It took the Major League Baseball Players Association 126 lawyerly words Monday to reinforce what took the union three words last week: when and where. Nothing changed. The union’s statement following an overwhelming rejection of Major League Baseball’s 60-game proposal left the game in its perpetual state of inertia: With almost no hope of an agreement between players and owners, and with the union continuing to challenge commissioner Rob Manfred to schedule a season of 60 games or less.
Manfred finally answered the challenge. Almost three hours after the players’ no vote, Manfred told them when and where: show up at major league parks by July 1.