America’s pastime is having its worst year since 1994 when most teams managed to play at least 114 games before a strike left bitter fans without a World Series. This year, the pandemic has far surpassed that debacle and is spreading the pain more widely. Owners are losing stadium revenue of $5 billion, fans are stuck at home singing lonely refrains of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” while restaurants and vendors who feed off of the venue ecosystem are left starving.
It’s also costing the league’s five highest-paid players a combined $108 million.
After weeks of combative negotiations between the players union and owners reached a stalemate last month, Commissioner Rob Manfred made the call: The season would happen, with 60 games instead of 162, all of them to be played without fans by players who would take a 63% cut in base pay.
Source:
Forbes
