MLB Announces 60-Game Season For 2020; Opening Day Will Be In July
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- After a months-long standoff, there is hope that there will be baseball after all this season.
The owners voted to impose a season following the MLBPA's vote to reject the most recent 60-game format. The imposed season will still be 60 games, but it won't feature an expanded postseason. The resumption of spring training is set for July 1, with the season beginning around July 24 and finishing on Sept. 27.
The deal is contingent upon the players' association agreeing to the league's health and safety protocols and answering by 5 p.m. Tuesday whether players could report July 1.
MLB asked the MLBPA to respond to health-and-safety protocols and answer whether they can report to camp on July 1 by 5pm ET. It is now 5:05pm ET.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) June 23, 2020
Though the negotiations still need to be finalized, one thing is clear, the two sides didn't cover themselves in glory over the last few months.
"It took them a while to even talk the same language. Then they got close with 60 games for the owners, 70 games for the players," said New York Post baseball columnist Ken Davidoff in an interview with CBS 2's Otis Livingston. "They couldn't bridge that gap. A thorough embarrassment."
Those contentious negotiations could just be a preview of next year when the league's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires following the 2021 season.