TORONTO – Now that we’re mired in the muck, waiting for commissioner Rob Manfred to impose some form of ignominious season, it’s time to really re-evaluate the motives at play between Major League Baseball’s owners and their players.
Because, come on.
A full-scale labour fight at this point in time, amid a global pandemic that has ravaged economies, triggered unprecedented job losses and disrupted nearly every aspect of daily life? Throwing away an opportunity to dominate the sports market by eviscerating any and all goodwill toward the game in the process? Bickering over dollars and power after George Floyd’s death under a white police officer’s knee sparked a racial justice movement?
Like, read the room fellas.
Clearly, I was wrong to have believed all along that rational thought would ultimately prevail, and that the sides were simply engaged in the usual rhetoric inherent to such matters. At each juncture, the sides methodically danced around a middle ground, and I was certain the sparring was nothing more than one testing the other, looking for soft spots to be used in looming talks for the next collective bargaining agreement.
Seems not, and, to be clear, there’s a reasonable middle ground here: somewhere around 70-80 games, expanded playoffs, added jewel events and a touch of salary relief in exchange for like value, be it deferrals or something more creative like a share of playoff revenue that would have pushed player compensation beyond expected levels, or arbitration after two years rather than three.
Hence, if this was really about surviving the impact of COVID-19 for the owners, they would have landed there, quietly working out details behind the scenes without engaging in weeks of damaging public self-flagellation.
Instead, MLB leaked plans to offer a revenue share proposal that was essentially a salary cap, scratched that for tiered salary reductions that would pit players against each other, and then pushed for run-of-the-mill pay cuts, using the loss of gate revenue as justification.
Given the circumstances, players association head Tony Clark, in a statement Saturday night, had little choice but to essentially dare Manfred to follow through on threats to unilaterally set the schedule for a 2020 season.
Clark rightly pointed to the pro-rated salaries players agreed to in March, a concession that pushes into the billions, and argued further “concessions are unwarranted, would be fundamentally unfair to players, and that our sport deserves the fullest 2020 season possible.”
MLB responded a couple of hours later, saying, “we will evaluate the union’s refusal to adhere to the terms of the March agreement, and after consulting with ownership, determine the best course to bring baseball back to our fans.”
Wow. How magnanimous of them.
Disagreement over the March agreement that was supposed to establish a road map through the pandemic is at the heart of the dispute, and the differing interpretations of it have progressively spiked the acrimony, as Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athleticdocument so well.
Still, without getting too deep into the weeds over the legalese in question — even with all the leaks, we’re still working with only a partial picture — it’s worth asking what’s really driving the owners side here?
Why are they willing to risk the health of an industry that generated a record $10.7 billion in revenue in 2019, up from $10.3 billion the year before, according to Forbes, to save a few hundred million now?
The obvious answer all along, in my estimation, was that this was all happening with an eye toward the next round of collective bargaining, with the current deal set to expire after the 2021 season. Another factor is anything agreed to now sets a precedent for next year, when restrictions on public gatherings may again lead to games before empty stadiums.
Neither, however, justifies this current end, in which the owners spend weeks trying to turn the public against the players — the sole engine of their business – by painting them as greedy malcontents refusing to give fans the game they so desperately want.
Hate them now, spend-to-watch-them later is a pretty weird flex.
Even in Saturday’s statement, MLB sought to foment resentment between club employees and players, saying “the MLBPA’s position that players are entitled to virtually all the revenue from a 2020 season played without fans is not fair to the thousands of other baseball employees that clubs and our office are supporting financially during this very difficult 2020 season.”
Just gross, and there’s just no way to rationalize such premeditated behaviour as sensible unless a more nefarious dynamic is at work.
Manfred is being largely viewed as the villain in all this, but it’s worth remembering that he’s an employee of the owners, not their taskmaster. He takes their direction and executes their will, and that’s where the motive question really becomes pivotal.
Which owners are not only pushing for, but carrying the day in driving this confrontational agenda, and what do they really want?
In a radio appearance with Arizona Sports 98.7, Diamondbacks owner and managing general partner Ken Kendrick argued that a revenue-sharing model would have prevented all the current squabbling and the NHL, NFL and NBA — each capped — operate under the better model.
