Baseball fans are Socialists, apparently.
The majority of comments and rhetoric surrounding the MLB cancelling opening day is “Fuck Manfred”. “Rob Manfred is ruining baseball.” “How dare the owners.” Which honestly I can get behind but, for the right reasons. What I am hearing though is that “it’s just not fair”. The owners are not being fair. Since when is anything fair?
I mean bravo to the MLBPA for pushing this narrative. Take notes NFLPA. The players want what they consider fair compensation in this CBA after getting what many have called railroaded in the last couple CBA negotiations. That’s just not how things work. Players, you botched your last negotiation so now this is your starting point. The Owners came to the middle on a number of financial items and refused to on other items. That’s the name of the game. Now, what the players are asking for may very well be “fair” in their eyes, but who determines that? And how far do you want to go with fair?
Should all revenue just be split 50/50 players and owners? How about players get 80%? 95%? If so will Max Scherzer then split that revenue equally amongst his fellow players or will there still be hierarchy when the new powers at be see fit? How about the staff? How many multi millionaire players believe the staff should get a chunk of their earnings? Is it fair that the scout busting his ass gets paid in peanuts or the video assistant staying up all night gets her salary in free shitty coffee? How’s the revenue sharing work for the coaching staff or equipment managers? It’s so short sighted. If you don’t think the MLBPA is in the same greedy mother fucking mind set as the owners just look at how they approach the Luxury tax issue. The player won’t push for a hard floor because it could lead to a hard ceiling aka a salary cap.
When the owners proposed a $100 million minimum in their first proposal covering core economics last August, they tied it to a lowering of the first luxury tax threshold to $180 million and a higher penalty rate for teams that exceeded it than exists today.
The owners intended to fund certain teams to help them reach the minimum with the money they collected from the penalties. The union, which is seeking to raise luxury tax thresholds, not lower them, had no interest in such a plan. And the quick end to the discussion demonstrated why the union believes a soft floor is unattainable: The players would need to give up too much to get it.
Every other pro sport has a salary cap. Not MLBPA. Not Scherzer. They are NOT closing the door on more $400 million contracts for the top 1% of players. Bad business. Ummm, Max. It’s there to help competitive balance, right? Ya, know that big bullet point on your cheat sheet for negotiations. Everyone is full of shit. Everyone.
You want a tax to get angry about. Try actual taxes. Like the IRS. Instead of the player’s dirty hands reaching for another million here and there, how about we impose some government weight on these bastards and put some of that cheddar in the American people’s pocket. Ya, know. Socialist style!
Rob Manfred and MLB Owners look to skate on taxes
Speaking of the owners? Why are there even owners? I’ve actually seen this floated as an idea. Owners are just billionaire white guys who don’t deserve any credit or do anything for the game. Get rid of ‘em! Where have I heard this before?
MLB owners are just business owners. That’s what they are. We want them to be emotionally connected to our team and the game because it’s sports and it’s romanticized. It’s just not the real world, honey. Sorry. Maybe that means professional sports have gotten too big and gone beyond the fold for people. I can understand that. That should be your take. You just have to keep in mind that there are two sides here. BOTH are acting in their own self interest. The backlash on Manfred and the owners doesn’t acknowledge that. The guy negoating minimum salaries of $700,000 a year makes 43 MILLION dollars A YEAR! GUARANTEED. Your salary isn’t guaranteed. If you suck at your job you get canned. Not Max. Not baseball players. So, we not fighting for the rights of teacher unions here people. You’re not even in the ballpark of the actual conversation that is being had. And maybe the players aren’t either. But, maybe that’s a good thing.
At the end of the day I’m all for cutting the knees out from under Billionaires. My Aunt Jeanie has been calling on a revolution for years. Grab your pitch forks let’s do it. (Not in the January 6th, wack job Trump, horn touting tourist way. Don’t flag me FBI) But, that’s what you’re talking about with, “it’s not fair”. There is an imbalance of power and wealth literally everywhere in the world. Why would you think baseball would be different? If you want to fight for that social and economical injustice that’s one thing. This is not that. Given the chance the players would flip the positions and deploy the same tactics the owners are. And you people would cheer them at first, because you think the 22 year old scrapping by on $700K a year is the little guy like you, then you’ll come to realize it’s just another greedy asshole with too much power.
Look at the statement from Tony Clark and tell me that doesn’t sound like a dirt bag politician who has zero idea or care for what his constitutes (fans) want. He is just trying to win a fight, gain power, increase profits. It’s disconnected, manipulative, and gross. The MLB letter to the fans is not much better.
I believe you just have to try and look at it less as this social-macro economical view and be pissed at everyone if you love baseball. The players entered a negotiation from a starting point that was not advantageous for them to get to the end goal they wanted. Tough shit.
One agent sees the leveling of the playing field as a step-by-step, 15-year process, extending through three CBAs. Minor breakthroughs now might lead to bigger breakthroughs later, in how teams share money, how they spend. So, while big swings are necessary, the players also would benefit from bunching hits together. There is more than one way to start a comeback.
At the end of the day we are mostly all employees. You don’t make the same as your boss. Should you? Probably not. It may not be “fair” but, it’s the way it is. Don’t make the mistake of thinking both sides don’t have a huge role in this because the economics between owners and employees aren’t equal.
Golf clap for the players standing their ground. It should lead to additional gains in the right direction in spite of losing games. But, unless you want to grab your torches (Again, not Charlottesville style) and march on Washington (Which wouldn’t be the worst idea because professional sports leagues are just legal monopolies at this point which is another root cause for the discrepancies with in the game) then lower your expectations, meet in the middle, collect your checks, the likes of 99% of Americans will never see in their life time, and play ball. At a pace that allows me to be in bed before midnight.
P.S. Rob Manfred is a walking tit that deserves to be banished to Siberia. It’s still not all his fault.
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