MLB is Blowing It

Earlier today it was announced that the English Premiere League, one of the bigger professional soccer leagues in the world, is going to resume their season on June 17th. They will be doing it behind closed doors, they will air the games and the majority of the players seemed excited. The other soccer league that started seems to be doing okay. The NHL has announced their plan to resume with a 24 team playoff, they just need a venue. The NBA seems to be making progress everyday towards a restart of some kind, my favorite being the 20 team play in type tournament being held in Orlando. And the Korean Baseball League, I would be lying if I said I haven't tuned in here and there to see what pro sports is going to look like in the immediate future.

Every major league seems to be making plans and progress, except the MLB. This was their chance. They could have owned the summer with sports. They could have been the big draw. They could have had all the eyeballs on them. Hell, I am not a baseball guy, but I even admitted to watching the KBL. I would most definitely have watched many more MLB games than I have in nearly a decade, had it come back at some point. But they seem to keep stalling and squabbling over some minor things, and that has kept them from gaining any momentum that other pro leagues seem to gain each day.

Predictably, they are fighting over money. By they I mean the owners and players. I heard someone say recently that the A's are simply going to stop paying minor league players at the moment. How on Earth is that fair? But the professional players, the stars, are making it even harder for any one to make a decision. The Tampa pitcher, Snell or something, I am not sure, came out and bemoaned the fact that he would be asked to take a pay cut to play. I get that he is worried about getting Covid-19, we all are. But for him to bring money into this conversation, especially when he has made millions of dollars, that is some petty junky stuff right there. Now the owners are saying they are going to slash pay for all the games missed, and will continue until they find a resolution. That is absurd, from both parties. The star players that are refusing to take a pay cut, that is necessary. Everyday working people, people who live paycheck to paycheck have lost money, a portion of their salary or their jobs all together. We have millionaires here complaining about losing 100,000 dollars from a check that is over a million dollars. How dare they. Hell, even the NBA guys are willing to take a cut because they just want to get back and play. They asked Chris Paul about that specifically, and he said he doesn't care, he has made enough money, he just misses the game. But ask this Snell guy, or Max Scherzer, and they scoff at the notion they should be paid less. But then for the owners to make any headway, any concession, these players are not property, they are people. Sure, they are people that make an exuberant amount of money, but to these owners, they earned that money. I don't chastise them for trying to make cuts, it is necessary. But, to withhold money from current players, especially minor league players, that is straight up sadistic. I cannot believe what the A's are doing. I hope it is a false report, but at this point, I wouldn't be shocked if it were real.

Baseball had a shot. Hell, I have gotten multiple emails from my son's little league association about the start of his season and the protocols, and it seems like more info than the MLB is willing to put out there. They also seem unwilling, both sides, to bend whatsoever. That's a shame. As I said, they could have owned the summer. They could have been the only show. But now we have the KBL, UFC, NASCAR, pro soccer leagues, Cornhole Leagues and the NHL coming back. Then there is all the progress with the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball. All these sports are so far ahead of the MLB at the moment. They blew it, and it all seems to be for selfish reasons from all parties involved. That is the real bummer of it all, the selfishness. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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