Thread by @EugeneFreedman

This article is a series of management falsehoods, presenting itself as a path forward. It's scary how a reporter would have missed everything that has gone on over the past few months, but apparently this one has. Let me hit the high notes in a thread 1/

https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1272976837312827392

Nightengale: "You don’t need a Twitter account to know the union and players are furious at Manfred. You don’t need to turn on the TV or radio to know that owners are incensed with the union." Why would the owners be incensed with the Union? Because they want to adhere to 2/

the contract they agreed to March 26? We hate that you agreed with us. We don't agree with ourselves anymore, so we are incensed with you. This is classic both-sides garbage. One party wants to break the negotiated agreement. The other party should be furious. 3/

Here we go: "When you have 42 million Americans out of work, more than 100,000 dead from COVID-19 and a nation crying for social change to end systemic racism, baseball fans couldn’t care less about pro rata pay, national TV contracts or the loss of ticket revenue." 4/

Here's a non-sequitur similar to the ones about patriotism or whatever other garbage have nothing to do with this. Yes, people are dying of a disease that could have been prevented. Yes, systemic racism is horrible and baseball has its own history and significant present 5/

of racism within its own house. They need to address that. Clearly. But, it's not related at all to baseball players putting their own health at risk to play baseball during the pandemic. It's not about a game returning so that the players can entertain the masses by capering

on the field. It's about protecting the health and safety of the players themselves, what I've been saying is the main issue to negotiate the whole time. Entertainment might help us forget our problems in the world, but it won't solve those problems. We don't need an opiate. 7/

We need a cure for our public health crisis and our societal ills.

Nightingale: "MLB deputy commissioner Dan Halem and lead union lawyer Bruce Meyer have no choice this week but to iron out the safety and health protocols," 8/

"making sure they haven’t wasted two months of negotiating over salaries for nothing."

"They" haven't been negotiating over salaries. Only management has. And, from before Day 1 of the negotiations, MLBPA made it clear they had no duty to bargain and would not bargain over 9/

salary. It was resolved in March. I've been screaming it from the mountaintops, but most national writers, including Nightingale have refused to believe me, or more likely, they merely want to publish management's positions. 10/

The real money shot: "Then delve into the nitty gritty of a season, how many regular-season games will be played, under what conditions and what the expanded postseason will look like."

Management wants expanded playoffs. There remains NO DUTY TO BARGAIN OVER IT. It's in 11/

the CBA. If the time ticks away and there is no longer the ability to play 75 or more games, why would the PA agree to expand the revenue stream forever (yes forever) if they are going to get 50 or 55 games anyway. This was the deal to be struck five ago for 82 games. 12/

"It’s time for everyone to play nice and negotiate a settlement, one that neither side will find particularly satisfying, but knowing that the consequences of the sport being shut down over economics would be devastating."

Seriously, this is mind-blowing nonsense. The 13/

situation remains exactly as it was 10 weeks ago when management decided they would try to totally restructure the salary structure of the game during a pandemic crisis. Management has blown this thing up. They need to face reality of the law and their March agreement 14/

& make the offer that they should have made a month ago.

"It’s now clear the players won’t take a penny less than their prorated pay, and apparently the owners are ready to accept it judging from Manfred’s comments during ESPN’s show Monday with commissioners from six sports."

It's now clear. Where have you been? This has been the entire story from the beginning. Here, read three threads that link to each other. I explained it then. You could have asked a labor lawyer how the law works. Instead you published management's 15/

https://twitter.com/EugeneFreedman/status/1261408412010766336

talking points.

The rest is merely the same song and dance again.

"The owners are tired of being vilified." Maybe they should live by their agreements and stop being villains. /end