MLBPA

What will New Yankees and MLB games look like on TV without field sounds and fans in the stands? Here’s a look at what that might look like. This article is taken directly from The Athletic!

John Madden called back Fred Gaudelli on Tuesday with an answer. The veteran executive producer of NBC Sports’ Sunday Night Football had asked his old colleague the previous night how to handle games potentially played in front of no fans, kept away by COVID-19-related restrictions.

The conventional wisdom is that broadcasters, to mimic games of the past, will pipe in artificial crowd noise during the telecast. The Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster’s reply, Gaudelli recounted: Don’t.

“He said, ‘When I first left the coaching profession and went to broadcasting, there was something about it that I just felt was missing and I couldn’t really put my finger on it,’” Gaudelli recalled. “He said, ‘Then I realized that I wasn’t hearing the sound that I had grown accustomed to hearing — as a player and as a coach. I never coached from the box, I coached from the field.’ He said to me, ‘Fred, you’re going to hear things that even you have never heard, so I’d be really trying to figure out how to best capture those sounds, and present them to the audience and not worry as much about artificial sound.’”

Piped-in crowd noise is just one of many options on the table for producing games with no spectators as the major sports eye returning, or in the case of the NFL, starting a new season in the COVID-19 era. The sports that have returned, such as UFC, NASCAR, and to a lesser extent, golf and tennis (exhibitions), have experimented with more audio. And WWE has gone so far as to place up-and-coming wrestlers in seats as fans, with plexiglass between them and the ring.

MLB, which is having ongoing conversations with teams and broadcasters about modifying various aspects of the game presentation with no fans in the ballpark, declined to comment on those talks.

Mark Gross, senior vice president of production at ESPN, which broadcasts MLB and has been televising Korean baseball games, said he couldn’t yet talk in detail about how he would approach the return of the national pastime. (MLB and MLBPA appear no closer to an agreement to return.) But he offered that there are differences between the smaller South Korean baseball stadiums, which typically max out at 30,000 seat capacity, and the larger North American ones. Larger stadiums would echo more with no fans, and perhaps lend themselves to piped-in crowd noise. If there are MLB games, ESPN will experiment with different camera angles, and perhaps station announcers remotely, Gross said.

To read the entire article, click here.

MLB presented the latest economic package, to the MLBPA (players union) on Tuesday, and the news is not good.  The union was expecting an economic plan more to their liking, but this offer is worse than the previous one, leading the union to believe the owners are not bargaining in good faith.  It should, however, be noted that the plan has not been rejected by the players as they haven’t seen it yet.  Evan Drellich of The Atlantic, reports that “I have never seen a collective response like I’m seeing today from the players,” one agent said; “They are livid.”

Back in March, the players agreed to take a 50% pay cut base on playing half the number of games compared to a regular 162 games season.  Then MLB presented a plan to start baseball by July 4th. Still, in this package, the owners including the New York Yankees wanted the players to accept a revenue-sharing plan in addition to the pay cut to share in the losses from having no fans in the stands and the loss of concession revenue.  MLBPA Executive Director ex-Yankee Tony Clark proclaimed that plan “dead on arrival.”

The union saw that proposal, as a salary cap, something they have soundly rejected since the 1970s.  It should be pointed out that all of the other American sports do have a salary cap, something the union has failed to embrace.  The plan, as presented, also did not sufficiently deal with health issues with some players threatening not to play, citing that the risk was too high.  MLB addressed that concern with a 67-page health initiative that put forth every way players and workers would be protected.

That left the money issue as the stumbling block that put the negotiation at a standstill.  Now in the third week of the talks, this new economic package has been presented.  With the union head seemingly very disappointed with the offer, meeting an artificial deadline of June 1 now seems less likely.  The sides wanted to solidify plans so that a spring training 2.0 could begin so that teams would have a three to four-week period to train before the regular shortened season could start.

With the revenue sharing proposal dead on arrival, Major League Baseball did not include an economic proposal during its opening presentation to the players’ union on terms to start the coronavirus-delayed season.  Now with this new offer, Ken Rosenthal has said sources say the cuts in the plan are “massive.”

Under the proposal, the highest-paid players would take the greatest reduction (a $35 million player would earn a maximum of $7.84 million) and the lowest-paid players the smallest hit (a minimum-salaried player at $563,500 would receive $262,000), sources said. Players and agents viewed the plan as an attempt to divide the union membership based upon income levels and were adamant it would not work.

Meanwhile, individual teams are making cuts of their own.  Some teams are furloughing workers and making pay cuts. The Los Angeles Angels and the Oakland Athletics, in particular, have been active in explaining the losses they will endure and what they will do to help offset those losses. The Oakland Athletics informed minor league players today that they would not continue paying them $400 a week after the end of the month, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

With the new MLB economic package, another agent said:

“It’s such a shame there is so much distrust on both sides that we can’t be pragmatic adults. There’s no way MLB would think that proposal would get a favorable response from the players. It’s ‘right back at you, screw you.’ And where are we? They’re playing a pretty dangerous game of chicken.”

According to The Athletic, while the union will not officially reject the proposal until after it consults with players, that outcome seems all but guaranteed.

“We want to play baseball. This pandemic is going to have a profound impact on all of us. Players are willing to make sacrifices and surely will to get back on the field. However, we will not sacrifice our principles or the future generations of players to do so,” said Andrew Miller, a member of the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee.

