Noah Frank – Baseball Prospectus ($): Minor League Baseball is facing a daily assault on its very existence. Maybe this would have happened anyway, or maybe this is happening because of COVID-19. The pandemic has stopped MiLB from playing and left them vulnerable to vulturism from Major League Baseball and Rob Manfred. One thing is clear when MiLB returns it will be very different and perhaps on its last legs before disappearing altogether in a few years.
Marc Normandin – MarcNormandin.com ($): The issue of MLB owners not paying staff continues to loom large throughout the shutdown. The issue goes beyond the on-site staff, players, minor leaguers, and front office personnel. There are contractors who depend on working baseball games to make a living and for the most part the owners are ignoring those workers. The collective matters more than the individual, but don’t expect MLB owners to figure that out anytime soon.
Sheryl Ring – Beyond the Box Score: This site has written rather extensively about the duty of journalists to present information fairly and accurately. Big-name reporters are especially guilty of too often framing their articles in a very pro-ownership manner. Let’s be clear on one thing, Jeff Passan has a history of carrying water for ownership. That doesn’t make him a bad writer, but it does make him a bad journalist.
Lead photo courtesy of Unknown – Bay Area News Group
