MR. GATES IS IN SAELTEATTLE RIGH
NOW.
>> IT SEEMS A LITTLE OFF TOPIC.
>> WE'RE NOT OFF TOPIC.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ALL THINKING
ABOUT.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT AMERICA IS
THINKING ABOUT, WILLIE,
BASEBALL.
IT IS UNBELIEVABLE.
THESE OWNERS, AND SPECIFICALLY
THE OWNERS THAT ARE AT THE TABLE
NEGOTIATING THIS, ARE JUST
AWFUL.
THEY HAVE BASICALLY SOLD OUT
BASEBALL.
THEY'VE SOLD OUT THE FANS.
THE PLAYERS, I DON'T NATURALLY
GO WITH THE PLAYERS.
IF THE PLAYERS ARE OFF, I BLAME
THEM.
BUT IN THIS CASE, THE PLAYERS
CAME WITH A GOOD FAITH
COMPROMISE A COUPLE DAYS AGO.
THE OWNERS TOLD THEM TO POUND
SAND.
THOSE FOUR OWNERS THAT ARE AT
THE TABLE, THEY'RE HORRID.
THEY DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE
GAME.
THEY DON'T GIVE A DAMF ABOUTN AB
SPORT.
THEY'RE BASICALLY TELLING THE
PLAYERS, SCREW YOU GUYS.
WE DON'T CARE IF THERE'S NOT
BASEBALL IN APRIL OR MAY.
SCREW YOU GUYS.
SCREW THE FANS.
WE DON'T LOVE THE GAME.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO SIT HERE.
I MEAN, IT'S REALLY SUCH A
DISGRACE.
AFTER FANS HAVE SAT THROUGH TWO
YEARS OF COVID-SORTENEDHORTENED
SEASONS, NOW THE GREED OF THESE
OWNERS AT THE TABLE IS DRIVING
BASEBALL INTO THE GROUND.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, FIRST, I
HOPPED ON THE INTERNET IN OUR
STUDIO AT 30 ROCK WITHOUT
INCIDENT THIS MORNING.
YOU'LL BE HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
>> WILLIE GEIST.
>> MUST BE NICE.
>> IT WAS GREAT.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THIS IS
INCREDIBLY SHORT-SIGHTED,
INCREDIBLY GREEDY.
WE COULD GET INTO THE ARCANE
DETAILS OF WHAT THEY'RE FIGHTING
ABOUT, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE, IT'S
ABOUT MONEY.
THERE IS A BIG POT OF MONEY.
BASEBALL IS DOING PRETTY WELL.
PLAYERS FEEL LIKE, OKAY, IF
YOU'RE MAKING THAT MUCH MONEY,
WE'RE THE PLAYERS, WE'D LIKE A
GREATER SHARE OF THE MONEY THAN
WE HAVE NOW.
THERE WAS A GOOD FAITH OFFER PUT
OUT BY THE PLAYERS.
THE OWNERS REJECTED THAT.
NOW OPENING DAY OF THE BASEBALL
SEASON IS GOING TO BE PUSHED
BACK.
IT IS PUSHED BACK ALREADY AS OF
YESTERDAY WHEN THEY COULDN'T
REACH A DEAL, JONATHAN LEMIRE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR KIDS WHO,
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF
KIDS WHO ARE ON THE FENCE ANYWAY
ABOUT BASEBALL, GIVEN ALL THE
ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS.
KIDS UP TRYING TO WATCH A YANKEE
GAME AND IT IS 9:30 AT NIGHT,
THE FOURTH INNING, AND THEY LOSE
TRACK OF IT.
IT IS HARD ENOUGH TO KEEP PEOPLE
WITH BASEBALL RIGHT NOW.
THIS CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY IS NOT
GOING TO HELP.
>> THIS IS GOING TO TURN OFF
FANS.
IT IS KIDS.
THE FUTURE OF THE SPORT IS GOING
TO SUFFER HERE.
THEY'VE BEEN EXCITED FOR OPENING
DAY.
MY BOYS AMONG THEM.
I'VE BEEN TALKING TO PEOPLE ON
BOTH SIDES OF THIS NEGOTIATION
IN RECENT DAYS.
LET'S REMEMBER A COUPLE
THINGINGSTHINGS
HERE.
THE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION SAID,
HEY, THERE'S NO NEED TO HAVE IT
JUST YET WITH OPENING DAY STILL
A MONTH AWAY.
THE PLAYERS FELT LIKE THE LAST
CBA, THEY GOT THE SHORT END OF
THE STICK.