Negotiations likely need to be near completion next week if baseball is to begin its second spring training in mid-June and its season by early July, as both parties intend. However, that being said, the hard-line approach of the owners is not a good start to make that happen.

 

 

The New York Yankees and fans throughout baseball eagerly await the beginning of a baseball season. MLB and the Players Union continue to negotiate terms to begin a baseball season for 2020.  In the latest move to break the deadlock over health concerns and financial matters, the MLB has sent a 67-page document concerning health and safety protocols that MLB will put in place to protect baseball players.

The operations manual for the abbreviated 2020 season, covers medical and testing protocols for COVID-19, spring training, facility protocols, on-field operations, league operations, and transactions, travel, and player and staff education.  The details of the manual have been revealed by The Atlantic, Bob Costas, among others.

On March 12 all baseball operations came to a halt, including spring training, and with that halt came the announcement that the regular MLB season for baseball would be delayed by two weeks.  That was more than two months ago.  Still, there is no baseball and the negotiations to start the season are ongoing with the owners agreeing to the plan, but the Players Association  (MLBPA) to date has failed to accept the plan.

Two major stumbling blocks seem to be causing concern.  One that has been quite public, the plan calls for revenue sharing that the Players Union Executive Director ex-Yankee Tony Clark sees as a salary cap, something the players have rejected since the 1970s.  The other issue less public are concerns about player safety.  Some calling the risk very high.  The MLB healthy initiative is designed to address those concerns.

Here is a brief summary of the protocols outlined in the document.

Testing procedures

Regular testing for all players, managers, coaches, and umpires, plus a limited number of essential staff members who come into close proximity with players. All MLB players must undergo “intake screening” upon arriving at spring training. The screening will take place at multiple locations and at staggered times. It will consist of a temperature check with a contactless thermometer and body fluid and blood samples. Any individual who tests positive is instructed to self-quarantine and gets treated accordingly.

Asymptomatic individuals will undergo temperature checks and symptom screens at least twice daily. All individuals will undergo testing multiple times per week, with results taking approximately 24 hours to report.  Players with symptoms will receive instant reports. Each club must maintain a dedicated testing area in its spring training site and MLB ballpark, as well as a dedicated isolation area where an individual who develops symptoms or learns of a positive result can isolate pending relocation to home or medical facility. Before entering a club facility, individuals will get temperatures checked and complete a short symptom and exposure questionnaire.

• Clubs must take the following steps to minimize potential transmission:

• Identify all players and other employees who have had close contact and closely monitor them.
• Team physician may determine some or all of those who should get tested.
• Immediate cleaning and disinfecting of all club-controlled areas.
• Reinforce the importance of hygiene.

Individuals that test positive will self-isolate.  MLB clubs and players will be in contact with local health officials.  There will be contact tracing and high-risk individuals will have additional precautions.

Spring training protocols

• Training facilities will be limited to 50 players.
• Reporting dates will be staggered.
• Workouts will be staggered.
• Other facilities encouraged for workouts and games.
• Workouts should be five players or less
• Workout in small groups in different areas of the facility.
• Large group or gameplay staggered throughout the day
• Heat concerns to be addressed by 7 and 9 am starting times.
• The number of games allowed will be limited.
• Protocols that address heat concerns for umpires.
• Minimum standards will be maintained for cleaning and disinfecting.
• Processes will be in place for safely distributing meals, medicine, etc.
• Communal water and sports drink coolers/jugs are prohibited.
• Hand washing and sanitation stations in multiple locations.
• No MLB personal contact, high fives, hugs, etc.
• Players and other on-field personnel should wash or sanitize their hands after each half-inning or the handling of equipment.
• Clubs to encourage social distancing, meeting outdoors, or virtual.
• Lockers to be 6 feet apart, vacant space to be used if necessary
• No in facilities showering.  Shower at home or hotel.
• The bullpen and batting cage activities outside when possible.
• Only essential players in the dugout.  Others separated in other areas.
• Meals must be distributed in individually packaged containers or bags, in takeout form.
• Uses of saunas, steam rooms, hydrotherapy pools and cryotherapy chambers are prohibited.

On-Field Operations

• Changes to rules for the 2020 season are pending.
• Rather than an exchange of lineup cards, lineups will be put into an application.
• When the ball is out of play or in between pitches, fielders are encouraged to retreat several steps away from the baserunner.
• Catchers are permitted to step on the grass toward the mound to give signs if he needs to stand to relay signs to infielders.
• Non-playing personnel must wear masks at all times in dugout.
• Spitting is prohibited.

The on-field rule will be greatly expanded in the 67-page protocol.

Team Travel

• MLB teams should control their environments as much as possible.
• Public transportation or use of Uber type discouraged.
• Whenever possible, teams are to fly into smaller airports with assigned fixed airline crews.
• Players at hotels will not be quarantined but must receive advanced approval if leaving the hotel.
• No visitors unless immediate family, others discouraged.
• At hotels, no buffet-style meals, players not to use cash.
• Upon leaving hotels, no front desk interaction.
• At the team’s home park, players may stay at their desired locations, practicing safe rules and avoiding public places.
• Players, coaches, umpires, and all baseball personnel to undergo the COVID-19 education program before returning to work.

The MLB rules may seem like overkill and overly complicated, but the above are just the basics.  The 67-page document details how to do everything that players and personnel will face on a daily basis.  MLB wants to avoid infection by anyone in baseball operations to avoid a team shutdown.  It appears that the entire document has not been made public if it is you will find a link to view the document on EmpireSportsMedia.com.