Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Baseball is back. So why is that bitter taste lingering?
The Players Association rejected Major League Baseball’s offer of a 60-game season with amended rules, and in return the owners have voted to install an abbreviated season within the rules that were agreed to in late March. The season reportedly still will be 60 games, the union unable to get the league to budge for more under prorated play.
So nearly three months after the pact was struck, Major League Baseball is finally ordering a season under its rules.
MLB requested a union response on two issues before spring training 2.0 and the regular season are finalized: 1) Can the players get to camp within seven days — meaning July 1? And 2) does the union agree to the health protocols that the two have bickered about? While the concerns about health are foremost, the two sides have been fairly in agreement about the majority of the protocols.
Because no further agreement could be reached, there will not be an expanded postseason this year. A universal designated hitter is unknown; it has not been agreed upon, though perhaps it can shoehorned into the health protocols, not wanting to overtax pitchers who already are behind in their pitching work.
The Giants — and just about every team — are expected to hold their spring (summer?) training at their home stadium, Oracle Park a safer venue than Scottsdale Stadium, whose facilities were shut down Friday over COVID-19 testing.
Which reminds everyone that even as this expected 60-game season is installed, there is no guarantee it successfully gets launched or finished.