MLB Is Not Taking Into Consideration Its True Source Of Income
By Derek McAdam
March 4, 2022
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Just over three months into the MLB lockout, there have been plenty of negotiations between the Player’s Association and the owners. There has not been a deal that has been agreed upon, and it doesn’t seem as if the sides are even close in their negotiations.
Because the two sides were not able to come to an agreement, Rob Manfred decided to begin canceling games. While only the first week of games has been canceled, more games will be coming soon. This means less money for the players, owners and all of baseball.
What makes this situation even worse is that the fans are getting the brunt of the lockout. Every night, the fans are the ones showing up to ballparks with tickets, buying concessions and souvenirs and paying for parking that is not cheap. If they aren’t at the ballpark, fans may be watching from home or on the go.
Regardless of where they are watching the game from, it is a moneymaker for the owners and players. While the fans will never be taken into consideration in the billionaire vs. millionaire debacle, fans are the ones that are allowing both sides to function, although most billionaires in the sport have not made most of their money from owning a baseball team.
Another side that is affected is all the stadium workers involved in day-to-day activities, including concession workers, grounds crew, security, front office assistants, and any other group that helps assists stadiums in providing a fun experience for all fans are also going to be hurt as well.
These are all jobs that thousands of people rely upon for money and it may affect their pay for the upcoming season. Once again, it is another problem that is not being taken into consideration.
The players seem very willing to keep the negotiations going for as long as it takes, given nearly all of the players who have spoken up about this issue have already made their millions. What about the players who are still making six digits a year and are trying to prove themselves? They are just going to continue to lose money this season.
Players like Max Scherzer, Andrew Miller and Mike Trout have all said they are prepared for a work stoppage this season. Believe me, I don’t feel sorry that any of them may be “losing” money.
As for the owners, they are nowhere close to the wants of the players. I found the “best and final offer” to the players to be an absolute joke, as they seemed almost unwilling to change their stance on anything. I’m not saying they should just give right into the players, but they had to do better than that.
Lockouts always bring out the worst of both sides of the argument. This lockout has certainly done that and it is tearing the baseball community apart. Hopefully, both sides can reach an agreement relatively soon. I do believe that Manfred will continue to cancel games to hurry the process along.
Let’s just hope it isn’t too many.