“Our system is built around players not having any high-water mark in what they can earn. What that generates is a very few players making even more money, frankly at expense of their brothers,” Kendrick said. “Why they don’t see that as reality and why they are adamant about not building a system, you know, with proper controls on downside and upside and overall caps — there’s a lot of money to be shared.”
Sign up for Blue Jays newsletters
Get the best of our Blue Jays coverage and exclusives delivered directly to your inbox!
Blue Jays Newsletter
Is that a window into the real end? That owners are determined to try and break the union and get them to submit to a cap? Are they simply trying to further wear down Clark — weakened after getting soundly beaten in the last CBA — so they can have their way with him two Decembers from now?
Or is it worse?
There are legitimate cash-flow issues for teams, who continue to incur expenses without any revenue coming in. According to Forbes, MLB generated roughly $4.1 billion in gate and attendance-related revenue last year, which means they’ll take a hit of about 40 per cent if they play without fans all season.
It’s possible that the current financial pressures, in concert with issues in their other businesses, may be too much for some owners to carry. Some teams need the local revenue more than others — only the NFL can shut its doors and still make money thanks to its TV contracts — and if some are fighting for survival, player concessions are a sound way to prop up franchise values.
That’s so why it’s rich for owners to essentially tell players, “trust us, we can’t afford to pay you,” but have refused to provide real proof of financial hardship.
Ben Nicholson-Smith is Sportsnet’s baseball editor. Arden Zwelling is a senior writer. Together, they bring you the most in-depth Blue Jays podcast in the league, covering off all the latest news with opinion and analysis, as well as interviews with other insiders and team members.
Remember that it was former Toronto Blue Jays president Paul Beeston who once said:
“Anyone who quotes profits of a baseball club is missing the point. Under generally accepted accounting principles, I can turn a $4 million profit into a $2 million loss, and I can get every national accounting firm to agree with me.”
Remember, too, that it’s the owners who for years suppressed salaries, fought free agency, fought the formation of the union, twice illegally colluded against free agents and, in their zeal for a salary cap, blew up what was shaping up to be a special 1994 season.
That summer, they cost Tony Gwynn a shot at .400 (he was batting .394 when the players strike started Aug. 12), Matt Williams the chance to surpass Roger Maris’s record of 61 home runs four years before Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa did (he was at 43), and the Montreal Expos the opportunity at a post-season run that might have altered the franchise’s trajectory.
A quarter-century later, with the pandemic demanding more co-operation than ever, the owners are at it again. Until it’s clear exactly what they’re up to, the players are right to not trust them, and to galvanize for a fight to protect all that they’ve earned.
MONTREAL – On a night when New York’s top line was missing in action, the bit players grabbed the spotlight and led the Rangers to a commanding 7-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
“That’s the kind of team we have,” said Filip Chytil, who led the Rangers with a pair of power-play goals Tuesday. “The guys on the top line had chances but when they don’t score we have three other lines to pick up the slack.”
The Rangers’ dominance was reflected in the amount of time they spent in the Canadiens zone and their 45-23 edge in shots.
“If you’ve watched us practice, you know that’s something we work on all the time,” said Chytil. “When we get the puck, we want to hold on to it.”
The Rangers grabbed a 2-0 lead on goals by Mika Zibanejad at the 56-second mark and Jonny Brodzinski at 2:05, but it was Montreal which pressed the play in the first minute.
“I thought we had a good start but they turned it around on us,” said Montreal coach Martin St. Louis.
Lane Hutson controlled the puck off the opening faceoff and had two early shots, both of which were blocked by New York’s Jacob Trouba.
“That was huge for us,” said Rangers coach Peter Laviolette. “We know (Trouba) can generate offence but he can come up with those big defensive plays.”
Montreal goalie Sam Montembeault exited at 11:05 of the first period after giving up four goals on 10 shots. Zibanejad, Brodzinski, Chytil and Reilly Smith all scored on the Habs’ starter.
His replacement, Cayden Primeau, stopped 33 of 35 shots, giving up goals to Braden Schneider, Kaapo Kakko and Chytil.
