Shades of 1994
Because the MLB lockout turned from days to weeks to months with unfavorable progress on the brand new CBA, it’s develop into abundantly clear that we’re not going to get the begin to the MLB season anytime quickly.
Even when, by some miracle, a deal is reached earlier than the tip of March, the season can have already been marred by the CBA controversy surrounding it. The house owners’ reputations have been smeared and in case the curtain hadn’t been peeled again sufficient already, the door has blown broad open on the enterprise of baseball: “It’s not concerning the sport, it’s concerning the income the sport brings in, and that’s all that issues.”
With a shortened schedule, even when a season is performed, followers will nonetheless think about this season a wash in the identical approach that 2020 was. The Dodgers received the World Collection that yr, and whereas we ended up getting the 2 finest groups within the World Collection, many followers nonetheless consider that season ought to have an asterisk subsequent to it. I nonetheless hear that championship known as a “Mickey Mouse ring.” Sure, it’s nonetheless very attainable that now we have a 120 or 130-game season, however a deal must be struck quickly…like actually quickly. With every passing day, extra video games are taken away and we aren’t near a deal.
As followers proceed to search for mild on the finish of the tunnel, each step units us deeper in darkness. I’m depressed and all I can say is “Fuck you MLB.”
We’ve already misplaced a yr of prime Mike Trout, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatís Jr., and Shohei Ohtani thanks to a COVID-shortened 2020 season. Now, we’re having one other season shortened? One which might be prevented? Fuck you.
Clearly, no one, house owners included, needs to see the season canceled altogether, however I’m actually undecided a deal will probably be reached earlier than the purpose of no return. A full MLB season cancellation hasn’t occurred since 1994. Baseball was way more fashionable then than it’s at present, and nonetheless, the dearth of a season that yr nearly destroyed the sport. Reputation was approach down as World Series viewership decreased in 5 of the next seven seasons. What saved MLB? Steroids, in fact. And after years of the higher-ups at MLB turning a blind eye to PEDs, the identical factor that saved baseball additionally tore it down. It’s like that one quote from Iron Man 2.
With baseball’s reputation at near-record lows in 2022, I’m legitimately apprehensive {that a} comparable scandal may pop up quickly. Am I being paranoid? Possibly, however there have been so many scandals throughout MLB currently, that I’ve to think about the league has plans for different ones able to go. They’re going to need to do one thing to get followers again, proper? They clearly do not know find out how to market their gamers, or be enjoyable for youthful generations, or maintain gamers and groups accountable for dishonest, so why not do some dishonest themselves. They’re seemingly simply hoping they don’t get caught.
After all, they may get caught. They at all times do, however as was the case once they regarded the opposite approach whereas a whole bunch of gamers used PEDs within the late 90s and early 2000s, MLB will vehemently deny it had any concept. It has to, as a result of it has to make it appear to be it has some integrity left. It doesn’t although. It doesn’t care about its followers. It doesn’t care about its gamers. It doesn’t care about baseball.
