Randy Smith: Major League Baseball: Stop Bickering

  • Friday, June 5, 2020
  • Randy Smith
Randy Smith
Randy Smith
While the NBA has adapted its 2020 season and set a schedule to return during the Covid-19 pandemic, Major League Baseball is still fighting over how many games will be played and how much money will be paid to players. The two sides are still very far apart and there is a strong possibility there could be no baseball at all in 2020. This is extremely sad and unfortunate. America needs baseball right now, because the majority of Americans have been dealt a crushing blow by Covid-19 for the past three months.
Millions have lost their jobs and are on unemployment, while more than 100,000 Americans have lost their lives to this deadly virus. This is not the same as a contract disagreement, however the two sides involved are treating it as such.

The Major League Baseball Players Association has turned down every single offer thus far presented by the owners. The league wants a drastically reduced schedule in order to pay players on a per-game basis. There was talk recently about an 82-game schedule with an expanded playoff format that was rejected by the players. In addition, a 114-game schedule proposed by the players with pro-rated pay was also turned down by the owners. So, things are at a stand still.

Are you kidding me? Time is running out to be able to begin the season on July 4th, which was proposed several weeks ago. Pitchers will need a month or so to get ready to play, which means if they open on July 4th, things would need to be settled today. That's not going to happen. While most fans have enjoyed watching old World Series games for the past couple of months, that is getting old. Fans are ready to watch live games and Korean League baseball just doesn't cut it.

The players and the owners don't seem to realize how important baseball is to the American people. The only thing to watch on television right now is the latest news on the coronavirus or the latest info on the protesters nationwide. We need a happy distraction that will take our minds off the recent troubles our nation has been  going through. In 1994, when the season was shut down in mid-summer and didn't return for 232 days, it was called the " Most embarrassing moment in MLB history." If you think it was embarrassing then, just wait until this season goes down the toilet. 

Baseball has always been the glue that has held our country together. Through World Wars, civil unrest, and financial hardships, baseball has been the one thing that has given people hope. A chance to forget about our troubles even if just for a few hours. We need baseball now more than ever and the owners and players have decided to place their skirmish over money in front of their fans and their best interests.

Come on guys. If the NBA can come up with a plan and return to play, so can Major League Baseball. These are unprecedented times and are anything but normal. Make the necessary sacrifices like we all have. Let's play ball!

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Randy Smith can be reached at rsmithsports@epbfi.com

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