Picking Sides

So, MLB owners have engaged in what Commissioner Rob Manfred calls a “defensive lockout” of players because people “need pressure sometimes to get to an agreement.” Didn’t Marlon Brando say something along those lines in “The Godfather”? A few random observations, if you will, starting with MLB.com—good to know the site is a conduit for ownership and nothing more. It posts a letter to fans from Manfred but none from the other side. Did anybody think to ask? And the FAQ on negotiations starts with, “Simply put, we believe that an offseason lockout is the best mechanism to protect the 2022 Championship Season.” Using the first person pretty much destroys the illusion of objectivity, guys. And I don’t want either side invoking “the fans.” As if the two of you care. Nobody in baseball called to check on me when I came down with COVID-19 last December or had a colonoscopy in June. I’m pretty sure that if there isn’t a “Make A Wish” photo opportunity, neither teams nor players can be bothered to give a damn’. Hey, guys, when, if ever, will the cost of a game be on the agenda? But neutrality is a tricky business, as Woodrow Wilson learned long ago. Manfred says he’s concerned about maintaining competitive balance; yes, it would be a bad thing if the small- and medium-market teams vanished. But do the owners really think the players want that to happen? Really, really believe it? In that case, they’ll have little choice but to continue the lockout until they break the players’ union. Good luck with that. Here's my thing. Jerry Reinsdorf led a group that bought the White Sox for $20 million in 1981. Today, Forbes puts the value of the team at $1.68 billion, not bad for a team that’s won all of one World Series in forty years under current ownership. What exactly has Reinsdorf done to increase his team’s value? Sign Carlton Fisk? But didn’t he also collude to keep Fisk’s salary down? The owners want a salary cap by whatever means possible using whatever euphemisms they can get away with. The players should counter by demanding a cap on capitals gains for when teams are sold. Anything over a set amount could go to maintain “competitive balance” just like the owners and their mouthpiece want.