Will MLB lockout affect the regular season? History offers clue for deadline to play 162 atlanta braves world series jersey games in 2022
February 9, 2022
With the MLB lockout still far from a resolution, and with the start of spring training expected to be delayed, it's understandable that fans might fear a delay and/or truncation of the regular season.
Though things may seem to be nearing a drop-dead point to ensure a normal regular season, history tells us that there's probably more negotiation time for the players and owners than one might realize.
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Lessons from 1990, 1976 MLB lockouts
The 1990 MLB lockout started Feb. 15 and lasted 32 days, finally ending on March 19 — right as teams would n gray atlanta braves jersey ormally be winding down spring roster decisions ahead of the originally scheduled April 2 Opening Day. The late lockout resolution left only about three weeks for a new spring training — exhibition games began March 26 — and delayed the start of the regular season by one week, resulting in an April 9 first pitch. MLB also extended the season by three days to allow for a full 162-game slate.
Fourteen years earlier, in 1976, owners locked players out for the first two weeks of spring training, finally reopening camps on March 17. The regular season was not affected then, either.
Both examples would seem to bode well for our current situation.
It's also worth noting that in both 1990 and 1976, the in-season storylines quickly eclipsed the lockout in the minds of fans. When looking back on those seasons today, the lockouts arMLB Collectibles e footnotes in otherwise normal campaigns. Though it would probably take longer for lockout memories to fade in our social media-fueled outrage culture in 2022, we could likely expect a similar outcome as the summer unfolded. Baseball fans tend to be very forgiving as long as there's a compelling product to enjoy.
Though the 1990 and 1976 lockouts aren't necessarily apples-to-apples comparisons to what's happening in 2022, the timelines are similar enough Freddie Freeman Dodgers Jerseys to offer a reasonable assurance that a 162-game schedule would still be plenty doable as long as the owners ended the lockout by around March 16, meaning the two sides still have sufficient time to hammer out an agreement without compromising the schedule. Assuming MLB followed the 1990 model and delayed the regular season by a week, that would put the new Opening Day around April 7.
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What's the shortest spring training possible?
Still, a delayed spring training would mean a significantly shortened spring training, which is perhaps less than ideal but also Mookie Betts not necessarily burdensome. Players for years vintage atlanta braves t shirts have said the traditional spring training is too long. Opinions vary on the optimal length for pitchers and hitters to be properly prepared, but most players agree that the current six-week setup is unnecessary, a relic of old-fashioned conditioning methods and schedules. Dooney & Bourke So a three- to four-week version might even be welcome and perhaps could lead to a new norm. But if we're talking about the shortest possible spring tra atlanta braves jersey toddler ining, some players say they need a minimum of a week.
All this is to say that it's still too early to panic about the regular season. Even if spring training loses two or threeMLB Pennants and Flags weeks to the lockout, the 2022 season could still be played with minimal inconvenience and without the stain of atlanta braves t shirt jersey lost games.