed that there is no major outbreak, and they can play the entire season.

[Squirmin' for Yermin]

1 hour ago, hogan873 said:

I'm excited there's going to be baseball.  No one is happy about only 60 games, but this is a better outcome than what it could have been.  More than anything, I'm happy that we'll get to see this team, that we were so excited about in January, finally play together.

Interesting to see over the next few weeks:
- What will the schedule look like?
- How many players will be on the roster?
- Who will make the expanded roster?
- Will any Sox players opt out?
- Where will the Sox set up their taxi squad?

Now let's keep our fingers crossed that there is no major outbreak, and they can play the entire season.

I either saw OR had a dream that Moncada was opting out... I honestly don't remember... Let's hope a dream LOL

[Jack Parkman]

13 hours ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

88 days after the march agreement the owners are finally readyy to move forward under the terms.  The players are so going to win their grievance.  

I disagree that the players are going to win their grievance. That's why I think they should have taken the deal. If they do end up winning the grievance, I was wrong and they made the right move. 

 

I still think that being able to complete a season is incredibly optimistic at this point. 

Edited June 23, 2020 by Jack Parkman

[Harold's Leg Lift]

48 minutes ago, Jack Parkman said:

I disagree that the players are going to win their grievance. That's why I think they should have taken the deal. If they do end up winning the grievance, I was wrong and they made the right move. 

 

I still think that being able to complete a season is incredibly optimistic at this point. 

The PA obviously thinks they have a very good case despite what the boot licking media says.  Who knows maybe they have a "smoking gun" email.  

[chitownsportsfan]

Missing an entire year would be horrible for all the Sox' youth so I'm very happy they are going to get 60 games in.  Hell, we might just make the playoffs!

[Tnetennba]

60 games is better than 0 games for the Sox young talent.  Not losing out on a whole year of development is all I really care about at this point.

[SoCalChiSox]

3 hours ago, Jack Parkman said:

I disagree that the players are going to win their grievance. That's why I think they should have taken the deal. If they do end up winning the grievance, I was wrong and they made the right move. 

 

I still think that being able to complete a season is incredibly optimistic at this point. 

Jack even if they lose the grievance it'the right move. It will take like 2 years to resolve. Which means it will be a cloud over the owners heads after the 2021 season when the CBA expires so it's a bargaining chip for the next negotiation that the union can throw in to get sweeteners.

Also the bigger issue here is the expanded playoff which owners disproportionately benefit from and an agreement would have made it far harder for the union to use that as leverage for 2022. Once fans enjoy the expanded playoff it will be hard for the union to realistically threaten not to renew it for 2022 onwards, it will be like trying to unscramble an egg or trying to put toothpaste back into the tube and the owners would use that threat as a PR weapon against the union once people got used to it and expect it after two years. 

[Balta1701]

On 6/22/2020 at 1:05 PM, ScooterMcGee said:

Holy...so do you think the Sox would allow fans if the league permitted it?

 

On 6/22/2020 at 1:07 PM, Dick Allen said:

As a season ticketholder, I'm sure if the Sox allowed, i would get the chance, but I would pass. As much as I love going to games, and as much as I miss it, it isn't worth the risk until there is a vaccine or this thing just went away.

 

On 6/22/2020 at 1:08 PM, YouCanPutItOnTheBoardYES! said:

I just don’t know how they would be able to do it from a logistical standpoint. They could obviously spread people out in terms of where they sit, but what about the big groups of people congregating when the gates open? Or when everyone leaves after the game? 

From the stuff going around about the Health and Safety Protocols it sounds like they're going to have the players sitting in the ballpark seats rather than the dugout so that they can have some spread to the players during the games. So, having fans in there would be a real issue with that requirement.

[Jack Parkman]

4 hours ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

The PA obviously thinks they have a very good case despite what the boot licking media says.  Who knows maybe they have a "smoking gun" email.  

 

1 hour ago, SoCalChiSox said:

Jack even if they lose the grievance it'the right move. It will take like 2 years to resolve. Which means it will be a cloud over the owners heads after the 2021 season when the CBA expires so it's a bargaining chip for the next negotiation that the union can throw in to get sweeteners.

Also the bigger issue here is the expanded playoff which owners disproportionately benefit from and an agreement would have made it far harder for the union to use that as leverage for 2022. Once fans enjoy the expanded playoff it will be hard for the union to realistically threaten not to renew it for 2022 onwards, it will be like trying to unscramble an egg or trying to put toothpaste back into the tube and the owners would use that threat as a PR weapon against the union once people got used to it and expect it after two years. 

You guys make good points, I can't argue. I stand in the player's corner here, but...I'm a bit worried about public perception. I'll never understand how the average joe could possibly side with billionaires but it's actually the more common position. 

If they have a strong case for the grievance, then by all means have at it. 

I have a crusade against pitchers batting and I'm disappointed that the NL will have pitchers hit again in 2021. Hopefully the MLBPA can keep the health regulations in place in 2021 as well. 

I can absolutely buy the players position if they actually have a decent shot to win their grievance. If not, they'll have damaged their public perception for nothing. PR matters. 

Edited June 23, 2020 by Jack Parkman

[ScootsMcGoots]

34 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

 

 

From the stuff going around about the Health and Safety Protocols it sounds like they're going to have the players sitting in the ballpark seats rather than the dugout so that they can have some spread to the players during the games. So, having fans in there would be a real issue with that requirement.

Um, I'm pretty sure if they put me 5 seats away from Jose Abreu neither he nor I would get the covid. Just sayin.

Edited June 23, 2020 by ScooterMcGee

[Balta1701]

1 minute ago, ScooterMcGee said:

Um, I'm pretty sure if they put me 3 seats away from Jose Abreu neither he nor I would get the covid. Just sayin.

You've been tested today?

[ScootsMcGoots]

2 hours ago, Balta1701 said:

You've been tested today?

I was being sarcastic. Obviously they wouldn't seat me, or any other fan, next to a ball player.

[justBLAZE]

YES.

[DoUEvenShift]

On 4/16/2020 at 2:54 PM, DoUEvenShift said:

Jeeze so many pessimistic people here

Called it. May have been a rough 2 months but we have baseball! 

Edited June 24, 2020 by DoUEvenShift

[Bob Sacamano]

Feel like they should change the name of the World Series this year. How about, "The Covid Cup!"