A Bad Day For MLB

I've seen alot of bad Major League Baseball commissioners in my life. Bowie Kuhn, Peter Uberroth (Mr Collusion) and of course, Bud Selig, who ignored the steroid scandals, cancelled a World Series and had an All-Star game end in a tie. And, at this point,I didn't even think it was possible for someone to take the crown of “worst sports commissioner” away from the NFL's Roger Goodell. But here we are. Yesterday Rob Manfred laid claim to all of our pent up rage about the management or, mismanagement of the sport we love. After the players decided the owner were not serious about negotiating they told the commissioner that they were ready to go to work under his powers to start the game and would handle the labor battle next year. Manfred, after saying that there would be baseball, “100% guaranteed”, he backtracked on Monday and then the owners added a deal breaker to any season resuming. They will not start a season until the players agree to not file a grievance against the league. Once again, the owners and their lackey are trying to break the union in any way they possibly can. That's what comes from having hedge fund guys and investment bankers running the game. Claiming poverty while the value of their franchises continues to rise. Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr goes on the radio and says “the baseball industry isnt very profitable”. Cubs billionaire owner Tom Ricketts says “the scale of losses is biblical”. All the whole refusing to open their books for a look see. No wonder the players call bullshit on this. Someone made the point yesterday that “the Miami Marlins played without many fans for 15 years , yet still managed to give a player (Giancarlo Stanton) the biggest contract in sports history, and then sold the team for a billion dollar profit, with five competing buyers.” Sportswriter Joe Posnanski put it this way…”The baseball owners, who have made billions and been given sweetheart leases and absurd tax breaks and the legal freedom to run a monopoly, are unwilling to give back even a little to their communities and support the very game that they represent.” Maybe it's time, when a franchise comes up for sale, that the league do an extra bit of vetting and make sure that the new owners actually like baseball.

Here are some other comments from yesterday…

“Change the rules

Change the ball

Destroy the minors

Destroy the draft

Vilify the players

Cancel the season

Thanks for everything Rob! #FireManfred”-Twins Cave

” MLB couldn't implement a 48-52 game schedule at this time in the calendar without losing a grievance to the players since a schedule between 64-72 games can easily be fit in between now and Sept. 27th. Therefore, another delay tactic until the calendar is more friendly”-Jim Bowden

“Players: “Fine we'll play, just tell us when to start and how many games we are playing”

Owners: “Well actually…”

Players called the bluff and owners are scrambling for excuses to not have a season.”-EJL

The owners have never cared about having a season, and Manfred's not had the balls to stand up to them.

Yeah “waive your legal rights” is usually a sign of good-faith negotiations.

The Pretenders have a new LP coming out…here's a taste…

Covers Of The Day