June 13, 2020. Still no baseball. Back and forth we go between the MLB and the MLBPA. Neither side willing to lean towards the other. And now we’re here. Knocking on the door of league commissioner Rob Manfred a few days away from instituting just a 50-game season with zero input from the MLBPA. He can do that, of course. But the fact that we got to this point is ridiculous.

There’s only one side to blame in the negotiation debacle and that side is MLB owners. 

Fans want baseball. The NBA, NHL, and MLS have all found ways to bring back their respective leagues. MLB players want to play. So what is the hold up?

Money.

Back in March, players agreed on a prorated salary structure. Now, owners are asking players to play for a fraction of that. The owners continue to stand on the hill that baseball played in-front of no fans is a huge loss of revenue. This is 100% true. Per NBC Sports Philadelphia, Phillies managing partner John Middleton wrote in a letter to employees that 40% of total team revenue comes from fan attendance.

That is still no excuse. MLB Owners are just that – owners of baseball teams. They have absolutely nothing to worry about when it comes to money. According to Forbes – an MLB franchise is worth around $1.3 billion dollars. They aren’t out on the field actually playing. They aren’t risking injury. They aren’t out on the field playing during these unprecedented times where there are still grave concerns about the coronavirus. Asking players to take the hit financially is just not right. Players and fans alike have the right to be angry.

The MLB owners should 100% the financial burdens of today and do everything possible to make sure players and fans are taken care of. Given the current standstill with negotiations, do they really think fans are happy? Of course, fans will return, but in 1994 when the league ended in August due to the players strike, the following year attendance at stadiums dropped 20%.

Think about this next time you’re down at Citizens Bank Park – you’re just a dollar sign in the eyes of ownership. These people do not care about baseball. They don’t care about the players on the field. They only care about one thing. Money.

MLB ownership is still on the wrong side of its players and fans. In a world that desperately needs some type of return to normalcy, the fact that owners can’t come together and stop with the back-and-forth and do the right thing is so disappointing.

Take the financial hit just for this year.

Bring back baseball. Enough with the nonsense. It’s time.