Outside The Confines: There’s still no baseball

I wish the MLB lockout was at the top of my list of worries at the moment. But it’s at the top of the list of worries here.

• You already know that the first two series of the 2022 MLB season have been cancelled because the players and owners failed to come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement on Tuesday.
• Andy Martino has a play-by-play on how the negotiations on Tuesday broke down.
• Mike Axisa has five takeaways from the collapse of the bargaining talks.
• On Monday, Jeff Passan wrote a blistering article about how this meltdown was over 20 years in the making and places the blame for this “disaster” at the feet of commissioner Rob Manfred and the owners.
• Howard Bryant thinks the lockout reveals a “certain ugliness” about the game of baseball these days.
• Michael Baumann believes that baseball has no one to blame but itself for this mess. He also thinks that there are some unsettling parallels between the MLB lockout of 2020-21 and the NHL lockout of 2004-05 that cost that sport an entire season.
• R.J. Anderson gives three reasons why the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement in time to save Opening Day.
• Matt Snyder believes that commissioner Rob Manfred’s incompetence led to this disaster, and he outlines those mistakes throughout his term as commissioner.
• Jayson Stark asks if there is still time to avert disaster. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Grant Brisbee explains why the players are so upset and argues that there is no “both-sides-ing” this thing. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Bill Shaikin writes the speech that Manfred should have given on Tuesday, instead of the one he did give.
• Players offer their reactions to the breakdown in talks.
• Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (jokingly) offered his services to the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.
• Rob Mains explains why higher salaries for the players do not lead to higher ticket prices, despite what many claim.
• Ben Clemens looks at the financial statements on the Braves’ finances and explains that Atlanta made a lot of money in 2021. They did lose a lot of money in 2020 because of the pandemic, of course.
• Buster Olney talks with Giants players Curt Casali and Mike Yastrzemski as they keep in playing shape at Vanderbilt University. (ESPN+ sub. req.) They both share their thoughts on the lockout and their careers.
• When baseball does return, Zach Buchanan talks to health experts about what MLB will need in order to deal with COVID. (The Athletic sub. req.) No promises, but they’re mostly thinking “not much” at this time. Of course, that could change, as we’ve learned.
• Marlins president Derek Jeter has resigned and plans to sell his ownership share. Jeter said that “the vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead.”
• Ken Rosenthal has more details on Jeter’s resignation (The Athletic sub. req.) and his time as Marlins boss.
• Players reacted to Jeter stepping down as the Marlins’ boss.
• ESPN reportedly wants to hire Jeter as a broadcaster.
• Jay Rigdon wonders if Jeter really wants to go into broadcasting.
• Kevin Goldstein explains why fans need to keep their expectations in check when it comes to minor league prospects. I can’t recommend this enough. We want you to get excited about prospects, but we also want you to understand that most prospects, even most good prospects, fail to live up to their promise. That’s just baseball.
• The Mets have hired Elizabeth Benn as their director of Major League operations.
• Are you bummed out about no Major League Baseball? Matthew Kenerly argues that you should check out Mountain West baseball.
• The Red Sox cut minor leaguer Brett Netzer after he unleashed a series of racist, homophobic and anti-semitic comments on social media. You’re a 25-year-old infielder who hasn’t played since 2019 and had an OPS of .676 in Double-A that season AND you’re a horrible racist? I’m sure other teams will be rushing to sign him.
• Zach Crizer has five MLB teams that could outperform expectations this season. Assuming there is a “this season.”
• A ticket stub for Jackie Robinson’s Dodgers debut sold for $480,000.
• Dawn Klemish highlights the MLB GRIT Girls ID tour, which a series of showcase events for baseball-playing girls between 12 and 17.
• Trying to have something to say while not being allowed to write about current players, MLB’s Zachary Silver recalls the 1983 Orioles.
• And finally, Stephen J. Nesbitt has the inside story of the viral Liberty University “Céline Dion” jersey reveal video. (The Athletic sub. req.)

End the lockout, owners. Play baseball.