The whole half season modified playoff format idea is in jeopardy because, surprise of surprises, they are squabbling over money. The owners want a payment schedule that is designed to make the players absorb some of the financial loss along with the owners. They, of course, are insulted and outraged at any suggestion involving them making less money, circumstances be damned. As far as I’m concerned, they can take the whole summer off. I just want my beloved football back in August.
I’d happily sacrifice football forever for half a season of baseball. 
Toronto’s AAA stadium is in Buffalo (it’s quite nice) but the State of New York is scarcely less hard core, and although Buffalo is just an hour from me it might as well be on Mars because the border’s closed. If need be, the Jays will very likely host their home games at their brand new spring training site in Dunedin, FL. If fans can’t go I guess it doesn’t really matter where “home” is.
Again, though, it appears the union are going to be assholes about this. I side with the players’ union 99% of the time and think the owners are almost always lying, but in this case the union’s insistence they be paid in full on a prorated basis is ridiculous. MLB gets at least a third of its revenue, and likely a bit more, from tickets and concessions. Paying the players full freight makes it 100 percent likely they will lose gobs of money, and so it would make no sense for them to have a season at all.
How much do the players get paid if there is no season at all?
To be honest, MLB is on a steady course of destruction, I don’t really miss their presence in my life. All of the ways in which baseball has evolved into an American cultural institution have been taken apart, and piled into bones that are now being picked clean. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, find somebody your fatheer’s/grandfahter’s age to explain it to you.
Armando Galarraga wants MLB to recognize his perfect game. Jim Joyce agrees.
I would have no problem with this whatsoever, for several reasons. One, it was indisputably a blown call. Two, there is no harmed party, i.e. a pitcher or team getting a loss (Jason Donald would lose an infield single, but I doubt he would care.) And lastly, since Galarraga retired the next hitter, it changes no other outcomes. There were 26 outs before Joyce had his brainfart. There is a video in the linked article with comments from some baseball folk. Joe Maddon said he’d hoped when they introduced video replay, that they would also announce the first reversed call: the Galarraga play.
Some will say it’s a slippery slope and that the floodgates will open with demands for rectified calls. If you’re in that camp I’d like hear an example or two that could plausibly be awarded without controversy from a ‘harmed’ party. This wasn’t just a perfect game; it was a perfect failure.
I’m not sure I care what MLB recognizes. I know he threw a perfect game, he knows it, we all know it. In fact, it was the most perfect game ever; he got 28 men out, not 27.
My Dad didn’t like baseball. Back in the day, fewer people attended MLB games than is now the case.
Of course many people do not care for baseball, but that has always been true. Many people do like baseball, and as long as that is true there will be a major leagues. It might not always be organized the way it is now, but it will exist.
It could have been scored as a no-hitteer immediatly, if the official scorer had any balls. Call it “E-1”, the pitcher could have retired the runner “with ordinary effort”, but didn’t. Also, Joyce had it fully within his power and authority to call the umps together and ask in anybody “had a better view” and then immediately reverse his call, amid nothing but appreciative cheers. It’s on Joyce, who could have become the most respected man in baseball, instead of mus reviled. It speaks to the integrity of their thought process. Both these thoughts occurred me within seconds of the call on the field — but thatt’s because I think I would have been motivated by fairnesss, not my own pride…
Well, hello sunshine.
My dad detests baseball, pretty much every sport. I think he only watched football to have something to talk about at work. He’d much rather be reading hard sci fi, but wanted to have something to talk about at the office.
My grandfathers were apathetic about baseball.
Yeah, we all know we won’t have thousands of people gathered in Times Square watching baseball scores being displayed on a billboard.
Even the world I grew up in, featuring endless Cubs, Braves and Mets games on the 1980s superstations is long gone. There wasn’t much else to entertain teens on long summer breaks, baseball and pro wrestling were about it unless you got really into game shows or old sitcom reruns.
So, yes, baseball won’t be the dominant sport or American conversation going forward. Even NFL football won’t be as dominant with the concussion stories. And, depending on what happens with college education, the Saturday afternoon college football ritual may slowly dissipate.
But, in many ways, it’s better. Almost every MLB game is televised now. MLB TV makes it possible to see every team so you’re not limited to your local team. If you live in Chicago and the Dodgers are having a good year, you can follow them easier, they’re not just ‘late’ in your morning paper.
Those who get MLB TV: they’re running World Series games today. 1979 Game 7 is on right now with 2016 Game 7 next, 2014 Game 7 after that, and 1964 Game 7 at 11 Eastern.
On the stream or the cable channel?
Cable.
I can’t remember the last time I heard Cosell announcing anything.
Maybe because he’s been dead for 25 years?
Why the snark? I’m just waxing nostalgic about the game I’m watching.
When Joe Frazier passed, ESPN aired some of his classic fights with Ali. So 2011 for me. I also was watching a doc on Ali within the last 2 years, so many snippets of Cosell during that.
Well, it looks like there may be a season after all. Ownership is going to buckle and let the season playout under the current deal. In theory, Opening Day is now July 24th and we’ll get 60 games before a typical postseason.
I’m excited to watch some baseball but I’m even more convinced there will be a strike after next season when the current deal expires it really seems like the acrimony between owners and players is just ramping with no relief from either side.
Baseball is coming back thread: MLB (Baseball) Return July 23. 60 game season in 66 days