THEY TOOK A HARDER POSTURE THIS
TIME.
MAX SCHERZER AT THE TABLE, AS
WELL.
JOE IS RIGHT.
THE OWNERS HERE, IT'S HARD TO
NOT PUT MOST OF THE BLAME AT
THEIR FEET.
A LOT OF THE SMALL MARKET
OWNERS, IN PARTICULAR, WHO I
HAVE BEEN TOLD SAID THEY'D BE
OKAY WITH NO BASEBALL IN APRIL
BECAUSE THEY DON'T MAKE MUCH
MONEY IN APRIL ANYWAY.
THEY HAVE A HARD TIME DRAWING
FANS TO THE BALLPARK.
THEY'RE WILLING TO THROW AWAY A
MONTH OF THE SEASON.
THIS IS MOST DAMNING OF ALL,
OPENING DAY CANCELED.
THERE IS NO SET DATE FOR THE
NEXT NEGOTIATIONS AND TALKS.
THERE'S NO URGENCY.
THE LEAGUE IS LIKELY GOING TO
REACH OUT IN A COUPLE DAYS,
MAYBE TOMORROW, TO SET UP THE
NEXT ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS BUT
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LOSE A WEEK
HERE.
IT'LL STRETCH INTO SEVERAL
WEEKS, POTENTIALLY MOST OF MAY.
IT IS DEEPLY UPSETTING.
IT IS A SELF-INFLICTED WOUND.
IT IS HARD NOT TO COME BACK --
THE DEFINING IMAGE YESTERDAY,
COMMISSIONER ROB MANFRED
PHOTOGRAPHED PRACTICING HIS GOLF
SWING, THE BACK OF THE "DAILY
NEWS."
HEIGHT OF NEGOTIATIONS, THEY
THOUGHT THEY HAD A BREAKTHROUGH
MONDAY NIGHT.
THEY WERE CLOSER.
THE LEAGUE, IN PARTICULAR,
THOUGHT THEY WERE CLOSE.
PLAYERS ASSOCIATION SAID, HEY,
THIS IS A GOOD STEP BUT WE STILL
HAVE DIVIDES TO BRIDGE.
YESTERDAY, TONE GOT TOUGHER.
IT FELL APART.
ROB MANFRED WAS MORE CONCERNED
ABOUT GOLF SWING THAN FIGURING
OUT THE SEASON.
>> THE MAN IS KILLING BASEBALL,
WILLIE GEIST.
HE IS KILLING BASEBALL.
THESE OWNERS THAT ARE AT THE
TABLE THAT DON'T GIVE A DAMN,
WHO HAVE SAID, "WE DON'T CARE.
WE DON'T CARE ABOUT BASEBALL IN
APRIL.
WE DON'T MAKE THAT MUCH MONEY
ANYWAY," THEY'RE A DISGRACE.
MANFRED IS KILLING BASEBALL.
THE OWNERS THEY'VE PUT AT THE
NEGOTIATING TABLE THAT DON'T
GIVE A DAMN ABILITYOUT THE FANS
KILLING BASEBALL.
WE SAT AROUND AND TALKED ABOUT
THE NFL EVERY DAY FOR A COUPLE
OF MONTHS.
WHY DID WE DO THAT?
YOU KNOW WHAT?
BECAUSE OUR KIDS WERE AWAKE.
YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
I'M SITTING THERE WITH MY
13-YEAR-OLD BOY, AND WE'RE
WATCHING THE GAMES.
I'M ON THE PHONE WITH MY OTHER
BOYS TALKING ABOUT THE GAMES.
FRIENDS ARE TALKING ABOUT GAMES.
FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
FOOTBALL, THE NFL, FOR ALL ITS
PROBLEMS, EVERYBODY IS GOING TO
BE WAITING FOR OPENING KICK-OFF
NEXT YEAR.
WITH BASEBALL, SERIOUSLY, PEOPLE
LIKE MIKE BARNICLE AND ME, IT IS
A HEALTH CRISIS EVERY TIME THE
RED SOX MAKE IT INTO THE
PLAYOFFS BECAUSE WE GOT TO STAY
UP TOO LATE.
GUESS WHO ELSE IS NOT STAYING UP
LATE, MY 13-YEAR-OLD SON WHO
WATCHES 162 REGULAR GAMES A YEAR
WHENEVER HE CAN WHEN SCHOOL IS
NOT IN.
THIS IS A DISGRACE.
THESE PEOPLE -- LET ME JUST SAY
IT, THEY'RE GREEDY PIGS WHO ARE
DESTROYING AMERICA'S GAME.
