2022 MLB Season Thread

[JGibson]

This is the thread for the happenings of the 2022 MLB season, from the Cooperstown Ballot on to the World Series. The Atlanta Braves are your World Series Champions. David Ortiz was the only one to get inducted into the Cooperstown via the BBWAA ballot.


The 2021 season went back to the normal 162-game season, and teams played at reduced capacity to start the season and gradually increased it to full capacity over the course of the season. The Toronto Blue Jays were permitted to play at their home park in Toronto after a season and a half of playing their home games in the USA due to the US/Canada Border closed to nonessential travel.


This past season saw the return of the All-Star Game and its associated events. The initial location was going to be held at Atlanta's park, but due to the furor of Georgia's voter-suppression bill SB202, the game and the associated festivities got moved to Denver.


The 2021 season is likely to be the final season of pitchers hitting in NL games as a default rule.

 
The MLB enters 2022 under a lockout. How long will it last before it gets resolved is the question?
 


Key questions:
- Will there be a 162-game schedule like normal? Or will it be shortened or even played at all?
- Will there be a Spring Training?
- Will the lockout be resolved in time for Spring Training or even the start of the regular season?
- If a CBA can be reached, will we see playoff expansion and/or universal DH?



2021: https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=426737.0

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Honestly feeling like the season will be shortened to ~100-120 games and a deal will be made sometime in March. That’s probably optimistic but who knows.

[NewYorkExpress]

I'm not confident they'll be a season at all, but assuming there is, I'll be running our Fantasy Baseball League again.

[JGibson]

It's looking more and more like Spring Training will be at least delayed and possibly abridged.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

It looks very unlikely it's gonna be resolved anytime soon it's probably a shortened season, we don't need 162 games anymore, but 100 or 132 that's long enough it should. Start in May and end in Sept Regular season and October the playoffs, 132 games should be the norm, baseball everyday c'mon, that's why they won't get aggressive in talks until at least March there will be a baseball season but it's gonna start in May

[JGibson]

MLB to quit testing for steroids after 20 years.


ESPN.com:

NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball has stopped testing players for steroids for the first time in nearly 20 years due to the expiration of the sport's drug agreement, two people familiar with the sport's Joint Drug Program told The Associated Press.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Most athletes including Hockey players and Wrestling take Testosterone shots not HGH is a huge weight loss drug

I don't know if CM Punk, he says he eats healthy takes it but Orange Cassidy, Adam Cole, Dustin Rhodes, John Cena etc and Hockey like Ovechkin take it too

[JGibson]

Dodgers RHP Trevor Bauer escapes criminal charges for sexual assault accusations filed last July. Bauer, however, is not out of the woods, as he is still facing a separate MLB investigation.


Juan Toribio at MLB.com:

LOS ANGELES – Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer will not face any criminal charges on sexual assault accusations filed against him in July, the Los Angeles County District Attorney announced on Tuesday.

The right-hander is still being separately investigated by Major League Baseball. Under the joint domestic violence policy agreed upon by MLB and the MLB Players Association, the Commissioner's Office has the ability to suspend a player even if he has not been charged or convicted.

“MLB’s investigation is ongoing, and we will comment further at the appropriate time,” MLB said in a statement.

[Never Made it to Graceland]

Dodgers RHP Trevor Bauer escapes criminal charges for sexual assault accusations filed last July. Bauer, however, is not out of the woods, as he is still facing a separate MLB investigation.


Juan Toribio at MLB.com:

LOS ANGELES – Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer will not face any criminal charges on sexual assault accusations filed against him in July, the Los Angeles County District Attorney announced on Tuesday.

The right-hander is still being separately investigated by Major League Baseball. Under the joint domestic violence policy agreed upon by MLB and the MLB Players Association, the Commissioner's Office has the ability to suspend a player even if he has not been charged or convicted.

“MLB’s investigation is ongoing, and we will comment further at the appropriate time,” MLB said in a statement.

He will get away with everything because he is rich and throws the ball good, then he will be on Barstool Sports in the morning to brag about assaulting more "smokeshows" in the future. Revolting POS.

[JGibson]

The universal DH era of MLB is here to stay, meaning that there will be no more pitchers batting in games at NL parks.

amNY:

Upon areas of progress being made, Manfred did reveal that the universal designated hitter will be instituted on a full-time basis in 2022. It finally allows the National League to adopt the DH and eliminate pitchers from hitting — opening the door for a surge in offensive production to make the product more appealing for a fan base that wants to see more runs scored.

Manfred also revealed that the league has “moved toward the players” in talks regarding a draft lottery to keep competitive integrity intact along with an increase in the minimum payments to younger players.

Of course, the universal DH is only good if there is baseball to be played. With just a few days until pitchers and catchers report for spring training on Feb. 14, Manfred still wasn’t ready to officially delay it.

[Never Made it to Graceland]

The universal DH era of MLB is here to stay, meaning that there will be no more pitchers batting in games at NL parks.

amNY:

Upon areas of progress being made, Manfred did reveal that the universal designated hitter will be instituted on a full-time basis in 2022. It finally allows the National League to adopt the DH and eliminate pitchers from hitting — opening the door for a surge in offensive production to make the product more appealing for a fan base that wants to see more runs scored.

