Current CEO of the Miami Marlins and Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Shortstop Derek Jeter spoke out as a drastically reduced 60-game season is set to begin towards the end of this month.
One of the major reasons why the season opening has been delayed and reduced to a comical degree was the disagreements between the MLB and its Player Association. Jeter said that there were times when he was embarrassed and said with all the headlines that were coming out.
Jeter’s viewpoint is worth hearing because he is both the CEO of one of the 30 teams in the MLB, but also had been a player for most of his adult life. He said that what became so painfully obvious for everyone was the sheer lack of trust between the two pillars of any league.
The public dissent was particularly unpleasant as it mainly revolved around financial disagreements. The teams asked players to accept a reduced salary, while the players asked that they be paid in full proportional to the number of games that they play in the season.
Jeter was quick to point out this very point, which he said was especially ugly compared to the backdrop of a global pandemic. He retorted that during times of mass unemployment, people do not want to hear about teams and players bickering about how much money they deserve.
The former Yankee made it clear that he was not against the players fighting for their rights. However, Jeter said that this was a time when these negotiations should have been done under the radar.
He characterized the whole ordeal as a fight for positive coverage between the teams and the players – which he said was a zero-sum game in the end that does not benefit anyone.
Although some CEOs called for drastic measures such as completely skipping over the 2020 season, Jeter and the Marlins have reportedly disagreed with such calls.
In the end, Jeter said that difference in opinion is natural that is by no means unique to baseball. He said that he hopes there is more trust and civility in future instances like this one.
Share with us your thoughts on this issue, and be sure to follow us on Facebook for more news like this one.
Replaced!