TONY CLARK

ARLINGTON, Texas — (AP) — Hours into Major League Baseball's first work stoppage in 26 years, Commissioner Rob Manfred and union head Tony Clark presented diametrically opposed views of each side's negotiating positions that point to a lengthy lockout. “If you play without an agreement, you are vulnerable to a strike at any point in time,” Manfred said. They will not agree to any path for any player to achieve free agency earlier. “One good week of free agency doesn’t address all the negative trends that we’ve seen.”MLB would keep existing free-agency provision or change eligibility to age 29.5. The most negative reaction we have is when a player leaves via free agency.

Hours into Major League Baseball’s first work stoppage in 26 years, Commissioner Rob Manfred and union head Tony Clark presented diametrically opposed views of each side’s negotiating positions that point to a lengthy lockout.

Major League Baseball plunged into its first work stoppage in a quarter-century when the sport’s collective bargaining agreement expired and owners immediately locked out players in a move that threatens spring training and opening day.

Free agency restrictions and player salary disputes could cause MLB to suffer its first work stoppage in more than 25 years.

Tony Clark was a minor league prospect in the Detroit Tigers’ system and Rob Manfred a junior lawyer on management’s legal team during Major League Baseball’s last work stoppage.

World Series Baseball Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark speak before Game 1 in baseball's World Series against the Atlanta Braves Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in Houston. Speaking Wednesday at Major League Baseball's regular owners' meetings, Steinbrenner said the CBT proposal was approved by the labor policy committee. If the agreement expires without a new deal in place, Major League Baseball could lock out its players — putting the start of spring training in jeopardy. The 27-year-old Correa batted .279 with 26 homers and 92 RBIs in 148 games this year, helping Houston advance to the World Series. Concerned with “tanking” by rebuilding teams and a slide in spending on major league payrolls, players want changes in the current deal.

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said he voted for Major League Baseball’s proposal to lower the luxury tax threshold, a plan opposed by the players’ union with the sport on the brink of its first work stoppage on 26 years.

World Series Baseball Members of the Atlanta Braves watch during the ninth inning in Game 5 of baseball's World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) (Ashley Landis)HOUSTON — (AP) — Late innings means late nights in the World Series, with many fans struggling to stay awake as the Braves and Astros play baseball’s most important games of the year. The first five Series games averaged 3 hours, 41 minutes, up from 3:37 for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ six-game win over Tampa Bay last year. Sooner or later, Major League Baseball will institute a pitch clock — with or without an agreement with the players’ association. MLB experimented with a 20-second pitch clock during spring training in 2019, with a cutout on the first pitch of every plate appearance.

Late innings means late nights in the World Series, with many fans struggling to stay awake as the Braves and Astros play baseball’s most important games of the year.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred exchanged a handshake with players’ union head Tony Clark on the field before the World Series opener and expressed optimism about reaching an agreement before the current deal expires Dec. 1 but did not detail any progress in talks that appear headed to a lockout.

Ohio theme park guest injured by falling roller coaster part FILE PHOTO: A woman was injured at Cedar Point Sunday after a piece of a roller coaster fell from the Top Thrill Dragster and hit her. (AWelshLad/Getty Images)SANDUSKY, Ohio — An Ohio theme park guest was injured Sunday after a piece of a roller coaster fell from the ride and hit her. >> Read more trending newsThe woman was standing in line to ride the Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster at Cedar Point around 4:30 p.m. when a part of it broke off and hit her, The Plain Dealer reported. “A small metal object became disengaged from a train on the Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster as it was ending its run,” park spokesman Tony Clark told the Sandusky Register. The Top Thrill Dragster is one of 18 roller coasters at the amusement park.

Baseball is swinging and missing.

Amid the glow of baseball’s opening day, there's a cloud looming over the All-Star Game still more than three months away.

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)NEW YORK – A work stoppage at the start of spring training 2022 seems increasingly likely after baseball players refused to negotiate with owners over a one-month delay for this spring training and regular season. “I hope we don't have a work stoppage. Clark said in an email he was not more worried about a work stoppage because of the current state of relations and that player anger at club behavior did not frame the relationship. AdSince the last baseball work stoppage, the NFL had a preseason lockout in 2011, and the NBA had lockouts that cut 1998-99 to 50 games per team and 2011-12 to 66 games per team. Publicly, baseball players and owners say they have to work together.

Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association Tony Clark on February 19, 2020 at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Alejandra Villa Loarca | Newsday RM via Getty ImagesMajor League Baseball sees its future. The thing is, to get all this done, Manfred and owners will need approval from their long-time adversary – the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). In an interview with CNBC, MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said he's "cautiously optimistic" the two sides can strike a deal on the framework of a 2021 MLB season. "We view the players as partners in our business and this season was only possible because of productive collaboration between teams and players.

The Cardinals will see if they can begin their series at Milwaukee after St. Louis became the latest team to get shut down by the coronavirus. The Brewers home opener was postponed Friday because two Cardinals players tested positive for COVID-19. TV Show suggestions please, tweeted Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty, who had been scheduled to start. Max Scherzer and the World Series champs wont play again until hosting the New York Mets on Tuesday. San Diegos plus-19 run differential (52 runs scored/33 allowed) is its second best through eight games in team history.

The virus also prompted at least two more players to opt out Saturday: Brewers All-Star outfielder Lorenzo Cain and Miami second baseman Isan Daz. I dont think its realistic to think that were not going to have any more positive tests, Manfred said. After two St. Louis players tested positive, the whole Cardinals team was given rapids tests Friday and saliva samples were sent to an MLB laboratory. Thats why we were reluctant to get into scheduling a bunch of doubleheaders just to play more games, Manfred said. In addition, Manfred says players and coaches should take advantage of the open seats in the stands near the dugouts and bullpens in order to spread out.

