A repeat of 1994? Why Hall of Famer Tom Glavine fe...
Key takeaways
- More than 30 years after Major League Baseball players went on strike and the league canceled the 1994 World Series, one of the major figures of that time is worried that history is repeating itself.
- The league, which argued then that the game's revenue disparity was unsustainable long term, is again citing competitive balance as the impetus for its cap push.
- Glavine's anxiety about the potential for another calamitous fight echoes that of commissioner Rob Manfred, who was asked June 3 if he worries about a repeat of the labor discord that wiped out the 1994 postseason.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
More than 30 years after Major League Baseball players went on strike and the league canceled the 1994 World Series, one of the major figures of that time is worried that history is repeating itself.
Hall of Famer Tom Glavine, who was exposed to scorn and contempt from fans as a forward-facing MLB Players Association executive subcommittee member during the 232-day strike, told ESPN that he is "100%" concerned that the players and league are barreling toward a work stoppage that could put the season in jeopardy similar to 1994-95.
That was the last time MLB officially proposed a salary cap system, which would be the most fundamental overhaul to the economic structure that has governed the game since the initial collective bargaining agreement in 1968. The league, which argued then that the game's revenue disparity was unsustainable long term, is again citing competitive balance as the impetus for its cap push. The current collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1.