Manfred also revealed that the league has “moved toward the players” in talks regarding a draft lottery to keep competitive integrity intact along with an increase in the minimum payments to younger players.

Of course, the universal DH is only good if there is baseball to be played. With just a few days until pitchers and catchers report for spring training on Feb. 14, Manfred still wasn’t ready to officially delay it.

Terrible news.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

The baseball season don't need 162 games we can have a7 game first round and 7 game League Championship and 7 game World series and 132 game schedule that starts in May and ends in Aug 31st and Sept being the playoffs, this labor dispute exacerbates the problem with 162 game schedule it's too much baseball anyways and Football begins in Fall anyways


You would eliminate the dead arm syndrome of pitchers that Kershaw experience, athletes are human too

If you have a 132 game season no one buys jersey, hats, and sports costs that much, they still do but it's Chinese made it goes out of style to fast and you have to keep buying it every yr and it tears up in machines

[JGibson]

The arrogance of the owners will be the root cause for the delayed start to the season, as February 28th is the deadline for a CBA agreement to get the regular season started on time, and that's pushing it.

https://twitter.com/BRWalkoff/status/1494488694526410754

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

I don't like baseball that much anyways just for throwing a BBB all Yankees started giving Derek Jeter 100 M dollar contracts, Football and Basketball work hard but baseball it's too much money they're not gonna have fans coming back if this lockout continues and they're downsizing Minor League Baseball

[JGibson]

Spring training is being delayed until at least March 5th due to the ongoing MLB lockout.


Yahoo! Sports:

MLB has begun postponing games amid a lockout that has gone on for more than two months. It remains to be seen if the league will cancel games that count.

The league announced Friday that the beginning of its spring training schedule has been postponed until March 5, at the earliest. All tickets will reportedly be fully refunded to fans as collective bargaining agreement negotiations continue with the MLB Players Association.

[Illiniwek]

Baseball brings me nothing but pain anymore. Just give me Anthony Rizzo back after the lockout. Just about my only hope to enjoy watching baseball this summer.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Baseball brings me nothing but pain anymore. Just give me Anthony Rizzo back after the lockout. Just about my only hope to enjoy watching baseball this summer.

All the Yankee fans are desperate to get Freddie Freeman, and I don't care if he's statistically better, I just loved having Rizzo in the 2-hole. He made the game so much fun again. If we don't retain him, I can only hope for him to go home where he belongs.

[JGibson]

If there is no CBA agreement by Monday, expect the start of the MLB regular season to be delayed and the season to be shortened from 162 (if we even have one).

And unlike the aftermath of the 1994-95 strike, baseball's cultural position in the USA is in a much weakened state.


ESPN.com:

JUPITER, Fla. -- Major League Baseball said Wednesday that the 2022 season will be shortened if no labor agreement has been reached by the end of Monday.

Management had maintained that was the deadline for a deal that would allow the season to start as scheduled on March 31. Players have not said whether they accept that timeframe, and there remains a sense both sides are awaiting more time pressure to force more major moves by the other.

[Suburbia]

If there is no CBA agreement by Monday, expect the start of the MLB regular season to be delayed and the season to be shortened from 162 (if we even have one).

And unlike the aftermath of the 1994-95 strike, baseball's cultural position in the USA is in a much weakened state.


ESPN.com:

JUPITER, Fla. -- Major League Baseball said Wednesday that the 2022 season will be shortened if no labor agreement has been reached by the end of Monday.

Management had maintained that was the deadline for a deal that would allow the season to start as scheduled on March 31. Players have not said whether they accept that timeframe, and there remains a sense both sides are awaiting more time pressure to force more major moves by the other.

Yes, it is a sport watched by angry MAGA geezers. The sport has great hats. Baseball hats are some of the best in the world, but they cannot adapt to the cultural changes.

[Drew]

There was no deal struck by todays 5 PM ET deadline, and MLB has its first work stoppage-related cancellation since 1995.  What a shame.

https://twitter.com/jeffpassan/status/1498783115103326213?s=21

https://twitter.com/jeffpassan/status/1498773576480141312?s=21

[GeorgiaModerate]

Major League Baseball will never resume, and the Atlanta Braves will be Eternal World Champions.

(I'm joking in case that wasn't obvious.)

[NewYorkExpress]

Major League Baseball will never resume, and the Atlanta Braves will be Eternal World Champions.

(I'm joking in case that wasn't obvious.)

Don't joke like that. It might just come true.

[Suburbia]

In 1994, baseball was still relevant, because it was probably No. 2 next to basketball.

Today, it has dropped.

MLB's demographics fit the country well, because whites are No. 1 in the sport and Latinos No. 2.

Sad.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

The Lakers spent 45 M on Davis and Westbrook abd they lost again, the players gets endorsements not just salaries Matthew Stafford is one of the lowest paid QB but Under Armor pays alot of White athletes with endorsements this just shows greed has. Taken over sports, but yes players gets endorsements plus annual salary

[GeorgiaModerate]

The league has now canceled two more series (four total) at the beginning of the season.