MLB and the Players Association are talking about the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) once again, after negotiations failed to turn into a deal last week and the Commissioner cancelled the first two series of the season.
Over the weekend, the union gave the green light to MLB to implement rule changes with 45 days notice, allowing a pitch clock, a shift ban, and larger bases in 2023.
Every rule change should be treated as major, and certainly, fans and players have reacted differently to the three modifications in store.
Players, for example, are mostly okay with the larger bases but don’t necessarily love the pitch clock.
The field is split on the shift ban.
Fans have a lighter opinion on those topics: some of them like the shift, others don’t.
Some of them are okay with the pitch clock, others aren’t.
And, to be honest, most don’t seem to care too much about the size of the bases, other than some funny jokes on Twitter.
All Fans Want Is Baseball
What bothers fans the most is that there is currently no baseball at all, because of the lockout.
“Banning the shift does not bother me. Slightly larger bases do not bother me. Pitch clocks may bother me quite a bit. But you know what really bothers me? …not having any baseball at all,” was a fan’s take on Twitter that really triggered some likes and responses in approval of his sentiment.
Banning the shift does not bother me.
Slightly larger bases do not bother me.
Pitch clocks may bother me quite a bit.
But you know what really bothers me?
…not having any baseball at all.#MLB #MLBPA #lockout— Greg Andriano (@gregandriano05) March 7, 2022
Fans are tired of hearing about small rule changes: they don’t care too much about that, as long as they aren’t overly significant.
They do, however, miss watching baseball games, and are afraid more games will be cancelled if the sides don’t agree to a deal quickly.
NEXT: MLB Fans Poke Fun At Joey Gallo About The Shift Ban