2021 MLB Season (1 Viewer)

[David Norman]

I'll let others dissect the financials, but on field rule changes some which were talked about for 2023, but it appears some are being moved up to 2022.

12 Team Playoff

Universal DH

I think
No more 7 inning DH and no more Extra Inning Little league rules. The latter I see mentioned, but I can't find the confirmation on the former yet. I actually thought they might keep the 7 inning rules in order to help get 162 games in easier


EDIT: Reading articles from several different sites seem to be in some disagreement over which rules go into effect this year vs 2023
Pitch Clock

Some limit on Defensive shifts -- haven't quite figured out the details on this one

.

I wasn't surprise because most, if not all of those 8 members on the Executive Council are multi-millionaires and can afford a long lockout. I think five of the eight are represented by Scott Boras. However, the majority of the 1400 member PA is made up of players that are not multi-millionaires and are cognizant that most of them have playing careers that are finite in nature. Matter of fact, most of them will probably not be playing major league baseball past the age of 30. They got a good deal, they didn't get everything they wanted, but they got enough to sign off and start playing ball.

Agreed (including the reasons), but they've never rejected their own Veterans to this extreme degree

 

[Robert Crawford]

Agreed (including the reasons), but they've never rejected their own Veterans to this extreme degree

Another thing, as a managerial retiree that did his stint in Labor Relations for a major Auto company, I can tell you that the 8 member Executive board members have a different perspective than most of their membership. These are the guys dealing with the owners and their labor lawyers. Things can get hot & bother including being very personal in those meetings, as each side accuses the other of lying and not bargaining in good faith, both of which are probably true. Anyhow, the general PA membership doesn't get that view of the negotiations so you can see why the PA Executive board is much more invested in getting the best deal possible. Perhaps, the PA Executive board needs some influx of new members that are not represented by the big-time agents that have career earnings in the millions.

 

[David Norman]

Another thing, as a managerial retiree that did his stint in Labor Relations for a major Auto company, I can tell you that the 8 member Executive board members have a different perspective than most of their membership. These are the guys dealing with the owners and their labor lawyers. Things can get hot & bother including being very personal in those meetings, as each side accuses the other of lying and not bargaining in good faith, both of which are probably true. Anyhow, the general PA membership doesn't get that view of the negotiations so you can see why the PA Executive board is much more invested in getting the best deal possible. Perhaps, the PA Executive board needs some influx of new members that are not represented by the big-time agents that have career earnings in the millions.

Watching a bit of MLB Network roundtable and they pointed out much the same.

The 8 members in the Room "heard every name called and insult thrown out" so may have been far more predisposed to reject the offer out of hand that players that weren't in the room with the personal animosity.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Watching a bit of MLB Network roundtable and they pointed out much the same.

The 8 members in the Room "heard every name called and insult thrown out" so may have been far more predisposed to reject the offer out of hand that players that weren't in the room with the personal animosity.

I haven't watched MLB Network today, but as somebody that did local negotiations with the UAW their points are true. It's business, but it also gets very personal at times.

 

[Robert Crawford]

One more thing, those members of the PA's Executive Board can personally afford to be more principled when it comes to getting the best deal possible. Many members of the rank and file will be riding buses in the minor leagues this baseball season. Some of them will spend some time in the majors, but their banking accounts are a lot smaller than those 8 Executive Board members. Every member of the 40 man rosters for each team was locked out. It's not just the 25 man major league roster in which most of them will spend the majority of their time in the majors.

 

[David Norman]

One more thing, those members of the PA's Executive Board can personally afford to be more principled when it comes to getting the best deal possible. Many members of the rank and file will be riding buses in the minor leagues this baseball season. Some of them will spend some time in the majors, but their banking accounts are a lot smaller than those 8 Executive Board members. Every member of the 40 man rosters for each team were locked out. It's not just the 25 man major league roster in which most of them will spend the majority of their time in the majors.

Different segment with Bob Costas was also mentioning that many of these players and their more veteran advisors also were parts of those
past negotiations involving Club/Owner Collusion so those guys out of hand dismiss the owners and their negotiators.
Like you said, maybe time to rotate off many of these players and get some younger blood who haven't been parts of those more farcical 'negotiation' years

I think they're mentioning 5 years until the next CBA comes up so a new generation of Players should be up next time.

I'm still waiting to find more confirmed details on actual rule changes affecting this year and very few places seem to clear. Maybe that will come tomorrow -- other than DH rule what are the rules for 2022 vs 2023

 

[Robert Crawford]

Different segment with Bob Costas was also mentioning that many of these players and their more veteran advisors also were parts of those
past negotiations involving Club/Owner Collusion so those guys out of hand dismiss the owners and their negotiators.
Like you said, maybe time to rotate off many of these players and get some younger blood who haven't been parts of those more farcical 'negotiation' years

I think they're mentioning 5 years until the next CBA comes up so a new generation of Players should be up next time.

I'm still waiting to find more confirmed details on actual rule changes affecting this year and very few places seem to clear. Maybe that will come tomorrow -- other than DH rule what are the rules for 2022 vs 2023

The only rule changes I know confirmed for the 2022 season is the universal DH, no more 7 inning DH games and no base runner at 2nd base in extra innings. In short, it's back to the old rules except for having a DH in the NL now. Also, the new playoff format takes place in October.