Nick Suzuki scored both of the Montreal goals, his first strikes of the season
“It didn’t really feel like a 7-2 game until the end there when you look up at the scoreboard,” Suzuki said. “But we obviously keep digging ourselves these holes, and against a good team like that, our details early on have to be really sharp. And we were definitely a little sleepy coming out and they jumped on us.”
Hutson led the Canadiens in ice time with 24:10 but this wasn’t one of his better games. Smith scored on a breakaway after taking the puck off Hutson’s stick and the rookie was minus-4 for the night.
After Tuesday’s morning practice, the Canadiens announced forward Juraj Slafkovsky will miss at least a week with an upper-body injury. Defenceman Kaiden Guhle missed a second consecutive game with an upper-body injury but the team said it isn’t a long-term ailment.
The injury situation didn’t get any better after Trouba flattened Justin Barron at 7:11 of the third period. Barron didn’t return to the ice but there was no immediate word on his condition.
The Rangers welcomed back defenceman Ryan Lindgren, who made his season debut after missing five games with a jaw injury.
Before the game, 14 players from the Canadiens’ team that won four consecutive Stanley Cups between 1976 and 1979 were introduced at the Bell Centre. Among them were Hockey Hall of Fame members Yvan Cournoyer, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe, Bob Gainey and Ken Dryden.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball has sold at auction for nearly $4.4 million, a record high price not just for a baseball, but for any ball in any sport, the auctioneer said Wednesday.
“We received bids from around the world, a testament to the significance of this iconic collectible and Ohtani’s impact on sports, and I’m thrilled for the winning bidder,” Ken Goldin, the founder and CEO of auctioneer Goldin Auctions said in a statement.
The auction opened on Sept. 27 with a starting bid of $500,000 and closed just after midnight on Wednesday. The auctioneer said it could not disclose any information about the winning bidder.
The auction has been overshadowed by the litigation over ownership of the ball. Christian Zacek walked out of Miami’s LoanDepot Park with the ball after gaining possession in the left-field stands. Max Matus and Joseph Davidov each claim in separate lawsuits that they grabbed the ball first.
All the parties involved in the litigation agreed that the auction should continue.
Matus’ lawsuit claims that the Florida resident — who was celebrating his 18th birthday — gained possession of the Ohtani ball before Zacek took it away. Davidov claims in his suit that he was able to “firmly and completely grab the ball in his left hand while it was on the ground, successfully obtaining possession of the 50/50 ball.”
Ohtani and the Dodgers are preparing for Game 1 of the World Series scheduled for Friday night.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James gave his 20-year-old son a pep talk before they rose from the Lakers bench. Amid rising cheers, they walked together to the scorer’s table — and then they stepped straight into basketball history.
LeBron and Bronny became the first father and son to play in the NBA together Tuesday night during the Los Angeles Lakers ‘ season opener, fulfilling a dream set out a few years ago by LeBron, the top scorer in league history.
“That moment, us being at the scorer’s table together and checking in together, it’s a moment I’m never going to forget,” LeBron said. “No matter how old I get, no matter how my memory may fade as I get older or whatever, I will never forget that moment.”
Father and son checked into the game against Minnesota simultaneously with four minutes left in the second quarter, prompting a big ovation from a home crowd aware of the enormity of the milestone. The 39-year-old LeBron had already started the game and played 13 minutes before he teamed up with his 20-year-old son for about 2 1/2 minutes of action.
LeBron James is one of the greatest players in NBA history, a four-time champion and 20-time All-Star, while LeBron James Jr. was a second-round pick by the Lakers last summer. They are the first father and son to play in the world’s top basketball league at the same time, let alone on the same team.
“Y’all ready? You see the intensity, right? Just play carefree, though,” father told son on the bench before they checked in, an exchange captured by the TNT cameras and microphones. “Don’t worry about mistakes. Just go out and play hard.”
Their time on court together was fast and furious, just as LeBron promised.
LeBron, who finished the night with 16 points, missed two perimeter shots before making a dunk. Bronny had an early offensive rebound and missed a tip-in, and his first NBA jump shot moments later was a 3-pointer that came up just short. He checked out one possession later with 1:19 left in the second quarter, getting another ovation.
