Foresthill
EOG Addicted
"Progress on the baseball front:
Commissioner Rob Manfred and players' association executive director Tony Clark met face to face in the Phoenix area on Tuesday, and Manfred said Wednesday in a release that "we left that meeting with a jointly developed framework that we agreed could form the basis of an agreement and subject to conversations with our respective constituents.
"I summarized that framework numerous times in the meeting and sent Tony a written summary today. Consistent with our conversations yesterday, I am encouraging the clubs to move forward and I trust Tony is doing the same.”
According to several national sources, the owners' latest proposal calls for a 60-game season with full pro-rated pay to begin on either July 19 or July 20. There would be expanded playoffs, to 16 teams this year and next year, and the players would waive their right to file a grievance, which has been a major sticking point lately.
While Manfred and Clark have been meeting, the Major League Baseball Players Trust on Wednesday announced it will commit $1 million to help support minor leaguers unable to play this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cardinals reliever Andrew Miller, a trustee for the Players’ Trust, said in a statement, “Major league baseball players are proud to support our fellow players in minor league baseball. These players have found themselves hit hard as a result of the pandemic and are unable to play the game we all love. The game is also their livelihood and there is no doubt the financial impact has been challenging. We hope to help them navigate these difficult times.”
Clark, also in a statement, said, "Like most major leaguers, I came up through the minor leagues and understand the challenges that exist. Players recognize their collective responsibility to leave the game better than they found it so that the next generation is empowered to do the same for the players who will follow them. Within the baseball community, minor leaguers have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic and many of them will lose a season they will never get back. We will continue to seek ways to support them."
Manfred and Clark had not met face to face since March. But with no progress being made in the stalemate between players and owners on getting the 2020 season off the ground, Manfred called Clark and said he would fly from the East Coast to try to meet with Clark to help expedite the process." (bolding, underlining, and italicizing by me)
by Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post_Dispatch
My thoughts: This seems like it could be real progress. Let's hope so. But I don't want to get my hopes up too much -- after all this is baseball. Dropping the threat of a grievance and paying the players 100% pro rated seems like a key trade off that could lead to a deal. The expanded playoffs next year appears to be key, too.
Commissioner Rob Manfred and players' association executive director Tony Clark met face to face in the Phoenix area on Tuesday, and Manfred said Wednesday in a release that "we left that meeting with a jointly developed framework that we agreed could form the basis of an agreement and subject to conversations with our respective constituents.
"I summarized that framework numerous times in the meeting and sent Tony a written summary today. Consistent with our conversations yesterday, I am encouraging the clubs to move forward and I trust Tony is doing the same.”
According to several national sources, the owners' latest proposal calls for a 60-game season with full pro-rated pay to begin on either July 19 or July 20. There would be expanded playoffs, to 16 teams this year and next year, and the players would waive their right to file a grievance, which has been a major sticking point lately.
While Manfred and Clark have been meeting, the Major League Baseball Players Trust on Wednesday announced it will commit $1 million to help support minor leaguers unable to play this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cardinals reliever Andrew Miller, a trustee for the Players’ Trust, said in a statement, “Major league baseball players are proud to support our fellow players in minor league baseball. These players have found themselves hit hard as a result of the pandemic and are unable to play the game we all love. The game is also their livelihood and there is no doubt the financial impact has been challenging. We hope to help them navigate these difficult times.”
Clark, also in a statement, said, "Like most major leaguers, I came up through the minor leagues and understand the challenges that exist. Players recognize their collective responsibility to leave the game better than they found it so that the next generation is empowered to do the same for the players who will follow them. Within the baseball community, minor leaguers have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic and many of them will lose a season they will never get back. We will continue to seek ways to support them."
Manfred and Clark had not met face to face since March. But with no progress being made in the stalemate between players and owners on getting the 2020 season off the ground, Manfred called Clark and said he would fly from the East Coast to try to meet with Clark to help expedite the process." (bolding, underlining, and italicizing by me)
by Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post_Dispatch
My thoughts: This seems like it could be real progress. Let's hope so. But I don't want to get my hopes up too much -- after all this is baseball. Dropping the threat of a grievance and paying the players 100% pro rated seems like a key trade off that could lead to a deal. The expanded playoffs next year appears to be key, too.
