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MLB blacks out players on its website due to league lockout

Major League Baseball, uh, started its first work stoppage in 26 years last night at midnight when the owners locked out the players. There is a significant gaps between the sides about when the players are granted arbitration and free agency rights. Uh, there is, uh, the players believe that not enough teams are competing on the field, that there are too many teams tanking, which is driving down the average players salary. So that’s among, you know, several disputes between the players and owners, You know, for each side, there’s a lot at stake. The players, I think feel like they did not do very well in the last collective bargaining agreement in 2016. So there are jobs at stake, certainly on the Union side to do better than they did before. Um, the owners, you know, like have, they haven’t made as much money as they are used to making, uh, in the past couple of seasons because of the coronavirus and attendance restrictions. So, you know, they seem less likely to give back or be more flexible, you know, given there, I wouldn’t call it losses but not making as much money as they had been previously. The owners would like to make some changes to the game. Major League Baseball is, um, the game time is average. Game time is in the three hours and 10 minute range. Major League Baseball feels like it needs to add, uh, to do things to change the game, to make it more appealing to a younger audience. Players have traditionally resisted a lot of changes, uh, to the game in that vein, there are a lot of issues here that affect the fans and it could be resolved in a way that makes a baseball a better product for the fans in general. You know, they have talked about, you know, for example, they have talked about a draft lottery similar to uh, the N. B. Similar to the N. B. A. So that teams aren’t incentivized to tank. So there they clinched the top graphics and things like that. I think, you know, it’s always good when more teams are competing on the field. And I think that’s what fans would would like to see, um, changes in play also could affect the fans.

If you went to Major League Baseball’s website on Thursday and felt something was off, you’re not alone.MLB’s website has become a desolate place that lacks any news or images of baseball’s biggest stars. That’s because of the MLB lockout — the ninth work stoppage in baseball history, which took effect at midnight Thursday.”You may notice that the content on this site looks a little different than usual,” MLB.com wrote in a post on the site early Thursday. “Until a new agreement is reached, there will be limitations on the type of content we display.”As a result, you will see a lot more content that focuses on the game’s rich history,” the message continues. “Once a new agreement is reached, the up-to-the minute news and analysis you have come to expect will continue as usual.”So, instead of MLB.com being overrun with stories about big free agent signings or updates on the upcoming season, the site instead has stories about the lockout, a FAQ on the state of negotiations and longer reads about baseball road trips and the “worst team ever.”The most notable absence, however, is the players’ images.On MLB.com’s mobile site, you won’t find pictures of the game’s top players like Mookie Betts or Freddie Freeman. Instead, you’ll be greeted with blank silhouettes next to stats.Some of the players have already embraced the silhouettes, making them their social media avatar on Twitter.”It’s amazing to see players around the league change their avi in solidarity. MLB can take away our image but never our LIKENESS!” Trevor Williams, a pitcher for the New York Mets, tweeted Thursday. “I have no idea what likeness means.”MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a letter to fans Thursday explaining the lockout.”We believe that an offseason lockout is the best mechanism to protect the 2022 season,” he wrote. “We hope that the lockout will jumpstart the negotiations and get us to an agreement that will allow the season to start on time.”The MLB Player Association also had a response Thursday calling the lockout a “dramatic measure” and placing blame on the owners.This lockout is the first work stoppage in MLB since the 1994-95 strike.

If you went to Major League Baseball’s website on Thursday and felt something was off, you’re not alone.

MLB’s website has become a desolate place that lacks any news or images of baseball’s biggest stars. That’s because of the MLB lockout — the ninth work stoppage in baseball history, which took effect at midnight Thursday.

“You may notice that the content on this site looks a little different than usual,” MLB.com wrote in a post on the site early Thursday. “Until a new agreement is reached, there will be limitations on the type of content we display.

“As a result, you will see a lot more content that focuses on the game’s rich history,” the message continues. “Once a new agreement is reached, the up-to-the minute news and analysis you have come to expect will continue as usual.”

So, instead of MLB.com being overrun with stories about big free agent signings or updates on the upcoming season, the site instead has stories about the lockout, a FAQ on the state of negotiations and longer reads about baseball road trips and the “worst team ever.”

The most notable absence, however, is the players’ images.

On MLB.com’s mobile site, you won’t find pictures of the game’s top players like Mookie Betts or Freddie Freeman. Instead, you’ll be greeted with blank silhouettes next to stats.

Some of the players have already embraced the silhouettes, making them their social media avatar on Twitter.

“It’s amazing to see players around the league change their avi in solidarity. MLB can take away our image but never our LIKENESS!” Trevor Williams, a pitcher for the New York Mets, tweeted Thursday. “I have no idea what likeness means.”

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a letter to fans Thursday explaining the lockout.

“We believe that an offseason lockout is the best mechanism to protect the 2022 season,” he wrote. “We hope that the lockout will jumpstart the negotiations and get us to an agreement that will allow the season to start on time.”

The MLB Player Association also had a response Thursday calling the lockout a “dramatic measure” and placing blame on the owners.

This lockout is the first work stoppage in MLB since the 1994-95 strike.