Locked Out

As you may or may not have heard, Opening Day (and the first two series) of the 2022 Major League Baseball season has been cancelled due to a lock out between players and owners. Naturally, the players are blaming the owners and the owners are blaming the players. The core issue is money. Surprise surprise.

A friend of mine on Facebook posted this today: “I am a Baseball fan, with that said, both sides can go suck it. A 33% raise was offered to players for a base salary and they turned it down while an average person on the street bust their asses all year to hopefully get a 3 to 5% raise if they are lucky. They say they feel for the fans, that’s such BS.” That really struck a chord with me.

Who wouldn’t want a 33% raise?! My friend was generous in hoping for a 3% to 5% raise – I know many who were LUCKY to get a 1% or 2% raise! 33%!!! That’s insane!!! So many of us are living paycheck to paycheck – and working damn hard to make ends meet. We don’t have the luxury of a big bank account. One hospital visit can lead to a bill that can ruin a family!

Do you wanna know just how different life is for these baseball players? Let’s say an average person makes $15 an hour. For one day’s work, they earn $120. Let’s take it up a notch. Let’s say a person earns $25 an hour. For a day’s work, they earn $200. Let’s go up a bit more. Let’s say a person earns $50 an hour. One day’s work will nab them $400. Now, let’s see what two players will lose PER day because of the lockout.

According to USA Today, the players will lose a TON of money as each day of the lock out continues:

For players, the cost is clear: Each earns 1/186th of his base salary each day

Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole, both members of the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee, would forfeit the most. Scherzer would lose $232,975 for each regular-season day lost and Cole $193,548.

Based on last year’s base salaries that totaled just over $3.8 billion, major league players would combine to lose $20.5 million for each day wiped off the 186-day regular-season schedule.

According to Google, the average pitcher will get 34 starts in a season. So 34 days out of the 186 day season he works. 152 days, he cheers on his team mates, eats sunflower seeds and warms the bench. WOW! What a gig that is!!!

As a sports fan, let me say that I am disgusted. Do you even think about the fans? They are dropping $50-$60 a ticket, plus $40 to park, gas money to and from the stadium, and outrageous concession prices at the game. A trip to the ballpark for some families may easily cost two day’s salary!

You are selfish and greedy. You have the gall to ask for even more money than the generous offer presented to you! You do this knowing that it will be the fans who will shell out the extra money in ticket prices to cover your raise. There used to be a TV ad that said, “for the love of the game.” I know for a fact that you are not playing for the love of the game, but rather “for the love of money!”

Do me a favor? Instead of thinking about your paycheck (and your big house, expensive cars, and sponsorship deals) – remember your fans.