Red Sox/MLB Buffalo Blue Jays - Mookie Betts agrees to sign 12-year, $365 million contract extension with LA

[Centrum Hockey]

The major league teams pay minor league player and coach salaries, but many minor league teams aren't owned by their major league team. For example, I believe FSG only owns the Salem Red Sox (High A). The minor league team pays for travel and other operational expenses. I could see teams just keeping their minor leaguers in their spring training facilities. I wouldn't worry about players sitting around doing nothing. It's more that minor league baseball could change forever (i.e. many might shut down), which would naturally help the MLB in their goal for MiLB contraction. Of course, MLB and MiLB could make a deal where there's some subsidization from MLB so MiLB teams don't collapse.

I don't know if you have heard this already but MLB wants to dissolve MILB as a separate entity and make them a subsidiary of Major League Baseball based out of their office in nyc.

 

[sarge88]

I know in college sports, attendance has taken a hit in recent years. Until now I think pro sports has by and large maintained the status quo for attendance. This will be fascinating to see going forward. A lot of people won't be comfortable returning to stadiums until there is a vaccine and even then some people will choose to stay away. The TV presence/contracts is only gonna grow from here.

I will gladly enjoy getting good seats for a change.

 

[Smitty93]

I don't know if you have heard this already but MLB wants to dissolve MILB as a separate entity and make them a subsidiary of Major League Baseball based out of their office in nyc.

Yeah, I know there are rumblings about that. I don't know what that would actually change besides giving MLB more control. I assume they'd still allow for separate MiLB owners and the MLB team would still pay all the player/coach salaries. I think part of it is that they want to be able to force MiLB owners to do certain things.

 

[JRull86]

MLB rejected the union's 114 game proposal, and doens't plan on making another counter proposal.

This sport is going to kill itself.

 

[Walkenthewalk]

MLB rejected the union's 114 game proposal, and doens't plan on making another counter proposal.

This sport is going to kill itself.

Good, I hope the season is cancelled. Both the game and the business of MLB are broken and players and owners alike need a wake up call.

 

[McGarnagle]

I don't know how anyone can be on the owners' side here.

We're coming out of a national crisis (or two), it's finally safe to begin sports again, people would love to watch live sports on TV, but the owners would rather try to use the occasion to screw the union as hard as it possibly can rather than getting back to business. Pricks.

 

[BMC]

I think more folks than you think would love to check out a reduced crowd Paw Sox game or anything if the Bo Sox are playing in an empty Fenway.

But I can’t see things being organized for that to happen.

I’ll be at NASCAR in Louden before any closed door pro sports happen. Weird.

The major professional sports leagues have all gotten too bloated and complacent as have the players who play the games. Give me a minor league game over a major league game anytime. They're a lot more fun to watch whether live or on tv.

 

[Smitty93]

I don't know how anyone can be on the owners' side here.

We're coming out of a national crisis (or two), it's finally safe to begin sports again, people would love to watch live sports on TV, but the owners would rather try to use the occasion to screw the union as hard as it possibly can rather than getting back to business. Pricks.

I mean, the 114 games was a ludicrous suggestion. There's nowhere near enough time to manage that unless you get into winter.

Here's my simple compromise: half a season (82 games) and players choose between two compensation options: 80% of their pro-rated salaries with the other 20% deferred and based on a full postseason OR 90% of their pro-rated salaries, no deferments. The owners clearly aren't just going to accept paying full pro-rated if they aren't getting ticket revenue. They'd rather just skip the season than do that. Players are going to have to accept less than full pro-rated salaries, but they shouldn't have to accept significantly less. I think the two options that I laid out are reasonable. Players get most of their salaries, or all of it if they're willing to accept deferred payments, and owners get some savings based on an assumption of missed out revenue from ticket sales.

This would be easy enough to solve if MLB actually opened up their financials, but that's never going to happen.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

The major professional sports leagues have all gotten too bloated and complacent as have the players who play the games. Give me a minor league game over a major league game anytime. They're a lot more fun to watch whether live or on tv.

Yeah they are missing a big opportunity. Minor leagues are going to look a lot different. I actually think college baseball > cape league will essentially replace low A ball and you'll have Dominican development leagues upgraded to essentially be low A.

I mean the fan experience at Fenway is good. They don't wall off the good seats like the Yankees. I buy the cheapest thing on SH and sit in seats that cost 200 face every time I go even did it for a playoff game. Wish it was as easy for me to get to as the Garden from the North Shore.

But its like the vultures after every cent in your pocketbook won't stop. How dumb was closing Baseball Tavern with 4 floors a roof deck plenty of room and it has 3 dollar beers? There isn't anywhere else around Fenway I feel like going to after a game.

All the players have to do is play and have another excellent playoffs and 2021 will be business as usual. If they fold this season the sport as we know it is done.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I think more folks than you think would love to check out a reduced crowd Paw Sox game or anything if the Bo Sox are playing in an empty Fenway.

But I can’t see things being organized for that to happen.

I’ll be at NASCAR in Louden before any closed door pro sports happen. Weird.

NHMS is now in August due to the pandemic, Brad

 

[CDJ]

I don't know how anyone can be on the owners' side here.

We're coming out of a national crisis (or two), it's finally safe to begin sports again, people would love to watch live sports on TV, but the owners would rather try to use the occasion to screw the union as hard as it possibly can rather than getting back to business. Pricks.

As long as those books remain closed the players should get 0% of the blame.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

NHMS is now in August due to the pandemic, Brad

July 19

 

[CDJ]

MLB rejected the union's 114 game proposal, and doens't plan on making another counter proposal.

This sport is going to kill itself.

