More Cancellations Are Coming, Cubs Season Ticket Decisions, and Other Cubs Bullets
Woke up as low about MLB as I’ve been since the lockout started. Like I wrote last night, there was already no reason to expect Opening Day before late April, and after the events yesterday, I think June 1 is far more likely than, say, May 1. There are so many more important things in the world, and MLB’s importance rightly dwindles by the day.
But I think about the passionate fandom I’ve seen in my life – the things I saw in 2016! I think about how much this game still means to so many people. And how little it appears to mean to its own stewards. It just makes me feel so low.
• My back-of-the-napkin math said that if there was no deal by last night, that’s when more regular season cancellations would be locked in. Since there was no deal – which was clearly inevitable as far back as Tuesday – you can expect an announcement today or tomorrow. It’ll probably be another week’s worth of games. Then we’ll do the same angry dance for a week, the sides might exchange more proposals this coming weekend, and then there will be another week of cancellations next Monday. That’s when we might finally be rubbing up against the RSN rebate timeline and maybe there would be enough pressure for the owners to get serious. Again, though, I tend to think that isn’t quite going to be enough.
• Excellent mini-summation here by Travis Sawchik:
A year ago, I thought players might dig in on earlier arbitration or free agency, with the system broken for many mid-tier FAs/later-arb cases – but those asks aren't even on the table any longer. Their current min. increase % ask was exceeded in 5 of 10 CBAs. It's not extreme.
— Travis Sawchik (@Travis_Sawchik) March 6, 2022
Missing games for an overhaul of a system is one thing, but this is not that. From what I see, players don't have a ton left they can really move on, dramatically, and claim improvements for many in their group. More games are likely to be called off this week.
— Travis Sawchik (@Travis_Sawchik) March 6, 2022
• The owners have already won this negotiation. But it’s still not enough for them.
• To that end, I think it’s worth underscoring just how little – on a percentage basis – is actually at stake for these owners who are digging in their heels:
It would be perfect if MLB torpedos its season – and future – over ~$200M of issues in a $10B annual industry. That’s 2%. https://t.co/L4xg8eDEsW
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) March 7, 2022
• I get that owners are not a monolith, and for some holding the line is about the next CBA, while for others that 2% margin really does mean the world to them apparently. But I’ll keep saying it: that’s THEIR PROBLEM to deal with. They are the people in charge of the highest level of this sport in the United States. It is their duty to figure out how to make this happen. So far, the only thing they’ve been able to come up with is: we can make a deal work if it is absurdly in our favor for the third CBA in a row, but shy of that, we’re all out of ideas.
• The season ticket question gets harder for Cubs fans every year:
The Cubs are coming off a disappointing season that saw them unload one-third of their roster amid organizational change.
The question for fans since then has become: Are season tickets still worth it?@M_Montemurro’s story.https://t.co/rBT2J8Pyg0
— Chicago Tribune Sports (@ChicagoSports) March 6, 2022
It’s a great read there at the Tribune for a variety of perspectives, including from folks who might not be as terminally online as those of us around here. One example take:
When the Cubs won the 2016 World Series, Mullennix had been a season ticket holder for more than a decade. In the years that followed, Mullennix was disappointed to watch pieces of the team get traded. He felt he was watching a minor-league team during the final two months of last season and couldn’t envision who the organization would build around.
Mullennix’s declining interest started with Rizzo, Báez and Bryant getting traded, and his desire to closely follow the Cubs hasn’t bounced back. His wife became a big proponent of getting rid of their season tickets after that.
“Why am I going to waste my time?” Mullennix, 49, said. “COVID afforded people the opportunity to turn off the TV and do other things. Baseball has had a hard enough time keeping fans and keeping younger fans engaged.”
Mullennix’s job as a nurse already had limited him to about 20 games per season. Combined with food, beer and season ticket prices, on top of competitive concerns, he deemed his two season tickets unnecessary.
“It’s not like the club’s management is going to reach out to the fan base and say, ‘Hey, who should we be cutting?’ because I understand it’s a business,” Mullennix said. “But they made a very poor business decision.”
• If you’re a fan of FanGraphs, please check this out:
We’re Asking for Your Help as We Navigate the Lockout https://t.co/yV0ocVIhou
— FanGraphs Baseball (@fangraphs) March 7, 2022
• Does Tennessee have all the fun pitchers? Also, they should let this mustache in the room when negotiating the CBA – it’d be done in minutes:
Kirby Connell, Fantastic Mustache.
[And nasty stuff too.] pic.twitter.com/Sz3aa8PU11— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 6, 2022
• Cookware, supplements, and more are your Deals of the Day at Amazon. #ad
• Mood:
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) March 7, 2022
• NFL free agency is coming:
Akiem Hicks, James Daniels, and Pat O’Donnell are among the 35 Bears who could hit free agency when the new league year opens on March 16. https://t.co/S3ZwNQgCD3 pic.twitter.com/aaHOGyK7fA
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) March 6, 2022
