Baseball, at this moment, is like the craft of Apollo 13. Badly damaged, drifting, its original mission obsolete; the great plans for what was supposed to be have been scrapped. The question now is whether it can return, through collaboration and imagination.
For Apollo 13, a fight among the astronauts about who got to sit in the middle seat, or who got to leave the capsule first, or who would have future book rights would have been unimaginable and destructive for them all. But in baseball, that's kind of what's happening, with Major League Baseball and the players' union currently at loggerheads about the financial terms of a possible return.
Which seems beyond insane under the current circumstances -- tens of thousands of deaths at the hands of the coronavirus pandemic, citizens in fearful lockdown, unprecedented layoffs and unemployment, a devastated economy that may require years to recover.
But this is where baseball stands at the moment behind the scenes, with some of the rancor beginning to drift into public view, with folks on both sides increasingly concerned.
The general level of optimism that baseball will have an opportunity to proceed this year is growing in some corners. "Maybe even with fans in the stands," said one baseball official, noting the developing information about increased testing. The more vexing issue surrounds the financial split of the billions of dollars that playing games would generate, and the talks about that are stagnant.
In the past couple of weeks, agent Scott Boras has been increasingly vocal, making the case for players to be paid at full salary if and when baseball returns.
"If a player hits 15 homers in April, he doesn't ask for a new contract," Boras told the New York Post in an article published April 16, after MLB and the union had agreed to an interim settlement that addressed service time and salary compensation after the start of the season was postponed. "And in that case conditions have changed. In this case, there are no different conditions. [Owners] knew there was a probability of not having fans in the ballpark. There is nothing new here. They are trying to make the player the enemy, the evil. The players negotiated in good faith."
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo related a conversation that he had with Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon, saying that Wilpon indicated that the players would have to take some salary reductions if the sport operates without fans. Tony Clark, the head of the union, subsequently issued a statement: "Players recently reached an agreement with Major League Baseball that outlines economic terms for resumption of play, which included significant salary adjustments and a number of other compromises. That negotiation is over."
Even the Houston Astros' media consultants would agree that talking about this disagreement over a pile of money at a time when some hospitals and funeral homes struggle with an overflow of coronavirus victims is an enormous mistake. Many who work in the game have been shocked.
But the sharp edges of the rhetoric properly reflect the negotiation entrenchment.
"I think they'll work it out," one source said, "because of money. Both sides need it, both sides want it."
Said another source, on the team side: "I'm not sure. There's not a lot of trust."
I'll add this, having covered the labor stoppage of 1994-95 and the resulting fan fallout: If games are not played because of the fight over money, the wreckage from that failure might dwarf the financial impact of the coronavirus. At a time when baseball is trying to find ways to connect with the youngest generation of fans, it would risk losing generations of fans, many of whom would never forgive them. Never.
If there's an opportunity for baseball this year -- an if that depends largely on the containment of the coronavirus and how the varying state mandates are navigated -- the two sides should restart their talks with a devotion to collaboration, imagination and fairness, and agree on a handful of principles:
1. No matter the nature of their disagreements, baseball will be played this year, if possible. To miss any games over money would be a disaster for the industry.
2. Until an agreement is reached, there will be no discussion publicly about the issues at hand. Any verdict from the court of public opinion would be overwhelming, and brutal.
3. Whatever the terms of the negotiation, the concept of "winning" should be redefined for both sides. The details of the 2020 money split are much less important than advancing the game and beginning the needed repair to an industry that serves all parties.
"The 'win' here is for future years," one source said.
Boras is right: There have been past agreements and binding contracts that could be enforced. Theoretically.
But anybody watching the news knows the context for the sport -- and yes, the world beyond baseball -- has changed. It's now about making the best of a bad situation, about rebuilding the best possible future for their business. It would be absurd for either side to expect the other to absorb a larger share of the financial hit.
Here's an idea worth repeating for a fair split of whatever revenue is generated this year: With the help of independent auditors, split the pie according to the 2019 percentage. If the percentage last year was 52-48, or 53-47 -- whatever that split was -- then cut the 2020 earnings along identical lines. It might be a show of good faith for the owners to offer an additional percentage point to the players, who bear the personal responsibility of emerging from their safe havens under unusual circumstances to generate the product. How that chunk of money is split among players can be left to the union.