I think owners were willing to prorate a 50 game season or something like that. That’s too short. That’s why I think we will get 80-82 games that’s not 100% prorated but not too far off, kind of like smitty suggested

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

July 19

rescheduled to August 2nd, Brad; they're expected to run the All Star Race on July 15th @ CMS; Bristol, Atlanta, Homestead-Miami, and Martinsville are 2-3 months later then normal..... Richmond, Chicago and Sonoma lost their dates or one of theirs....

 

[BigGoalBrad]

rescheduled to August 2nd, Brad; they're expected to run the All Star Race on July 15th @ CMS; Bristol, Atlanta, Homestead-Miami, and Martinsville are 2-3 months later then normal..... Richmond, Chicago and Sonoma lost their dates or one of theirs....

Tickets - Foxwoods Resort Casino 301

NASCAR is even talking about allowing fans sooner than July 5 at Indy. I kinda wanna go to Talledega if they do let folks in there June 22 as I would never travel to Alabama for NASCAR under normal times but I'm itching to leave MA until this stuff is a just a bad memory.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Tickets - Foxwoods Resort Casino 301

NASCAR is even talking about allowing fans sooner than July 5 at Indy. I kinda wanna go to Talledega if they do let folks in there June 22 as I would never travel to Alabama for NASCAR under normal times but I'm itching to leave MA until this stuff is a just a bad memory.

NHMS won't be in July.....

 

[BigGoalBrad]

NHMS won't be in July.....

Did you click the link?

Is NASCAR.com being lazy?

 

[Maine Fan]

I don't expect MLB to start.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Did you click the link?

Is NASCAR.com being lazy?

Every sport has changed or revised their schedule since March; Indycar hadn't started and was at St. Petersburg;

NASCAR finally is back at Atlanta this weekend when the Pandemic struck suspending everything..... Bristol's spring race weekend is normally April, not the end of May/1st of June;

the schedule goes from here in Atlanta, to Miami, then Martinsville is a mid-week race, now that Virginia has eased their lockdown which cost them Richmond's spring date.....

ignore the NASCAR site, because it already shows Atlanta, Miami, Martinsville, and Talledega through the 21st....then the Doubleheader at Pocono to conclude June as originally scheduled;

Kansas, Michigan-1, and Dover have not been made official when they'll be run yet, and there has been rumblings that Dover is considering a double-header in August much like Pocono....

then when does NBC/NBCSN take over in July since Fox originally ends their season at Sonoma (which became the 2nd 500K race last Thursday night in Charlotte) now that Tokyo has been realigned to 2021.... the original schedule had a 2 weekend hold after Michigan-1 due to Olympic coverage now that Chicago had their date this year transferred to Darlington when NASCAR restarted the 17th of May.

everything that was from March through May... is now;

NHRA AND F1 AREN'T returning until July, either

 

[Maine Fan]

I don't know how anyone can be on the owners' side here.

We're coming out of a national crisis (or two), it's finally safe to begin sports again, people would love to watch live sports on TV, but the owners would rather try to use the occasion to screw the union as hard as it possibly can rather than getting back to business. Pricks.

Who says we are coming out of a national crisis or two, what authority? Who says it is finally safe to begin sports again, what authority? I agree that the greed of the owners is untimely but consistent. MLB won't start in my opinion, and if it does it shouldn't be supported, but that won't happen.

 

[Johnnyduke]

NESN has been showing the 2007 WS. Christ, I didn't even remember Schilling being on that team and he went 3-0 in those playoffs. One bad start, but three good ones.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Yeah they are missing a big opportunity. Minor leagues are going to look a lot different. I actually think college baseball > cape league will essentially replace low A ball and you'll have Dominican development leagues upgraded to essentially be low A.

I mean the fan experience at Fenway is good. They don't wall off the good seats like the Yankees. I buy the cheapest thing on SH and sit in seats that cost 200 face every time I go even did it for a playoff game. Wish it was as easy for me to get to as the Garden from the North Shore.

But its like the vultures after every cent in your pocketbook won't stop. How dumb was closing Baseball Tavern with 4 floors a roof deck plenty of room and it has 3 dollar beers? There isn't anywhere else around Fenway I feel like going to after a game.

All the players have to do is play and have another excellent playoffs and 2021 will be business as usual. If they fold this season the sport as we know it is done.

If they ever announced a serious plan to replace Fenway they would make so much money in the final few years of the ballpark and they would have the full attention of the New England Market for at least Fenway's final season. It would be a great business play for the Redsox.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

If they ever announced a serious plan to replace Fenway they would make so much money in the final few years of the ballpark and they would have the full attention of the New England Market for at least Fenway's final season. It would be a great business play for the Redsox.

Good point. The new netting has ruined so many seats to me that I don’t care.

Suffolk Downs would be great for where I live tho cant think of anywhere else with room for a stadium.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Portland update:

Shain's of Maine fired as Hadlock Field vendor after racial issues and statements.....


they had made the famed Sea Dog Biscuit

 

[Smitty93]

We've got another offer from the MLB. 76 games at 75% pro-rated pay, but the breakdown is 50% of prorated salary for the regular season, and then if the playoffs are played, they'd get another 25%, taking them to 75% total. I think, even though this isn't actually a better offer than what they've offered before, it does get closer to the parameters that I'd expect to see if a deal is agreed upon.

Players get a % of their pro-rated salary and part of it is held in case there are no playoffs. If the players want a deal, then I'd come back with 100% of pro-rated salaries with maybe 10% held in case there are no playoffs (so they'd get 90% pro-rated if no playoffs). Then, meeting in the middle would be something like 85% of salaries with 15% held for the playoffs (which would mean getting 70% pro-rated if no playoffs). Stick with playing about half the season (76-82 games).