MLB strikes out on new CBA as MLBPA rejects final proposal

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Union came to the bargaining table Tuesday with the hope of hammering out a new collective bargaining agreement to salvage the start of the season.

They struck out.

After the players union rejected MLB’s “best and final offer,” Commissioner Rob Manfred announced baseball would cancel at least six regular-season games. It marks the first time that games have been lost because of a labor dispute since the infamous strike of 1994-95.

There’s no timetable for more meetings or when the first pitch of the 2022 season will be thrown.

“The fans are hurt the most and I feel for them,” said Charlie Blackmon, the Rockies’ popular all-star right fielder. “It’s either our fault or the owner’s fault that there is not going to be baseball on opening day.

“Both sides are going to be pointing fingers, obviously. But as a member of the MLBPA, I have a part in that and I feel bad about it.”

But, Blackmon added, he stands with his fellow players. And Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland said: “I’m committed to standing strong with our union and the decisions we make.”

At a late-afternoon news conference in Jupiter, Fla., Manfred said he is canceling the first two series of the season that was set to begin March 31. For the Rockies, that means their three-game series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, as well as a three-game series at San Diego, have been scrapped.

The Rockies’ scheduled home-opener against the Dodgers at Coors Field on April 8 is also in jeopardy. Opening day in LoDo has grown into something like a state holiday, with bars and restaurants packed with fans and partiers.

MLB and the union have not made plans for future negotiations and the lockout, which began on Dec. 2 when the CBA expired, could last for weeks.

Rockies relief pitcher Scott Oberg, who’s been the team’s union representative since 2020, took part in the intense 16 1/2 hours of negotiations that heated up Monday and continued until 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. On the other side was Rockies owner Dick Monfort, the chair of the league’s labor committee.

There were hopes early Tuesday that the two sides could reach an agreement, but issues of money, especially the players’ concerns over the so-called luxury-tax ceiling, derailed an agreement.

“On a lot of the key issues we were further apart than where we would have liked to have been coming into today,” Oberg said. “We certainly put forth our best effort, but from the union’s standpoint, I thought that we stayed committed to our priorities and we showed a lot of strength, not only to the other side but amongst ourselves. That was important for us.”

When asked to comment on the lockout, Rockies’ management referred to Manfred’s statements.

Oberg said he is aware that it’s not only Rockies fans who will be affected by missed games, but also the stadium workers at Coors Field and many businesses near the ballpark.

“We understand that, and we are all fans of the game, too,” he said. “We grew up watching baseball. We understand what it means. But we want to make sure we get a fair deal that reflects industry revenues.”

Manfred said he was hopeful that the two sides could meet again soon.

“My deepest hope is we get an agreement quickly,” he said. “I’m really disappointed we didn’t make an agreement.”

The MLBPA, however, took a more strident tone. Union chief Tony Clark, speaking at a news conference after Manfred spoke, threw some verbal fastballs at Manfred and the owners.

“Players want to play, everyone knows that. But the reason we are not playing is simple — a lockout is the ultimate economic weapon,” Clark said. “In a $10 billion industry, the owners have made a conscious decision to use this weapon against the greatest asset they have — the players. But the group won’t be intimidated. I’ve seen more unity over the last few years than at any time in our recent history.”

Baseball is now in turmoil for the second time in three years. The 2020 schedule was cut from 162 games to 60 because of the pandemic. The players, wanting to play more games, filed a grievance over the issue and the two sides are still in litigation.

In 1994, before the players’ strike erased part of the season and wiped out the World Series, the average attendance in MLB was 31,256. But disgruntled fans struck back, and attendance fell 20% the following year. It took another decade and the steroid-fueled home run era to restore baseball’s popularity.

Now baseball is testing its fans’ patience and loyalty again.

“I’m disappointed yet not surprised by the ongoing lack of progress in negotiations between owners and players,” said Chris Czajka, 63, of Colorado Springs. “There’s clearly not a desire on either side to reach an equitable solution. Once again, fans will be without the game that so many of us enjoy.”

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