View from the Catwalks: You stink, Strawberry! We want Home Run Homer!
MLB and MLBPA to start meeting regularly, electronic wristbands in college ball, and Homer at the Bat turns thirty
Looking for some baseball while this lockout drags on? We recommend you tune in to some college ball, which got underway over the weekend. Also, thirty years ago yesterday, Homer at the Bat debuted, and it always worth a rewatch. You can stream it on Disney+.
30 Years Ago Today: "Mattingly, for last time, get rid of those sideburns!" ~ The amazing "Homer at the Bat" episode of "The Simpsons" makes its TV debut! (February 20, 1992) #MLB #Baseball #History pic.twitter.com/9WCpBNcrXy
— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) February 21, 2022
From CBS, a timeline of the lockout so far.
Per Jesse Rodgers of ESPN, the two sides plan to meet multiple times, beginning today.
While exact plans are not finalized, MLB and the MLB Players Association intend to hold multiple bargaining sessions — perhaps every day — as early as Monday, sources told ESPN. Multiple owners and players expect to fly in for sessions leading up to MLB’s stated Feb. 28 deadline.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 18, 2022
When the two sides met last week, the MLBPA proposal was not well received.
The owners officially canceled the first batch of Spring Training games.
Major League Baseball has postponed spring training games through March 5. Which was obvious, of course, but it's now official as the league prepares to start meeting with the MLB Players Association on Monday as collective-bargaining negotiations finally start to ramp up.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 18, 2022
The MPBPA was quick to remind everyone that this was a choice by the owners, and that MLB could end the lockout anytime they wanted to.
Statement from the Major League Baseball Players Association: pic.twitter.com/iboIiZqr0O
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) February 18, 2022
The players also threw down the gauntlet on expanded post season.
Last thing: Heard MLBPA has told MLB not to expect expanded playoffs in 2022 if players miss the chance to play a full 162 and be compensated for the full season.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) February 18, 2022
A long thread from Dan Szymborski on what a revenue sharing system that actually addressed competitive balance would look like.
1/ What would a revenue sharing scheme in baseball designed to be a competitive balance scheme actually look like? Here's one: making wins more valuable than they would be otherwise, with greater rewards from the bonus pool going to smaller markets.
— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) February 19, 2022
An interesting piece in the Guardian on the secret heroes that helped break the color barrier.
A good story on Tyler Zombro’s recovery.
Kiley McDaniel gives his 2022 farm system ranks.
Eno Saris with his 2022 starting pitcher rankings.
Today @enosarris released his 2022 starting pitcher rankings. Shane McClanahan, Shane Baz, Drew Rasmussen, and Luis Patiño all rank extremely well by his Stuff+ metric and all land in the top 55:https://t.co/GA3AoXgSjV
— Rays Metrics (@RaysMetrics) February 18, 2022
Eric Kay found guilty in the Tyler Skaggs case. Multiple players testified in the case.
After intense testimony from Matt Harvey, his old manager Terry Collins gave a fine demonstration of why a lot of people choose to suffer in silence. This was not your story to tell, jackass.
Brittany Ghiroli of the Athletic on the hard life of a minor leaguer.
This cannot possibly be true.
I am today years old learning after Ted Turner paid $12mil for the Braves, he opened a safe and found the team had never actually deposited any of the money from concessions stands. It amounted to $12mil in cash.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) February 19, 2022
This is happening in college ball.
Broadcasters explain that all nine Vanderbilt players are wearing electronic wristbands showing what pitch the coach is calling from the dugout
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) February 20, 2022
It’s the first year this is legal in college baseball pic.twitter.com/AohbaLEGfs