MLB owners and players reached an agreement on a new, 5-year labor deal, extending the time of labor peace to 21 years at its conclusion, the longest period in the sport since before the 1970s. Highlights of the deal include: the Astros moving to the American League, an additional wild card in the playoffs (extending the number of playoff teams to 10 and necessitating a 1-game playoff in which the winner moves to the Division Series), extended use of instant replay, and increased testing for HGH and other steroids, among other things. It also outlines a new process of the amateur draft and free agent compensation.
This might be one of the best agreements in MLB history. Let's break it down one part at a time:
We already discussed the Astros moving, but it bears repeating: realignment is a good thing. The Astros need a change of scenery, baseball's divisions will finally be balanced, and an interdivisional rivalry with the Rangers might increase interest in MLB in Texas.
Another wild card in October has been a point of contention: many think it's unnecessary, forced and pointless. A team already plays 162 games for the chance to make it into the postseason (and most teams almost limp into the playoffs as it is), why make them play one more? And if you're going to add another team to the mix, why just one game? Anything can happen in just one game, momentum can shift and an 86-win team can power past a 91-win team, which will spark an even larger fire. However, it adds more incentive to teams to play better and win the division. No team wants to celebrate winning the wild card one day, then go home after being upset the next, so the drive to play to win the division and not settle for the wild card will be even stronger for all 30 teams.
We've been singing the praises of extending instant replay since well before Armando Galarraga's perfect game was spoiled by Jim Joyce's missed call in 2010, so expanding its usage is something that should sate even the most bitter Tigers fan. However, the replay is only being applied to disputes over fair or foul calls, as opposed to controversial calls on the basepaths. This is a step in the right direction, but until instant replay can be used to fix human error THAT WILL ALWAYS EXIST, then the accomplishment pales in comparison to those elsewhere in this agreement, and in all aspects of bettering the game.
For the last 10 or so years, we've all been exposed to the dirty underbelly of the national pastime: the majority of our favorite players, heroes and role models have been injecting steroids into their bodies to increase their abilities. This is also known as cheating. Now, we as fans are so bitter that, if a player has a career year or does something extraordinary, we immediately cry out that they're juicing. In baseball, smoke doesn't always mean fire. Jose Bautista has hit 97 home runs over the past 2 seasons, after hitting 57 over the 5 years before that...he must be doing steroids, right? Wrong. We're so jaded as fans that we can't accept when a player does well after being less than great. Now, this testing will hopefully help put some of this unmitigated, unwarranted outrage to bed. Players will be tested both at random and when there is reasonable doubt, and the punishment will be the same as with any other positive drug tests. Whether this will help or hurt our perception of the players will only be told with time.
In other news, award season is finally over. With the dust clearing, here are the winners for the 2011 season.
Rookies of the Year: SP Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay Rays (AL); RP Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves (NL).
Managers of the Year: Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays (AL); Kirk Gibson, Arizona Diamondbacks (NL).
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers.
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers.
AL Most Valuable Player: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers.
NL Most Valuable Player: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers.
Congratulations to all the winners.
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