MLB On Very Thin Ice

One thing Major League Baseball does great, is keeping the fans engaged during the offseason. That came to a screeching halt on December 1, 2021, when the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expired, causing the owners to lockout the players. Now, we are more than 80 days into the work stoppage, with seemingly no end in sight. Another thing baseball is great at, is being able to shoot themselves in the foot. Just when baseball was moving forward with solid ratings off the field and talent on it, a lockout is the last thing the game needs.

The owners and player’s association will obviously come to an agreement on a new CBA, it’s just a matter of when, not if. The most crucial aspect in all of this is the chance of losing games or not starting the regular season on time.

Baseball was on the verge of death in the fan’s eyes after the strike in 1994. Now granted, the sport was never going to go away but there was a mass exodus of fandom after 1994, until the home run race by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa saved the sport. Coming off a year where baseball viewership increased over the previous year, the game cannot afford to have games missed. Pitchers and catchers were set to report as early as last week and now, the league has made the decision to cancel spring training games through March 5.

The owner’s can make one major move to help push things along, ending the lockout, allowing players to report to spring training. Both parties would be in the same area, as they are now and it would benefit all involved. Players could be training while the MLBPA and owners could negotiate. This would seem to be a no-brainer.

Instead, Major League Baseball is on the verge of killing themselves off, because they are on very thin ice. Missing games would be the final dagger in the heart of fans who reluctantly returned to the game after the 1994 strike. In cases like this, it is the casual fan that needs to be taken into consideration. The loss of regular season games would be near fatal for a sport that was rejuvenated after the summer of McGwire and Sosa. Baseball is loaded with young talent who have the potential to grab the attention of sports fans everywhere. That cannot be accomplished if they aren’t playing games.

The talent and youthful exuberance is something baseball must take advantage of, when they finally come to an agreement. With young players like Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Bo Bichette, coupled with veteran studs like Mike Trout and Mookie Betts, the game of baseball is in great hands. Thankfully, baseball fans can satisfy their appetite for the game with college baseball. Without college baseball to ease the pain, the rage would be greater than ever. The time is now for MLB owners and the MLBPA to come to an agreement and get the great game of baseball back into the American sports landscape.

Chris Asbrock is a staff writer and analyst for Impact Sports Cincinnati and can be followed on Twitter Follow @iamchrisasbrock and Follow @ISCincy