MANFRED IS A DISGRACE.
HE SHOULD RESIGN.
HE'S GOING TO GO DOWN AS THE
WORST COMMISSIONER IN BASEBALL
HISTORY.
HE'S SITTING THERE WORRYING
ABOUT HIS BACKSWING WHILE KIDS
ARE KNOWING THEY'RE NOT GOING TO
GET TO SEE OPENING DAY BECAUSE
THEY DECIDED, THESE SMALL MARKET
GUYS WHO WANT TO THROW AWAY
APRIL BASEBALL, WHO WANT TO
THROW AWAY OPENING DAY, THEY'RE
GLAD.
BECAUSE THEY DON'T MAKE MONEY
MUCH IN APRIL ANYWAY.
THEY'RE PIGS.
SERIOUSLY, THEY DON'T DESERVE TO
BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPORT.
>> OKAY.
>> TELL US WHAT YOU REALLY
THINK, JOE.
>> WE HEAR YOU.
>> I THINK THEY'RE MEAN,
SELF-IRKSELF-ISH
PIGS WHO ARE DESTROYING
AMERICA'S GAME.
>> MAYBE G7 ECONOMIC SANCTIONS
ON THE BASEBALL OLIGARCHS, YOU
THINK?
>> WILLIE, TAKE IT.
>> HOW ABOUT PUTTING OWNERS AT
THE TABLE WHO GIVE A DAMN ABOUT
THE SPORT.
>> MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA.
RICHARD HAASS, IS THERE ANYBODY
IN THAT ROOM WHO REMEMBERS 1994
AND THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE GAME,
THE LONG LOCKOUT, HOW LONG IT
TOOK AND HOW HARD THEY HAD TO
WORK TO GET FANS BACK IN THE
BALLPARK.
THE LENGTHS THEY WENT TO.
THIS, AGAIN, IS COMING AT A
TOTALLY DIFFERENT TIME FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE.
I DON'T THINK THE OWNERS
APPRECIATE THIS.
I DON'T THINK MAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALL APPRECIATES THIS.
THEY'D RATHER BE PLAYING
FORTNITE THAN WATCHING A YANKEE
GAME UNTIL 10:00 AT NIGHT.
>> THIS IS RISKY FOR BASEBALL.
TWO YEARS OF COVID.
PEOPLE LOST HABITS.
THIS IS A CHANCE TO BASICALLY
GET OFF YOUR ELECTRONIC TOYS,
GET OUT AND DO THINGS AGAIN.
>> YEAH.
>> I THINK THIS IS STUNNINGLY
SHORT-SIGHTED, ABOUT LOSING A
GENERATION, NOT REINFORCING, IF
YOU WILL, THE BASEBALL MUSCLE OR
HABIT.
IT WON'T BE AMERICA'S GAME.
PEOPLE LEARN TO LIVE WITHOUT IT.
>> WELL, IT'S NOT.
FOOTBALL IS.
>> FOOTBALL OR BASKETBALL, WHAT
HAVE YOU.
THIS IS JUST STUNNINGLY
SHORT-SIGHTED.
YOU ALMOST COULD HAVE MADE THE
OPPOSITE ARGUMENT.
FORGET ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THE
FINANCIAL THINGS NOW.
WE HAVE TO GET THE GAME BACK.
WE HAVE TO REESTABLISH THE HABIT
OF GOING TO BABLT GAMESEBALL GAM
>> YES.
>> THIS IS STUNNINGLY
SHORT-SIGHTED.
>> GENE ROBINSON, WHEN WE WERE
GROWING UP, WHAT'D WE DO?
GET OUR GLOVES.
>> YEAH.
>> GO OUT WITH FRIENDS AND PLAY
BASEBALL EVERY DAY.
>> EXACTLY.
>> IT WAS AMERICA'S GAME.
WE'D GO AROUND PRETENDING WE
WERE HANK AARON OR WILLIE MAYS
OR YOU NAME IT.
BY '76, MARK "THE BIRD."
I REMEMBER AMERICA STOPPED THAT
NIGHT WHEN MARK WENT ON THE
MOUND IN MONDAY NIGHT BASEBALL.
BASEBALL WUSS ON THE MOUND.
>> IT IS NOT AMERICA'S GAME NOW.
IT ISN'T. FOOTBALL IS.
FOOTBALL IS.
BASKETBALL PROBABLY IS SECOND.
BASEBALL IS HURTING ITSELF.
RICHARD HAASS IS RIGHT, THIS IS
MORE THAN A MISSED OPPORTUNITY.