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The league and the MLBPA met for the first time in weeks yesterday, and the reports emerging out are not positive. It sounds as though the players were displeased with the owners’ proposal, and that the owners were unsurprised by this reaction. The way things will play out seems almost inevitable: the league will continue to lock out the players and present them with certain-to-be-rejected offers, blame the players for their obstinance when they object, and apply pressure when games and paychecks start to be threatened. None of it will be in a good-faith effort to come to a reasonable agreement with the players, and certainly none of it will be in service of baseball fans or the game itself.
On the site, we continue toward the end of our Champions Series, as Jon covers the 1999 Yankees. Matt also looks at the greatest Yankees to never win a championship in New York, Erin discusses Rachel Balkovec’s ascension to Tampa Tarpons manager, and Josh ruminates on Mariano Rivera, Billy Wagner, and the Hall of Fame standard for relievers.
Fun Questions:
1. If Mariano Rivera hadn’t retired in 2013, how long could he have continued to pitch at a high level?
2. When will spring training start?