June has arrived, which, in baseball terms, should have signaled the time to wonder if the Rangers can sustain their hot start, if the Yankees aren’t as all-powerful as we thought they were and if some guy can maintain his .400 batting average.
Answer to the last one: He can’t.
But, for obvious reasons, you know we aren’t thinking about any of that. Beyond the fact that no games have been played and none is on the horizon, let’s start with the frightening news (there’s more?) and work our way up to the pretty bad news of the players’ latest proposal to owners.
And the good news on the frightening news is that it’s not really news, it’s just a thought in my head. So ... probably not that dangerous.
Yet all of this leads me to think that while we may not physically attend a game at Globe Life Field this summer, it’s possible we won’t even see one on television. And that’s disturbing no matter what the reasons or excuses given.
Anyway, back to what’s wandering around in my brain. Remember when they built Reunion Arena and within 2-3 years, we knew it was obsolete because it didn’t have any luxury suites? Remember when they built the beautiful Globe Life Park (wasn’t called that at the time) and, as much as we cherished the countless ways it served as an upgrade over Arlington Stadium, within about five years as retractable roofs appeared in Houston and Seattle, we knew its days were numbered as well?
As an architect or business owner, you’re always fearful of what might be the next “must have” on that list. What if it’s something as crazy and unforeseen as air flow? Not that I think this pandemic is going to last forever, although it might stick around for months longer than we like. But what if for sports and events that can be held outdoors, there is a pushback in the next few years toward truly open-air stadiums and not just those that have a roof sliding open or closed?
This is unlikely to be a thing that lasts forever, more just a feeling we have now after a couple of months of mostly staying at home. Those who study these things feel the virus is transferred more readily in a crowded indoors than a crowded outdoors. It’s the reason Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas teams playing outside could seek 25% attendance in the near future. Does it really make sense to include stadiums that are mostly enclosed except for the roof?
As I said, this feels like a concern that should pass in time. Certainly the Rangers and the Arlington taxpayers who paid for this stadium hope that’s the case.
Moving to the only mildly bad news, we pause to consider the players’ latest counterproposal. My guess is the owners will spend about five minutes on it before throwing it in the trash.
Right now the two sides are about $20 million apart. Wait, scratch that. That’s their differences on Mike Trout’s contract for the 2020 season.
If the owners’ initial offer last Monday was a slap in the face, the players countered Sunday with a laughable presentation of their own. Instead of reducing salaries in any way based on empty or nearly empty stadiums and the loss of that revenue, the players want to defer money instead. Now there was a time when deferred money was a real win for the owners and a penalty for the players — like 1980 when inflation was running at 14%.
Given that it was 0.3% in April and even last year in our pre-pandemic times, it was at about 1.8%, deferred money doesn’t do much for owners who anticipate losing billions in revenue this season.
On top of that, instead of an 82-game season that would reduce players’ salaries in half, players proposed 114 games starting in one month and running through Halloween. Is there anything more cynical than suggesting the entire postseason be slated for November?
Remember not everyone has a new roof to showcase this year. How does outdoor baseball in late November in New York, Minnesota, Chicago, St. Louis, Washington or Boston sound? Who’s up for a little Thanksgiving World Series? Is either side even remotely aware of the fans in this equation?
We know the owners aren’t overly worried about them. Refunds have been hard to come by for canceled games around the country. The players’ response Sunday that would extend the season nearly five weeks was just as farcical as the one the owners delivered.
On Monday, ESPN reported that MLB is discussing a schedule of about 50 games as a last resort if a deal cannot be reached.
You could shrug it off and say it’s just a negotiating process, but the two sides have maybe a week to reach agreement if they really hope to start around July 4 and string together anything that looks like a baseball season.
Meanwhile Globe Life Field sits. And waits.
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