I expect to hear more with the MLB negotiations today, but I thought I’d catch everyone up on what went on over the weekend, just in case you weren’t following along.
Much of the news over the weekend centered around coronavirus cases in Spring Training camps. The latest news is a bit disheartening for those hoping for a 2020 season, but we will see how it plays out.
Jon Heyman says that more than ten teams have been affected since Spring Training ended and there “were about 40 positive Covid-19 tests last week alone”. Pirates were not among the teams affected.
There were about 40 positive Covid-19 tests last week alone among players and staff who’ve been at MLB camps. The exact number of camps affected since spring training 1.0 ended isn’t known but it’s said to be more than 10. Little doubt Covid is the real threat to the MLB season.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 22, 2020
The actual negotiations were and are still going on, with MLB players intending to vote on the framework/proposal yesterday… (cont’d after tweet)
MLB players back to intending to vote on the framework/proposal today, it appears. Situation is fluid though so no guarantee. The idea to pause was a very smart thought but the vote appears to be on because players heard it might take too long to get reliable virus info.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 21, 2020
…but they delayed the voting because of the number of cases mentioned above, which seems to be leading to some changes in the proposal
MLB players are delaying the vote a bit today as MLB is suggesting it’s willing to make a couple changes in light of recent Covid cases. Sides are in contact and situation is fluid. Players are concerned that if this year is canceled owners end up reaping the benefits in ‘21.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 21, 2020
At this point, it appears that the two sides will either agree on the deal soon or the commissioner will just set the schedule on his own. The bigger deal seems to be whether or not they will be able to play. The first part we will find out about soon, the second part might take some time….maybe.
** We will have at least four articles today, including the one you’re currently reading. If any news comes up (likely with negotiations and possible signings), we will have more. The other scheduled articles for today are as follows:
This Date in Pittsburgh Pirates History – Some birthdays, including a pitcher from the first World Series team, plus an interesting signing from long ago.
Prospect Throwback – One of my favorite features because it involves more than just the article itself. I buy an old set of minor league baseball cards for a Pirates affiliate and then show some off while talking about the interesting players and cards in the set. Here’s the last one, which has links to the previous articles. Right after I finished this article a few days back, I bought another old minor league set. I’ve now got four lined up for future articles.
1979 Season Recap – Pirates look to extend their winning streak against the Cubs. I have a good feeling about this team now after a rocky start.
Hope everyone has a happy Monday!
SONG OF THE DAY
DAILY QUIZ
RANDOM STUFF OF THE DAY
Bob Robertson talking about the 1971 series