MLB lock-out delays Cincinnati Reds, Dayton Dragons left unaffected
Photo of the Day Air Ballpark, home of the Dayton Dragons, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Taylor Robertson | Sports Editor
Major League Baseball has canceled games and delayed the start of the 2022 season due to the league and players union failing to agree on a labor deal.
MLB and the MLB Players Association have been negotiating a bargaining agreement each week for nearly a year.
The deadline for this decision was set by MLB for Tuesday at 5 p.m. but no decision was made resulting in the first two series of the season to be canceled.
Opening Day was originally scheduled for Thursday, March 31, and will be pushed back at least a week.
This is the first time in 27 years that baseball will be losing regular season games due to a work stoppage.
The cancelation put a riff in the Cincinnati Reds’ schedule, with plans for the Opening Day Parade up in the air.
If the MLB solves the current lockout soon, the Reds could start their season away in the Ohio Cup against the Cleveland Guardians on April 12, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. If the Ohio Cup goes as-planned, it could mean the Reds start the 2022 season on the road for the third time since joining the National League in 1890.
The Dayton Dragons Professional Baseball Team announced in a press release Wednesday that Minor League Baseball has “a full season ahead, unaffected by the ongoing situation.” The Dragons will start off their season at home on April 8 against the Fort Wayne TinCaps.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred stated that the agreement was not due to a lack of effort by any of the parties involved.
The MLB Players Association issued this statement Tuesday night:
“Rob Manfred and MLB’s owners have cancelled the start of the season. Players and fans around the world who love baseball are disgusted, but sadly not surprised.
From the beginning of these negotiations, Players’ objectives have been consistent — to promote competition, provide fair compensation for young Players, and to uphold the integrity of our market system. Against the backdrop of growing revenues and record profits, we are seeking nothing more than a fair agreement.
What Rob Manfred characterized as a ‘defensive lockout’ is, in fact, the culmination of a decades-long attempt by owners to break our Player fraternity. As in the past, this effort will fail. We are united and committed to negotiating a fair deal that will improve the sport for Players, fans and everyone who loves our game.”
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