NEW YORK — While about 1 in 4 Major League Baseball fans feel some anger towards the sport following its first work stoppage in a generation according to a poll, the vast majority of them are excited for the new season.
According to a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research (26%) Americans claim that they are a fan of MLB.
According to the poll, 32% of Americans aged 45 or older said they are currently fans. However, only 22% of younger adults agreed (a trend MLB management claims it is trying to reverse).
Fans were not all that aware of the lockout for 99 days. delayed the start of the season from March 31 until ThursdayOr say it had a significant impact on their view of MLB.
Jason Timmons was raised watching the Chicago CubsHe had been following them closely since they won the World Series in 2016. But he claimed he didn’t know that they would begin their season Thursday as “the whole labor issue kind of turned me off.”
Timmons, a 43 year-old West Virginian from St. Marys said, “I think it is petty.” “It’s wrong — billionaires fighting for little stuff with billionaires,” said Timmons.
According to the poll, three quarters of fans are optimistic about the next season. Even more are interested. Despite this, 28% are still angry, and 39% are frustrated by the dispute. This was after players and management criticized each other over weeks of delayed spring training.
Timmons stated that they are always bickering over their labor. “It’s like you’re just playing ball. I don’t think there are any other things in the world more important than bickering on what they’re bickering.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred apologized to fansMarch 10, 2010, was the date of the labor agreement. Tony Clark, Union head, repeatedly stated during the dispute how management decided to institute the workstoppage as a strategy.
The lockout for some was just another sign of what they felt already. According to the poll 22% of Americans claim they are no longer baseball fans. Donald Joy is one of them.
Joy, a 70 year-old woman from Bailey, Colorado, said, “I used to play ball, I used be a fan of baseball, but I’ve gotten out of it because of all the nonsense.” “People claim to be slaves while they make $20 million per year.”
Joy lamented rising costs for fans, starting with the price of tickets to see a game and ending up at the cost of a hotdog at the stadium.
Joy stated, “You reach a point when it’s no longer about the fans.” It has become a wealthy man’s game. It is not for the common man.
Some fans, particularly those at lower levels than the major leagues, were supportive of the players.
Timmons was frustrated at the bickering amongst billionaires. However, he also focused on the owners’ roles in the lengthy negotiations.
He said that he didn’t like the owners locking them out of their offices for no reason at last year’s end and doing what they did. “I thought that the owners were being selfish, and then you realize they don’t want to negotiate the players. It’s absurd.
Mary O’Connell (67) said that she doesn’t think the owners should be owed more money by Yankees fans from Las Cruces, New Mexico. “The owners are rich. “Management’s poor sob story has no concern to me now.”
The five-year labor agreement that expired after 2021 expired was criticized by major league players for reducing the big league payrolls from $4.2 billion down to $4.05 trillion. The new agreement raised the minimum salary for major league players from $570,500 up to $700,000. It also gave devotes more money. new $50 million bonus poolEvery year, the younger players receive a lower salary.
The contract also increased salaries for minor league players, from $46,600 up to $57,200 for a new contract. However, the union does not represent other minor league players.
Only 13% of current MLB fans said they follow lockout news “extremely closely” or “very closely”. 33% said they followed some lockout news closely. 57%, however, said that they didn’t follow closely.
Only 8% of baseball enthusiasts said that the lockout had had a significant impact on their opinions of the sport. 39%, however, said it had had a minimal impact. The lockout was more popular with baseball fans who were following news, 64% to 34%, than those who weren’t.
While there is some frustration, many baseball fans are optimistic about the coming season. Fans who were closely following the lockout are especially excited.
Ronald Ellis, a Houston fan and 60-year-old Louisianan from Lake Charles, stated that “I just enjoy watching the game and don’t really concentrate on the politics of it, management all that.” “I am excited to see what the Astros do this year.”