(NewsBroadcast.com) – Twenty-five years ago, Major League Baseball (MLB) canceled the World Series due to the 1994-5 player strike. Now, disagreements between the MLB Players Union and team owners are threatening to nix the 2022 season and its World Series once again.
At midnight on Thursday, December 2, MLB’s collective bargaining agreement officially expired, forcing teams to stop negotiations with players after team owners were unable to reach a deal with the players union.
Shortly after midnight, the players union released a statement on Twitter, fully blaming the failed agreement on team owners:
Statement from the Major League Baseball Players Association: pic.twitter.com/34uIGf762W
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) December 2, 2021
On the other hand, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the lockout is “necessary” as the MLB Players Association’s demands “would threaten the ability of most teams to be competitive.” Under the current lockout, players cannot talk with their teams or use MLB facilities for training.
As of now, spring training is still slated to begin on February 16, 2022, with Opening Day set for March 31. In order to have a full season, the association and owners must come to an agreement by mid-March. Hopefully, though, for everyone’s sake, both sides reach a compromise everyone can live with long before that to preserve America’s favorite pastime.
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