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When the news broke on June 23 that baseball was finally returning, the initial mood was decidedly celebratory. Before that, however, things were pretty ugly between MLB and the MLB Players Association.
Different interpretations of their original agreement from March resulted in heated negotiations over how many games and for how much money players should play this year. At one point, Commissioner Rob Manfred even insinuated that he could cancel the season altogether.
With this spat immediately behind them and yet another labor fight looming in the not-too-distant future, players might still be harboring some hard feelings. As the celebratory mood fades, there may not be much to keep them from bubbling to the surface.
There’s also the question of how players are feeling about only getting a chance to play 60 games, much less in stadiums that will be sans fans for at least the start of the year. This, too, could affect the mood in camp.
Managers and coaches have feelings too, you know. In this case, the older ones may not feel entirely at ease with the situation they’re walking into. For instance, the Houston Astros’ 71-year-old manager, Dusty Baker, has acknowledged feeling “a bit nervous” about returning to work during a pandemic.
