This is not the news baseball fans want to hear. On Tuesday, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announce the first set of games of the 2022 season will be canceled after the league and the players couldn’t agree to a new collective bargaining agreement. The owners have locked out the players since Dec. 1, meaning both sides had three months to get a deal done. Manfred said the first two series of the 2022 season will not be played.
“I had hoped against hope I wouldn’t have to have this press conference where I am going to cancel some regular season games,” Manfred said Tuesday afternoon. “We worked hard to avoid an outcome that’s bad for our fans, bad for our players and bad for our clubs. Our failure to reach an agreement was not due to a lack of effort by either party.”
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As mentioned by CBS Sports, the two sides are far apart on what the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) on payrolls will look like moving forward. There is also a divide when it comes to minimum salary and the size of the bonus pool for pre-arbitration players. Here’s a look at fans sounding off at MLB for canceling games.
Breaking News
One fan wrote: “The sad part is MLB doesn’t realize their game is dying. Old dudes like me still watch it, but it doesn’t have the same grip on the under 40 crowd. That group grew up playing other sports like soccer and lacrosse, not baseball.”
Calling out the Commissioner
Another fan replied: “I wouldn’t worry there will be die hard fans that would get upset at the idea of a successful league that has international appeal. Better stick to unwritten rules of baseball and keep the real fans happy.”
From Rob Manfred
Another fan wrote: “This 100% on the players. The billionaire owners actually earned their wealth while the players are just looking for an excuse to not play a kids game.”
Protest Coming
One person replied: “Frank I knew this was happening and I don’t think we will see a game until Memorial Day week at the earliest.”
Still Hope?
One fan asks: “Why can’t they just play and continue to negotiate like other unions do by working and negotiating?”
Wild Three Years
One fan suggests: “They should also do a salary cap and get rid of guaranteed contracts because uh the sport isn’t thriving at all from a numbers standpoint.”
Player Weighs In
And another fan said: “I’m glad you and the rest of the players are standing your ground. Hopefully a fair deal can be reached that is good for the game long term and does away with time manipulation and keeping $$ from the young players who make the game what it is.”
