Baseball

Its been a while since our last post, between work and coaching a 9-10 baseball team, my time has been pretty eaten up, and nothing has caught my attention that inspired the effort to post. Lafe Solomon's renomination almost got me there as well as a couple of decisions, but not yet. I plan to do better.

No MLB Strike

Owners and players representatives inked a 5 year collective bargaining agreement virtually assuring labor peace in the sport through 2016. The agreement still has to be ratified but faces no serious threat in that process.

Silence

Been absent lately due to trial and baseball, but mostly baseball. I am heavily involved in recreational baseball for kids. And this is the time of year when the teams are being formed for the coming season. Lots of work gathering coaches, selecting teams, editing rules and making schedules for the 1300 participant players. The bulk of that work is now done, so back to blogging.

Sports lockouts loom in 2011

March 4, June 30, and December 11 2011 are fateful dates for labor according to this AP feed.  Those are the dates the NFL, NBA and MLB labor agreements expire. (The NFL agreement expires September 15, 2012). Lockouts loom likely in both the NFL and NBA, although it seems more likely MLB will reach a deal. Perhaps that is because baseball suffered twelve years of reduced attendance after the 1994-95 strike. These labor negotiations are a potential game changer for labor which has seen its public image take a huge hit in the last few years. Prior posts here. The players are the presumptive beneficiaries of public opinion, but the anti-labor noise machine has not engaged yet. This will be an epic public relations struggle, and one with high stakes for organized labor, not to mention the fans and the host cities. Who will take the fall for the disruption? That is the underlying struggle worth watching.

Play ball!

As the high school baseball season winds down and the major league season ramps up, I spend a considerable amount of time organizing a youth baseball program. I love baseball and am fortunate to be able to watch my son play his senior year in high school, and also, I can walk around the corner and watch one of the finest college programs. Michael Weiner is the Executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. He recently spoke at Penn State about collective bargaining and what is on the horizon in the major leagues. Interesting read.

Baseball players love them some EFCA

Twelve major league players have signed on in support of the Employee Free Choice Act. The Major League Baseball Players Association is a member of the AFL-CIO.