Poll finds Americans miss MLB most over other sports leagues

Major League Baseball owners and the MLB Players Association may be alienating fans over negotiations to begin the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic, but that's only because those individuals wish to become customers and viewers again as quickly as possible.

According to a poll conducted by Monmouth University and published on Wednesday, 25 percent of Americans who were asked said they miss baseball more than any other sport that, otherwise, would be going on as normal.

Nineteen percent said they missed the NBA and 14 percent said football, perhaps speaking of their fears that college football and the NFL will postpone or cancel seasons due to the pandemic. The NHL checked in at 5 percent.

The NHL is set to open training camps as part of its latest return-to-play phase on July 10. Meanwhile, the NBA is reportedly moving its restart to July 30.

While MLB owners and the union remain at a standstill in ongoing talks, commissioner Rob Manfred has promised there will "100 percent" be some sort of season. The start and length of that season is anybody's guess as of June 11.

According to a March agreement that promised prorated player salaries for a pandemic-shortened season, Manfred has the right to force the union into accepting a campaign as limited as 48-54 regular-season games.

The players could respond by refusing requests such as being mic'd-up for games completed without spectators.