If a player (or staffer) were to choose not to participate in games this year -- and people from Clayton Kershaw to Mike Trout have spoken about their reservations -- teams would have the legal right to void their contracts. Management should agree to not do that with any player and respect the wishes of those who opt to stay at home, unpaid. Some well-heeled players might prefer to bypass the risk. Some might not want to participate for family considerations, whether it be a long absence away from children or an impending birth of a child. Some might have concerning preexisting conditions. Some might simply be wary of the possibility of infection.
On the other side: If baseball resumes and teams open parks, clubhouses and training rooms, the players will need to waive their right to possible liability claims related to the coronavirus, which is a major concern for any business these days.
These would be enormous concessions for each side, and necessary ones, to allow the sport to regain its footing and to provide a needed distraction for followers -- and the ratings for the Michael Jordan documentary "The Last Dance" and the NFL draft demonstrate that fans are starved for content. The owners and players need each other to foster a new revenue stream, to better set up future free-agent classes. It stands to reason that upcoming free agents, from Mookie Betts to veterans who sign one-year deals, may see significant reductions in the offers they receive. But the more baseball is played in 2020, the more that its recovery is accelerated, and the better it is for the players in the years ahead.
But the notion of no negotiation, no deal, no concessions ... well, that's a nuclear option that should go away immediately.
• Whenever baseball resumes, there eventually will be teams looking to make managerial changes, and it just so happens that candidates who have been considered two of the best in the business will be available -- Alex Cora and A.J. Hinch. And that is how they'll go back to work.
There is a school of thought, fostered on social media, that if there is no baseball in 2020, then Hinch and Cora (and former Astros GM Jeff Luhnow, for that matter) will have gotten away almost penalty-free because the end of their respective suspensions is tied to the conclusion of the 2020 World Series.
That's simply not the case. Each man lost his job. Each has been shamed publicly as principals in one of baseball's worst cheating scandals. And presumably, each has lost money. (I say presumably because it's unknown what severance they received.)
Sam Kennedy, the president and CEO of the Red Sox, did not rule out the possibility that the team could bring Cora back in the future, and it's no secret that the Boston leadership loves Cora. But the Red Sox removed the interim tag from manager Ron Roenicke, and it's possible that after Roenicke's tenure is concluded -- his contract expires after this season -- Boston's new head of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, could have another hire in mind.
If Alex Rodriguez is successful in building a group to purchase the New York Mets, then Cora could emerge as a managerial possibility there. Cora and Rodriguez have a longstanding friendship with many layers: Alex Cora's brother Joey served as mentor and double-play partner to Rodriguez in Seattle. Alex Cora and A-Rod share Miami history: Rodriguez grew up in that city and the baseball field at the University of Miami is named for him, and Cora is an alum of the school. And if anybody could make a case for Cora's managerial redemption, it would be Alex Rodriguez, who is the embodiment of a baseball comeback.
On the Baseball Tonight podcast
In General Manager Week on the show, we heard from:
• Former Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, who told the story about how close L.A. was to dealing for CC Sabathia before the trade was vetoed by former owner Frank McCourt, and related the advice that Kobe Bryant gave to Yasiel Puig.
• Doug Melvin, the former GM of the Rangers and Brewers, who talked about the Sabathia trade in 2008, and the negotiation with Alex Rodriguez for the biggest contract in baseball history.
• J.P. Ricciardi, who ran the Blue Jays in Roy Halladay's heyday and wound up having to trade the Cy Young Award-winning pitcher. Ricciardi also explains he was the person who facilitated the arrival of "Peter Brand" of "Moneyball" fame into the Oakland Athletics organization.
• Longtime executive Sandy Alderson, who has lots of memories of Rickey Henderson, and recalls a pitch he made to put Michael Jordan in the big leagues.
• Hall of Fame general manager Pat Gillick, who relates the acquisition of Ichiro Suzuki and the execution of one of the biggest blockbuster trades in MLB history.