MLB and MLBPA enjoying game's popularity surge. So what's next for baseball? Threatening to blow it up, naturally.
The percentage of younger (ages 18-35) ticket buyers and television viewers increased, and the Dodgers-Yankees World Series was the most-watched in six years thanks to the presence of star players like Mookie Betts, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Juan Soto.
So what's next for baseball?
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Threatening to blow it up, naturally.
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The collective bargaining agreement between the league and the MLB Players Association runs through the 2026 season. Commissioner Rob Manfred has already said the growing payroll disparity in the game is something he wants to address and suggested a lockout could spur constructive talks.
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That made Sunday's meeting between Red Sox players and union officials somewhat of a war council.
The union staffers on hand included former Red Sox pitchers Andrew Miller and Mike Myers.
'Year four of a five-year agreement is largely focused in on collective bargaining prep,' Clark said. 'So, yes, there's been conversations and dialog out there, none of which we started.'
That the Dodgers and Mets are expected to have a payrolls well over $310 million while at least five teams will be below $80 million
That's a line the union has sworn it will never cross. The question then becomes whether the owners are willing to shut down the sport to see if the union breaks.
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Then only the fans lose. It's been the same old tug-of-war for decades.
Clark said the players don't see a salary cap as something the game needs to prosper. Last season would seem to prove their point.
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But that doesn't mean the owners will stop trying.
'It's been consistent across every generation I've ever been a part of and it's still the case,' said Clark, who played for 16 years including
Baseball lost only some spring training games during
Manfred and Clark are ultimately stewards of their respective constituencies, not the game.
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Rob Refsnyder was one of the players who sat and listened to Clark on Sunday.
Beyond what it might mean for him personally, he doesn't want to see baseball take a step back.
'My first year in the big leagues was 2015 and I honestly can't remember a time when it felt like the fans were this engaged,' Refsnyder said. 'I think the sport is doing really, really well and the quality of baseball is at just an incredible high.'
Refsnyder pointed to the athleticism he now sees in the game from pitchers and hitters alike.
'If you had told me in '15 this many guys would be throwing 100 [miles per hour] or hitting the ball as hard as they are, I wouldn't have believed it. The sport is growing and kids are really interested. I hope we figure it out because it's a great time to be in the sport.'
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Will that still be the case in 2027? On a sunny day in Florida, it felt like
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Hunter Dobbins caps an eventful week with his 2nd win over the Yankees
Boston Red Sox's Hunter Dobbins delivers a pitch to a New York Yankees batter in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) Boston Red Sox's Hunter Dobbins delivers a pitch to a New York Yankees batter in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) Boston Red Sox's Hunter Dobbins delivers a pitch to a New York Yankees batter in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) Boston Red Sox's Hunter Dobbins delivers a pitch to a New York Yankees batter in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) Boston Red Sox's Hunter Dobbins delivers a pitch to a New York Yankees batter in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) BOSTON (AP) — Hunter Dobbins had quite the week. First, he said last weekend that he'd rather retire than pitch for the Yankees because his father was drafted by New York twice before being traded. Then, he goes out and beats the Yankees. Advertisement A few days after his comments about never wanting to pitch for New York, he ends up having to defend his dad's story about being drafted by the Yankees in response to a New York Post article that cited multiple official databases and the Yankees' own records that couldn't confirm Lance Dobbins ever having played with the organization. Then on Saturday night, Dobbins (4-1) follows up by going six shutout innings in Boston's 4-3 victory over New York, his second win over the Yankees in less than a week. 'It's a lot of fun. I'm more worried about just the win column, whether it's against them or anybody,' he said. 'My job is to try and help this team win as many ballgames as we can, and pitch in meaningful playoff baseball games. That's what I'm more focused on.' But he realizes what it means to the fanbase in this longtime rivalry, with the Red Sox fans heard chanting about the Yankees outside the park before he spoke in an interview room. Advertisement 'Yeah, I love being able to perform and get those wins for the fans here,' he said. 'They deserve it. It's a great city, passionate fanbase, so being able to get those wins — especially twice in one week — means a lot, and looking forward to trying to build on that going forward.' In his victory over New York last Sunday, Dobbins held the Yankees to three runs over five innings, two on a first-inning homer by Aaron Judge. On Saturday night, Judge went 0 for 3 against him, striking out twice on curveballs. 'It was just kind of scouting,' Dobbins said of his game plan against New York's slugger after Garrett Crochet struck him out three times in the series opener Friday. Advertisement 'Crochet has an electric fastball. I can throw it hard, but the shape isn't quite as elite,' he said. 'So we knew we had better weapons to go at him with, so I felt like we did a good job of kind of keeping a balanced attack throughout the order.' Dobbins struck out five and gave up only two singles on Saturday. ___ AP MLB:
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Hunter Dobbins caps an eventful week with his 2nd win over the Yankees
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CBS News
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