Even though Major League Baseball is coming off one of its most successful – and profitable – seasons in its 152-year history, there is growing concern that a work stoppage will happen at 12:01 a.m. on December 2, 2021.

How so, you ask?

According to multiple sources, Major League Baseball, under the direction of Commissioner Rob Manfred, and the MLB Players Association, under Executive Director Tony Clark, appear to be miles apart on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, with the current CBA set to expire at midnight on December 1, 2021.

Although it appears that both sides are in agreement (or close to it) on actual gameday issues such as 7-inning doubleheaders, an automatic runner on second base to begin extra innings, and the permanent addition of a designated hitter in the National League, MLB and the MLBPA once again appear to be unable to agree over ‘bread and butter issues,’ such as salary, free-agency eligibility, and arbitration eligibility.

“Baseball is as healthy as ever,” former Dodger great and current SportsNet LA broadcaster and analyst Orel Hershiser said during Tuesday night’s edition of Access SportsNet: Dodgers. “But it’s looking like Spring Training might not start on time in late February.”

Should this be the case and whether you choose to call it a work stoppage, lockout, or baseball strike, it will be the first in 26 years, with the last occurring in 1994-1995.

“Negotiations have been taking place since last spring, and each side thinks the other has not made proposals that will lead toward an agreement replacing the five-year contract that expires at 11:59 p.m. EST on December 1,” writes veteran Associated Press journalist Ronald Blum.

And though there has been no significant update to this October 24 tweet by New York Daily News baseball writer/columnist Bill Madden, there has also been no indication that the situation has improved:

Those Winter Meetings are scheduled to take place December 6-9, 2021, in Orlando, Florida.

Here is a list of past MLB lockouts/strikes since 1970 (per Wikipedia):

• The 1972 Major League Baseball strike – 86 games cancelled
• The 1973 Major League Baseball lockout – no games cancelled
• The 1976 Major League Baseball lockout – no games cancelled
• The 1980 Major League Baseball strike – no games cancelled
• The 1981 Major League Baseball strike – 713 games cancelled
• The 1985 Major League Baseball strike – no games cancelled
• The 1990 Major League Baseball lockout – no games cancelled
• The 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike – 938 games cancelled, including the entire 1994 post-season

The real losers in a baseball lockout or strike are, of course, the fans. I mean, let’s be honest here – under the current CBA, the MLB minimum salary in 2021 was $570,500, having increased by 90% over the last 18 years. Again, this was the minimum salary, with most Major Leaguers making WAY more than this.

The bottom line is that, regardless of how each of us struggles through the seemingly endless off-season, by every indication, it’s looking like the 2021-2022 off-season will be even longer.

Play Ball!

…PLEASE?

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