Baseball Will Be Back but Maybe Too Soon?

Here’s the thing, this isn’t at all about a global pandemic or whether specific safety measures can ensure smooth operations. Instead, at least for me, this discussion comes down to timing.

Recently San Francisco Chronicle writer Henry Schulman penned a piece suggesting that it’s 2021 when baseball should return to the diamond. While he touched on the health risks involved, and notes that it isn’t his revenues being sacrificed, the underlying premise comes down to business. It’s how muddy a quick discussion gets that has me worried about what lies ahead for the sport.

The current CBA is set to expire in 2021. That means, even had there not been this catastrophic global event, the union and owners would have been eyeing a business battle in the not so distant future. A lockout has been discussed as a potential avenue for players to make up some serious ground in terms of labor negotiations, and anyone in tune with the expected dealings would opine that expecting something cordial was a pipe dream.

Now we’re dealing with the time crunch of a season that is scheduled to begin operations in less than a month, deal with a schedule cut in half, have no fans present, and do so under a completely different set of expected parameters. Looking at the difficult logistics of it is daunting, and that’s before both sides have come to an agreement on the business end.

Owners are asking players to agree that a salary cap of sorts is necessary. After already prorating their wages, players are being asked to play under more difficult circumstances and further stifle their earnings. All of it will play out in the court of public opinion, and the shame game will likely reach new heights before we get resolution.

I fully expect the union and owners to come together on a deal. There’s too much at stake for both sides not to reach that conclusion. However, I’m worried about what the lingering effects of it all may look like. We already know that we’re in for a drastic reshaping of the Minor Leagues, which will in turn impact the Major Leagues for years to come. Hurt feelings and distrust could run rampant though, and with an already scheduled set of negotiations looming on the horizon, CBA talks could once again shelve the sport.

We can come together as fans and be excited about sports returning to their field of play. Being wiped out by something like a global pandemic is not at all the fault of anyone involved. What will be less pleasantly received is a work stoppage only aided by communication breakdowns incurred through negotiations had under a serious sense of duress.

I won’t pretend to know the inner workings of discussion tactics had by either the MLBPA or owners, but it doesn’t seem to be the worst idea in turning a focus to the long-term game. If there can be some parameters established for the future of the sport, rather than just the reactionary 2020 version, we could all be better for it.

Much like the Coronavirus itself, I don’t want to see baseball return only for a shutdown to wreak havoc on the game again. Get it right, or at least on an established common ground, the first time so we aren’t here on the merits of no one but the egos involved a year from now.

No baseball is always the worst kind, so let’s make sure that hiatus is as short lived as possible.

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