NEW YORK — The executive board of the Major League Baseball Players Association rejected a proposed 60-game schedule by a 33-5 vote, daring Commissioner Rob Manfred to give a unilateral order to start the regular season and provoke what figures to be lengthy and costly litigation over the impact of the coronavirus.
The union’s vote was confirmed by a person familiar with the meeting who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no announcement was immediately made.
Manfred was expected to take the next step later Monday as baseball descends into the type of labor strife that led to eight work stoppages from 1972 to 1995.