The other rule changes about pitch clock and shifts won't take place until the 2023 season.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Most ML players have less than 5 years in the major leagues before their playing careers are over with. That means most players don't even get the benefit of free agency so that's another factor in the rank and file voting. Vastly increasing the minimum wage was a huge win for those players especially those that spent years in the minor leagues where the salaries are real low.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

Now on to signing all the leftover players and see if the Braves can do what the League/Players avoided and commit self-immolation by not giving Freeman the deal he deserves. Note to Braves -- give him the years, give him the cash b/c if he signs elsewhere now it's going to be a bad ugly look at the WS Ring Celebration. Whatever you pay him will more than come back to you in Fan Money. If you don't sign him, whatever you save will more than be taken away from your bottom line

Yes!!

 

[Kevin Hewell]

I don't want the DH expanded to the NL. If anything, I would want the DH abolished from the AL.

What a piece of crap rule.

 

[David Norman]

The only rule changes I know confirmed for the 2022 season is the universal DH, no more 7 inning DH games and no base runner at 2nd base in extra innings. In short, it's back to the old rules except for having a DH in the NL now. Also, the new playoff format takes place in October.

The other rule changes about pitch clock and shifts won't take place until the 2023 season.

That's what it appears, but several of the early articles made it seem like many would hit in 2022

A variation of this appeared on multiple team sites via CBS and NBC
https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/phillies/here-are-new-mlb-rules-2022-season

and https://www.yahoo.com/now/mlb-rules-2022-season-231757007.html actually seemed to be mixing in the 2022 rules randomly


It finally dawned on me MLB.com might be a better source last night and they almost certainly have most of the changes listed as 2023.

MLB, MLBPA agree to new CBA; season to start April 7

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement on Thursday, paving the way for the 2022 regular season to begin on April 7. After the MLBPA approved the deal by a 26-12 vote, the owners ratified it Thursday night with a

www.mlb.com

Si.com went with that version https://www.si.com/mlb/2022/03/10/mlb-rule-changes-new-cba-universal-dh

ESPN I never could find a clear breakdown since they were more intent on the financial changes

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Over at NR this was posted:

Among the announced changes that, in my view, will alter the game for the worse are the long-threatened universal designated hitter, ads on players’ jerseys, a general pitch clock, a ban on defensive shifts, and a plan to enlarge the bases starting in the 2023 season.

What's that about ads on uniforms and larger bases? I don't follow the game but found this to be very odd.

 

[David Norman]

Over at NR this was posted:


What's that about ads on uniforms and larger bases? I don't follow the game but found this to be very odd.

Basically the players will now look like Nascar racers and PGA golfers -- no change to play other than general tackiness. I haven't seen if there will be a limit to number, graphicness, colors, size etc.

In 2023, the plan is to make the bases larger(not Home Plate). Partially to help players separate and avoid collisions, partially it shortens the distance between 1/2 and 2/3 a few inches thinking it might increase SB attempts. I suspect it will make a small difference in SB, but not as much as they might want. Last I heard the bases would increase to 18 inch square instead of 15. What I wish they'd do is add an equal size bag outside 1st base line for the runners to go through AND strictly enforce the running lane

Defensive shifts -- the numbers shows fairly limited effect anyway since the majority of hitters ended up getting almost as many hits on traditional outs as outs made on traditional hits. It takes away some hits esp with Dead Pull only LH batters, but had little effect on RH and most players anyway. Players are trying to hit the ball in the air and shift will have little effect on swing/miss. In the minors when they had/didn't have the shifts it turned out to have a fairly minor difference in the offense

Pitch Clock may or may not speed the game up. If it does so much the better and most pitchers who speed up actually perform better anyway. There are a small minority of pitchers it will have any real effect on and I suspect it's going to cause more arguments slowing the game down more than speed it up UNLESS they have an automatic ejection like Balls/Strikes AND an automatic 5 game suspension if you're not off the field and in the clubhouse in 30 seconds. I can't think it's going to actually help SB since there doesn't seem to be a limit on number of pickoffs though it may mean a lot more throwovers and lot less step offs

 

[Walter Kittel]

Basically the players will now look like Nascar racers and PGA golfers -- no change to play other than general tackiness. I haven't seen if there will be a limit to number, graphicness, colors, size etc.

I hate the idea of the players becoming walking billboards. I suppose the question is how prominent will the logos and insignias be on the player's uniforms.

Maybe the players can advertise for Shamrock Meats, Inc.

- Walter.

 

[Malcolm R]

They plaster logos all over everything else on the field (pitcher's mound, backstop, etc), it was only a matter of time until they put them on the uniforms.

I'm always amused when they run ads for some product proclaiming to be "the official XXXX of major league baseball" and it's some completely random thing that seems to have nothing to do with the game (like tires).

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

NFL teams were named after industries: Green Bay (meat) packers, Pittsburg (USS) steelers.

 

[David Norman]

The entire Japanese League is pretty much the same