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Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again

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A children’s nursery rhyme that seems applicable to the current state of Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association (the Union). A broken contract, good-faith negotiations in name only, failed communication, greed, mistrust… You name it, it’s broken. And, it seems that neither side knows how to put it back together again.

There is an old labor relations adage that companies get the unions they deserve.

Does that not describe the state of Major League Baseball?

The MLB owners and Players Association have accomplished what most would have thought impossible – collectively they have managed to tick-off the MLB fan base. Fans want baseball, not impasses and lip service to good faith negotiations.

“As per Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post, the ‘players are currently considering walking away from the table’ altogether, rather than take part in meetings that were slated for tomorrow and Monday.” – writes MLB Trade Rumors

Where animosity takes precedence over cooperation, professionalism, and taking the high road in collective bargaining, toddler nursery rhymes may be the best way to describe the state of the business.

If this is the way MLB and the Union want to conduct negotiations they should be put in time out.

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