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Archie Bradley, left and catcher Stephen Vogt celebrate the 4-1 win over the Texas Rangers in a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. Manfred and Clark talked about what needs to be done to finish the season, a person familiar with the conversation said. So its just like every other rule that MLB has for players now its going to be enforced, so to speak. I would rather not see any more positive cases.The six idled teams Friday represented 20% of MLB. Aside from the Marlins, there were eight positive tests for the 29 other teams, only two involved major league players.

The players association is surveying members and may propose either two seven-inning games for a twinbill or nine innings for the opener and seven for the nightcap. Phillies general Matt Klentak said seven-inning games are possible for the twinbill. Given modern usage of pitchers, Maddon said the shortened game would be the equivalent of starting the games in the third inning. The sixth inning, the fifth inning play differently, he said. The sixth inning, the fifth inning play differently based on the game supposed to conclude, he said.

It would be MLBs shortest since the 1878 National League season. There was still one issue in the manual of protocols still unresolved, several people said. Those provisions were in the agreement the union rejected Monday but were to survive as part of the operations manual. MLB claimed that without gate-related revenue it would lose $640,000 for each additional regular-season game, a figure the union disputed. MLB would claim the union bargained in bad faith, and the case would be argued before arbitrator Mark Irvings.

FILE - In this Feb. 19, 2017, file photo, Major League Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark, answers questions at a news conference in Phoenix. Commissioner Rob Manfred says there might be no major league season after a breakdown in talks between teams and the union on how to split up money in a season delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. The league also said several players have tested positive for COVID-19. An initial deal March 26 called for players to receive prorated salaries, but that agreement did not require MLB to play in empty ballparks. MLB offered 60 games and $1.48 billion from salaries that originally totaled $4 billion, plus a $25 million postseason players pool.

FILE - In this Feb. 19, 2017, file photo, Major League Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark, answers questions at a news conference in Phoenix. Commissioner Rob Manfred says there might be no major league season after a breakdown in talks between teams and the union on how to split up money in a season delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)NEW YORK An email from baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred to union head Tony Clark led to a balk in the drawn-out talks to start the pandemic-delayed season. A rise in positive tests last week in Florida caused MLB to close all 30 training camps for deep cleaning and disinfecting. Twenty-nine of the 30 teams now intend to hold training at their regular season stadiums rather than spring training sites.

(AP Photo/LM Otero, File)NEW YORK The players' association was told by Major League Baseball on Friday that teams will not agree to more than 60 games in the pandemic-delayed season, leaving open the possibility of an even shorter schedule of perhaps 50 games or fewer. The union countered with a 70-game schedule as part of a proposal that left the sides about $275 million apart. MLB has informed the association that it will not respond to our last proposal and will not play more than 60 games," the union said in a statement on Friday night. That would be cut to $1.73 billion for a 70-game schedule, $1.48 billion for 60 games and $1.23 billion for 50 games roughly matching the total in MLB's initial proposal for an 82-game schedule with a sliding salary scale. In addition, MLB has offered a $25 million postseason players' pool.

FILE - In this Feb. 19, 2017, file photo, Major League Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark, answers questions at a news conference in Phoenix. Commissioner Rob Manfred says there might be no major league season after a breakdown in talks between teams and the union on how to split up money in a season delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. As part of the union proposal, players would wear advertisement patches on their uniforms during all games for the first time in major league history. Both MLB and the union proposed starting the season on July 19, and players said it should end Sept. 30, three days later than management. Both sides would expand use of the designated hitter to games involving National League teams, and both sides would expand the playoffs to 16 teams this year.

FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2019, file photo, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred speaks to the media at the owners meeting in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)NEW YORK Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred met with players' union head Tony Clark in Arizona in an attempt to restart talks aimed at starting the pandemic-delayed season. Clark has homes in the Phoenix area and in New Jersey, and he has been in Arizona since spring training was cut short on March 12. The union cut off talks Saturday, a day after MLB's last proposal, and said additional negotiations were futile. Players told MLB to unilaterally set the schedule but Manfred said MLB would not while there was a threat of a grievance.

NEW YORK Yankees President Randy Levine called on the players' association to resume negotiations with Major League Baseball to start the pandemic-delayed season. Players insist they get the full prorated salaries called for in the March 26 agreement with MLB. Everyone here wants to get down to business as soon as possible and play games. From what Ive discovered, the holdup is not about the number of games or money at this time," Levine said. He has been and continues to be dedicated to play a 2020 season, said Levine, who was MLB's chief negotiator from 1995-97.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)NEW YORK Baseball players have moved toward teams but remained far apart economically in their latest proposal for starting the pandemic-delayed season, adamant they receive full prorated salaries while offering to cut the regular season to 89. MLB has said that absent an agreement it could go ahead with a shorter schedule of perhaps 50 games. Players made their move one day after management cut its proposed schedule from 82 games to 76. But players insist on full prorated salaries as specified in the March 26 agreement between the perpetually feuding sides. A 50-game schedule with prorated salaries would total just over $1.2 billion.

FIEL - In this Feb. 19, 2017, file photo, Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Players Association, answers questions at a news conference in Phoenix. More than 100 players, including the union's executive board, held a two-hour digital meeting with officials of the Major League Baseball Players Association on Thursday, a day after their offer was rejected by Major League Baseball. Earlier this week, Major League Baseball communicated its intention to schedule a dramatically shortened 2020 season unless players negotiate salary concessions, union head Tony Clark said in a statement. Players countered Sunday with a plan for a 114-game regular season with no pay cuts beyond the prorated salaries they agreed to on March 26. In this time of unprecedented suffering at home and abroad, players want nothing more than to get back to work, Clark said.