Manfred: MLB teams should plan for ST to start on time and play 162-games

[wildcard]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2021/01/11/rob-manfred-mlb-planning-normal-spring-training-start-season/6632573002/

[accinfo]

It will be interesting to see when fans will be able to return.  I suspect some states will allow limited numbers like they have in football.  Hopefully after the All-Star game stadiums can be open and close to normal.  I am going to get my vaccine as soon as they let me and get back to normal life.  

[Philip]

What else is he going to say? If we’ve learned nothing else about Manfred, we’ve learned he says whatever he is told to say, And it means nothing

[wildcard]

52 minutes ago, Philip said:

What else is he going to say? If we’ve learned nothing else about Manfred, we’ve learned he says whatever he is told to say, And it means nothing

You are correct about one thing.  Manfred is doing what the owners are telling him to do.

But I believe this one.   The owners are doing what is in their best interesting considering the circumstances.

The owners have two choices:

1. Start the season on time and at least collect the TV revenue to help offset any losses.

2. Delay the start of the season, lose that TV revenue and have the union sue them for breaching the CBA for not playing a whole season and paying full salaries.

The first option is there best approach because the owners probably lose in court.  And more bad blood would be spilled right as they are ready to negotiate the new CBA which is due to happen after the season.

[rudyrooster]

I think they'll do the 162 games, but limited butts in the seats for most of the season.

[SteveA]

50 minutes ago, wildcard said:

You are correct about one thing.  Manfred is doing what the owners are telling him to do.

But I believe this one.   The owners are doing what is in their best interesting considering the circumstances.

The owners have two choices:

1. Start the season on time and at least collect the TV revenue to help offset any losses.

2. Delay the start of the season, lose that TV revenue and have the union sue them for breaching the CBA for not playing a whole season and paying full salaries.

The first option is there best approach because the owners probably lose in court.  And more bad blood would be spilled right as they are ready to negotiate the new CBA which is due to happen after the season.

The thing is, the networks pay the bucks they do for the high ratings of the postseason, not for regular season.  Regular season national TV games get miniscule ratings.

The loss in TV revenue for not playing games in April is a tiny, tiny fraction of salary saved (assuming they pro-rated again).

So your financial assumptions are dead wrong.   I can't speak to your assumption that there is a benefit to making nice with the union.

[Philip]

Whether the season starts on time or not is not up to the owners.

[wildcard]

11 hours ago, SteveA said:

The thing is, the networks pay the bucks they do for the high ratings of the postseason, not for regular season.  Regular season national TV games get miniscule ratings.

The loss in TV revenue for not playing games in April is a tiny, tiny fraction of salary saved (assuming they pro-rated again).

So your financial assumptions are dead wrong.   I can't speak to your assumption that there is a benefit to making nice with the union.

National TV money is only part of the picture.   MASN money also figures in.  Last year I got a $13.80 rebate on my cable bill because the O's did not play 102 games.  That times 3m cable viewers (I don't know the real number) is 41m dollars.    If the owners could have delayed the season until June 1st that would have  been more than half that amount for 2021.

[oriole]

Does this mean Davis will be released finally?!?!?!?!?!

[SteveA]

56 minutes ago, wildcard said:

National TV money is only part of the picture.   MASN money also figures in.  Last year I got a $13.80 rebate on my cable bill because the O's did not play 102 games.  That times 3m cable viewers (I don't know the real number) is 41m dollars.    If the owners could have delayed the season until June 1st that would have  been more than half that amount for 2021.

Except in cases where the team owns the local TV.  "MASN" paying rights fees to the "Orioles", or not, is pretty much just a paper transaction.  Same with Yankees/YES, etc.

[wildcard]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

National TV money is only part of the picture.   MASN money also figures in.  Last year I got a $13.80 rebate on my cable bill because the O's did not play 102 games.  That times 3m cable viewers (I don't know the real number) is 41m dollars.    If the owners could have delayed the season until June 1st that would have  been more than half that amount for 2021.

I found a post by Frobby that says that in 2018 MASN had 6.7m subscribers, so the numbers above should be doubled.  80m was probably rebated in 2020.

Quote

There is an exhibit to the court papers showing that in 2011, MASN had 9.2 million subscribers (5.9 mm in-market and 3.3 mm out-of-market), while in 2018 it had 6.7 million subscribers (4.7 mm in-market and 2.1 mm out-of-market).    Overall that’s a 1.2 mm subscriber loss in-market (21%) and 1.3 mm out-of-market (38%), a total of 2.5 mm lost subscribers, 27% of their 2011 total.   Ouch!

 

 

 

[DrungoHazewood]

5 hours ago, wildcard said:

I found a post by Frobby that says that in 2018 MASN had 6.7m subscribers, so the numbers above should be doubled.  80m was probably rebated in 2020.

 

 

 

I don't think you can assume that $80M was rebated to people. It's dependent on provider. I was not given back a single cent by Directv for MASN not broadcasting Orioles games.

[OrioleDog]

I still expect shenanigans, but am nonetheless encouraged by these reports.   After the black box of 2020, this will perhaps be the all-time high water mark for (vague) interest in how the ball looks coming out of the hand.   

Can Michael Baumann play catch without aching?   Is he built up enough to play catch?  News at 11!

[wildcard]

30 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I don't think you can assume that $80M was rebated to people. It's dependent on provider. I was not given back a single cent by Directv for MASN not broadcasting Orioles games.

Hard for me to believe MASN rebated to some of the companies that broadcast their games but not others.  Maybe Direct TV got the rebate and did not pass it on to their customers.

[Sports Guy]

17 minutes ago, OrioleDog said:

I still expect shenanigans, but am nonetheless encouraged by these reports.   After the black box of 2020, this will perhaps be the all-time high water mark for (vague) interest in how the ball looks coming out of the hand.   

Can Michael Baumann play catch without aching?   Is he built up enough to play catch?  News at 11!

Of all the bs, no news reporting this offseason, how has there been nothing about Baumann?