The owners are looking to use the pandemic to force players to accept a proposal that they’ve always rejected previously. MLB wants salaries to be a percentage of revenue. The players have rejected this in the past because it’s a de facto salary cap. But the luxury tax threshold acts in the same way. Should the players be open to tying salaries to a percentage of revenue if that percentage is higher than what the players earned last year?

On the surface that’s a simple yes. But things are rarely what they seem at first glance. Are the players just supposed to accept what owners tell them their revenue is? Especially with clubs owning their own TV networks and selling their rights fees at below-market rates, to point out just one example of how revenue can easily be manipulated.

If owners want to fully open their books so everyone can see their true financial picture then perhaps their proposal could work. Until then, they are just pissing in the wind with this demand for salaries to be tied to a percentage of revenue.

15 comments on “Wednesday catch-all thread

  • José

    I’m wondering if anyone has any opinion on Bill James’ “Game Score” concept and just how well it measures the domination of a starting pitcher in a given game, and whether or not there is a different more accurate/effective metric

    • Aging Bull

      Jose, I had the same thought. It’s an intriguing measurement and I wonder if folks with more expertise than I have think it holds up.

  • Mike W

    This is a very unusual time. If the players play in empty stadiums, how are the owners supposed to be expected to pay the players their contract money without stadium and ticket revenue. It is a classic catch 22 situation. I have a feeling this will get very ugly very quickly.

    I personally believe the players should get what they can get, but I also believe that they are paid way too much money to play baseball. Its a racket when it costs a family $ 500+ to go to a ballgame. I love baseball, but Id rather pay my 10 bucks and go sit in the first row of a Durham Bulls game.

    I looked in my old scrapbook today and found an old ticket stub from 1973. $ 4.50 a seat. Those were the good old days.

    • Name

      We’ve moved well past the point where teams have to sell seats in order to make money.

      https://econintersect.com/pages/analysis/analysis.php?post=201911150136

      According to this, the league as whole brings in 2/3rd of its money thru tv contracts and just 1/3 from at the stadium.
      If i had to choose a side on this topic, i’d easily side with the players that they should hold firm and their pay shouldn’t be cut if they play in empty stadiums.

  • Name

    I am absolutely dreading the prospect of the DH coming to the NL. Honestly hoping they would forgo the season than to play with that gimmick.

  • TexasGusCC

    I’m at a quagmire if I really care if they play this year or not. With everything going on, I can’t seem to find the focus and appetite for baseball that used to be there, and on top of it the bitching about how they get paid… While it is important to them, I don’t care. Maybe if they come back, I’ll find the zeal… Maybe they’ll come back and I’ll just check box scores. Anyone else feeling hum-drum about a season? Honestly, I’m more excited about who they draft than listening to this fight between millionaires and billionaires…

  • TexasGusCC

    Little snippet on Felipe Alou’s take on the DH. Says the NL is the only league in the world that doesn’t have it and says there’s more strategy with the DH than without…

    https://mobile.twitter.com/PeterKerasotis/status/1260634837062467585

    • Name

      Lol. More offense = more strategy… great argument there.
      I wonder what those people think of the backup catcher hitting then? Why not extend the policy it to anyone who sucks at hitting?

      Tomas Nido is probably a worse hitter than the vast majority of our pitching staff. I don’t see him complaining that him hitting is criminal.

      • Bob P

        I agree with your comment about the catcher Name. By Alou’s logic, if better hitters create more strategy then why not extend it to everyone. Have offensive teams and defensive teams like football. 9 position players and 9 DHs. Why stop at just the pitcher? I don’t want to see a DH in the NL ever but, I still want to see baseball this year even if we have to live with the DH. Baseball is a huge part of my life and I really miss it right now. Not just MLB but everywhere. My son is a pitcher for his high school team and has lost out on his whole senior season. He is going to play in college next year but there is uncertainty about whether they will be able to go or have to take online classes in the fall or even next spring which would wipe out that season as well.

        Also think about the minor leaguers that are trying to work their way up the ladder. For some, losing a year now will likely derail their career, especially if they are on the older side for the level they are playing in.

        My point is that I want to see baseball return one way or another (as long as it’s safe) and if we have to live with some rule changes that we don’t like, I’ll deal with them. Let’s just play ball!

  • Dean

    TexasGus I Think I’m with you on this but maybe not for the same reasons. I would love for baseball to start up as gives something to watch and root for my team but….
    Normally I’m split between what owners want and what players want, needs to be a certain amount of give and take. In this instance if players just insist on owners just taking a bath financially because no revenue from gate receipts and all that goes with it just cancel the season and all players lose that service time. Most billionaire owners can manage the loss (except our idiots) and maybe we get back to normal next year. I am looking forward to football already.

  • José

    1999 NLCS – Game 5 “Grand Slam Single” Full Game Premieres in 9 hours

    • Aging Bull

      Jose thanks for posting this. Ventura’s grand single overshadows the rest of this forgotten game. Mets facing elimination against Maddux. 15 innings. Mets score 2 in top of first and then shutout until 2 more in top of 15th. Watching the top and bottom of the 15th was an incredible use of 40 minutes today. Great baseball with many names I forgot were Mets, like Dunston and Hershiser.

  • José
  • José

    I must admit that it brings a smile to my face when I feel like the dumb kid in the sandbox, like that time I was the only non-Russian (including the professor) in a grad school class of 8 students, or when I’m posting on this awesome blog.

    With that said, and given the brain power here, I would appreciate an answer concerning my post (way up there) about Bill James’ Game Score concept. It’s not like there are many places where I could get a reasonable answer, and what I have found via google hasn’t been especially helpful.

    Pre-thanks in advance. Also, special thanks to Aging Bull who decided to keep me company in that lonely sandbox

    (Note: The aforementioned class was not in Russian Literature)

    • Brian Joura

      Tom Tango updated the original Game Score formula and those calculations are on the “Game Log” tab on a player’s FanGraphs page under the heading “GSv2.” You can read more about the changes here:

      Game Score Version 2.0

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