As MLB boss Rob Manfred confirmed on Tuesday evening (03/01/2022, local time), the season in the professional baseball league will not start on the scheduled date of March 31st. Several days of negotiations between representatives of the best baseball league in the world and the players’ union had previously failed.
The MLBPA players’ union had not accepted the league’s proposal by the 5 p.m. local time deadline on Monday. At least the first two matchdays of the season are affected by the lockout.
ESPN: Demands from players and MLB far apart
“We are unable to play the first two series of the regular season, those games are officially cancelled,” Manfred said. As ESPN reports, players and teams are far apart in their demands and wishes.
The dispute involves, among other things, the payment of players, the amount of a “luxury tax” if the salary cap is exceeded and the number of teams in the playoffs.
First lockout in 27 years
As of December 1, MLB has been in its first lockout since 1994-95. At that time, the entire playoffs including the World Series were canceled for the first and only time in the more than 100-year history of the MLB due to the wage dispute, and almost 1000 games were canceled during the two affected seasons of 1994 and 1995.
Source: red/dpa/sid