As of Friday afternoon, the MLB-imposed lockout was still going on strong after a little bit more than two months.
The owners implemented the measure to accelerate negotiations, and it seems to have had the exact opposite effect: the sides didn’t talk for over 40 days.
The sides began talking again in January, but they are nowhere near a deal.
MLB fans are obviously frustrated, but at least some of them are trying to resort to humor as a way to cope with the huge disappointment.
This MLB lockout has driven longtime baseball employees out of the industry. It’s sad to see labor negotiations turn to this. pic.twitter.com/38EzLmrGzC
— spencer. (@Spenred) February 15, 2022
After all, there is no guarantee that they will enjoy their favorite sport just because a group of a few dozen people don’t want to negotiate in good faith.
Humor Is Helping Fans Cope
But humor is, sometimes, the best medicine.
The lockout started on December 2, so we just passed the two-and-a-half-month threshold.
Frankly, it has felt like much more than that.
Me waiting for the MLB lockout to End pic.twitter.com/xQlkzi3wTs
— Dan the man 🇨🇦 🏒🏖 (@danwarren6) February 17, 2022
Sadly, as our friend Dan reminds us, we have all aged at least a bit since owners decided to forbid team and player communications.
Spring training games were already cancelled, at least those through March 5.
The start of the exhibition action was scheduled for February 26, but there was no way players could be ready for that date, not to mention the tiny detail that there is still no CBA deal done.
Fans have a combination of hype and disappointment that is really difficult to explain: they feel the two sides can agree on a deal at any moment, but so much time has passed that they are actually counting “lockout days.”
DAY 77 OF THE MLB LOCKOUT! GIVE IT UP FOR DAY 77! pic.twitter.com/HC6CoGsTh9
— Mets Spongebob (@MetsSpongebob) February 16, 2022
Owners really disappointed our friend Gabrielle, who wanted nothing more than a good “lockout lifted” message for Valentine’s Day.
girls don’t want flowers for Valentine’s Day, girls want MLB to end the lockout
— Gabrielle says SUPPORT MINOR LEAGUERS (@gfstarr1) February 12, 2022
Fans are extremely disappointed, but they are creative and have a good sense of humor.
NEXT: MLB World Reacts To Spring Training Being Postponed