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Illinois governor not a fan of MLB players 'holding out' amid coronavirus pandemic
On Tuesday , three-time All-Star and one-time World Series champion Mark Teixeira urged MLB players to accept an offer from owners that includes a 50-50 revenue split to start the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
As Kelly Bauer of Block Club Chicago tweeted, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker verbally bashed the players for "holding out" and, thus, backed ownership regarding ongoing negotiations when speaking on the matter on Tuesday:
Pritzker on MLB: "I realize that the players have the right to haggle over their salaries, but we do live in a moment where the people of Illinois and the people of the United States deserve to get their pastime back — to watch, anyway, on television. If they're able to come ...
— Kelly Bauer (@BauerJournalism) May 12, 2020
"up with safety precautions, as has been suggested by Major League Baseball, that works, I hope that the players will understand that the people of our United States need them to recognize this is an important part of leisure time that all of us want to have in the summer: to ...
— Kelly Bauer (@BauerJournalism) May 12, 2020
"watch them play baseball, to root for our favorite teams. We need that back. We need that normalcy. I must say I'm disappointed in many ways that players are holding out for these very, very high salaries and payments during a time when I think everybody is sacrificing."
— Kelly Bauer (@BauerJournalism) May 12, 2020
In March, owners and the MLB Players Association agreed to a deal that would pro-rate salaries if the pandemic shortened the season that hasn't yet gotten underway. Both the NBA and NHL had their campaigns halted in mid-March because of the virus outbreak, and neither has finalized plans to crown champions for 2019-20.
Ballplayers are understandably concerned about their safety. Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, and Los Angeles Angels slugger Mike Trout have all spoken out against proposals that involve players quarantining away from families for months.
Last week, Boston Red Sox pitcher Collin McHugh suggested some union members may opt-out instead of play during the pandemic.
On Tuesday morning, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported MLB and the MLBPA remain far apart in current negotiations.
More must-reads:
- How athletes are helping out during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Mark Teixeira urges MLB players to take deal to play 2020 season
- The 'Members of the 400 home run club' quiz
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