The second round of collective bargaining between officials for Major League Baseball and the Players Association will occur sometime during the next few weeks in the Phoenix area, Michael Weiner, the union’s executive director, said on Sunday morning after meeting with the Rangers.
The two sides had an amicable meeting in Florida on March 2, and Weiner said he hopes that regular sessions occur once the season begins on March 31.
“In 2006 we didn’t really get into that sort of rhythm until sometime in June,” Weiner said. “I think we’ll be able to do that sooner this time.”
Both Weiner and Bud Selig wax cautiously yet optimistically, citing that “whole range of issues” thing we’ve heard before as opposed to anyone citing one issue that looks to be a sticking point. Indeed, the lack of a single contentious issue is probably the biggest reason we’ll get a new CBA with very little strife.
Which has me rather contemplative about Bud Selig’s legacy. The 1994-95 work stoppage that cost us the World Series is, in my view, primarily his doing and it should be in the first paragraph of his Hall of Fame plaque that -- whether we like it or not -- he will almost certainly be given one day.
But at the same time, he has also presided over what has been an unprecedented era of labor peace. At least unprecedented since the days when the owners treated players like chattel and the players didn’t say much about it. Assuming this deal gets done, the game will have gone over 20 years without a work stoppage and over 12 years since there was even any contentiousness to speak of.
Bud can’t be forgiven for the strike. But the hard lesson he learned from it has certainly informed his approach since then. And that’s to his credit, I think.