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When can we expect to find out the answers to these three questions:
1) Will there be a regular 162 game season in 2021? Or will it be another shortened season?
2) Will the DH be used in the National League?
3) Will the runner at 2nd in extra innings be continued?
Or is all of this subject to what happens with the virus and any possible vaccine?
r/Esteemed Rat
Good questions Rat! Here are my hopes:
1. Major League Baseball resolves the rules issues as soon as possible. This is something within their control and resolution of these issues should be a top priority. Most if not all can be resolved without the length of schedule being know (e.g. DH in both leagues, three batter minimum, etc.).
2. Major League Baseball should form a task force to address schedule length. This task force should be aimed at determining the “best possible outcome” for all involved and should include ownership and union representation. IMO, this issue is much more complicated than the rules issues. You have several factors influencing this outcome – public health concerns bridging multiple jurisdictions, club profitability clouded by multiple profitability models and ultimately union approval. Let’s not forget that any solution should also address Minor League baseball as well.
The sooner issues can be taken off the table the sooner all parties will know how baseball and they can move forward.
A correction. Changes like the DH, schedule length and roster sizes are not fully within MLB’s control. They must be negotiated with the Players Association. As has been discussed on other threads, there are reasons to want these items to be answered ASAP, but there are other reasons they may not be.
Mo suggested MLB teams may start to formulate their collective position at the upcoming GM Meetings. Even if they quickly come to consensus on every open item, from there, timing is anyone’s guess.
Not sure exactly what will transpire specific to Rat’s questions, but I look for MLB to make some fairly radical changes in the next couple of years. Owners will strive to recoup their losses of 2020, so anything that generates extra revenue will take on even more importance that it has.
Someone on VEB commented that the Cardinals lost $150 million this year. They did not specify if that was a bottom line number, or were using roughly a $50 net revenue per fan as an average, and projecting an attendance of 3 million to get to a $150M as lost revenue.
Tough times for the exec’s, whose money machine has had a few cogs broken. Things will come back, but the next couple of years will be tough on player compensation. Most clubs have very strong balance sheets and will weather the storm to where they will rebound quick concerning their financial health. The Cardinals carry some debt, which will keep them operating more conservatively than clubs with no debt.
Bicyclemike, I am assuming the debt you refer to includes payments on the stadium as well as any debt incurred to finance the 2020 season. Is there any other debt?
Someone on VEB commented that the Cardinals lost $150 million this year. They did not specify if that was a bottom line number, or were using roughly a $50 net revenue per fan as an average, and projecting an attendance of 3 million to get to a $150M as lost revenue.
They may have have lost $150M in revenue but that doesn’t mean the entire organization had a bottom line loss of $150M. They had other revenue coming in besides gate receipts.
I believe what gscottar is saying is correct. What I heard BDW III comment about was the revenue decline. It was not a statement of profit or loss. We have to be careful with our assumptions.
If anyone wants to check out the audio, it is over on the Player Payroll/Budget thread, if I recall correctly.
Anybody got any new info here? Or any speculation or scuttlebutt going around? I would assume a vaccine might change things.
r/Esteemed Rat
I would say that the DH and runner on second base probably don’t have anything to do with a vaccine. Those issues will just have to be hammered out by the owners and MLBPA or not.
The number of games played, the start of the season, and number of fans allowed could certainly be impacted by a vaccine but since none of the potential vaccines have been officially approved or distributed yet I would say that MLB doesn’t have enough information to make those decisions right now. We are in a holding pattern.
Any word on this? We are now into December. Plus players have been non-tendered. Seems like a decision on the DH needs to be made – and soon.
r/Esteemed Rat
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