“(I) tried not to focus on everything that’s going on around me, and tried to focus on going in as a rookie and not trying to mess up,” Bronny said. “But yeah, I totally did feel the energy, and I appreciate Laker Nation for showing the support for me and my dad.”
After the final whistle on the Lakers’ first opening-night victory in LeBron’s seven seasons with the team, father and son also headed to the locker room together — but not before stopping in the tunnel to hug Savannah James, LeBron’s wife and Bronny’s mother. The entire family was in attendance to watch history — on little sister Zhuri’s 10th birthday, no less.
Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. also were courtside at the Lakers’ downtown arena to witness the same history they made in Major League Baseball. The two sluggers played 51 games together for the Seattle Mariners in 1990 and 1991 as baseball’s first father-son duo.
LeBron first spoke about his dream to play alongside Bronny a few years ago, while his oldest son was still in high school. The dream became real after Bronny entered the draft as a teenager following one collegiate season, and the Lakers grabbed him with the 55th overall pick.
“I talked about it years and years ago, and for this moment to come, it’s pretty cool,” LeBron said. “I don’t know if it’s going to actually hit the both of us for a little minute, but when we really get to sit back and take it in, it’s pretty crazy. … But in the moment, we still had a job to do when we checked in. We wasn’t trying to make it a circus. We wasn’t trying to make it about us. We wanted to make it about the team.”
LeBron and Bronny joined a small club of father-son professional athletes who played together. The Griffeys made history 34 years ago, and they even homered in the same game on Sept. 14, 1990.
Baseball Hall of Famer Tim Raines and his namesake son also accomplished the feat with the Baltimore Orioles in 2001.
In hockey, Gordie Howe played alongside his two sons, Mark and Marty, with the WHA’s Houston Aeros and Team Canada before one NHL season together on the Hartford Whalers in 1979-80, when Gordie was 51.
While the other family pairings on this list happened late in the fathers’ careers, LeBron shows no signs of slowing down or regressing as he begins his NBA record-tying 22nd season.
LeBron averaged more than 25 points per game last year for his 20th consecutive season, and he remains the most important player on the Lakers alongside Anthony Davis as they attempt to recapture the form that won a championship in 2020 and got them to the Western Conference finals in 2023.
Bronny survived cardiac arrest and open heart surgery in the summer of 2023, and he went on to play a truncated freshman season at the University of Southern California. He declared for the draft anyway, and the Lakers eagerly used the fourth-to-last pick in the draft on the 6-foot-2 guard.
LeBron spent the summer in Europe with the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the Paris Olympics, while Bronny played for the Lakers in summer league. They started practicing together with the Lakers before training camp.
The duo first played together in the preseason, logging four minutes during a game against Phoenix just outside Palm Springs earlier this month.
“It’s been a treat,” LeBron said at Tuesday’s morning shootaround. “In preseason, the practices, just every day … bringing him up to speed of what this professional life is all about, and how to prepare every day as a professional.”
The Lakers were fully aware of the history they would make with this pairing, and coach JJ Redick spoke with the Jameses recently about a plan to make it happen early in the regular season.
The presence of the Griffeys likely made it an inevitability for opening night, even though Redick said the Lakers still wanted it “to happen naturally, in the flow of the game.”
The Lakers have declined to speculate on how long Bronny will stay on their NBA roster. Los Angeles already has three other small guards on its roster, and Bronny likely needs regular playing time to raise his game to a consistent NBA standard.
Those factors add up to indicate Bronny is likely to join the affiliate South Bay Lakers of the G League at some point soon. LeBron and Redick have both spoken positively about the South Bay team, saying that player development is a key part of the Lakers organization.
Miami forward Kevin Love, who knew all the James children — Bronny, Bryce and Zhuri — from his time as LeBron’s teammate in Cleveland, said it was “an unbelievable moment” to see father and son playing together.
“I grew up a Mariners fan, so I got to see Griffey and then Griffey Sr. But this is different, because LeBron is still a top-five player in the league,” Love said. “This game, man. It’s why we have that ($76 billion) TV deal. The storylines and the things that happen like this, it’s an unbelievable story. This is really cool to see.”
___
AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed.
