Maybe I'll go right now he has considerably raising our friends the bonds of visual its March eleven a major League baseball's commissioner Rob Manfred, and is at his home and Jupiter Florida its fifteen days before what likely be the most challenging season of his entire Your time as the sports commissioner he's just been crushed in the press for how he's handled achieving scandal by the Houston, ass droves. Interest in sport is waning and attendance is down, but that nine at home in his living room. He can see that the corona virus expeditiously,

turning to engulf the country from the beginning of time, nations and people have faced unforeseen challenges, including large scale and very dangerous health threats. This is on his television, always Donald Trump is addressing the country from the oval office and then Manfred stare. Down at his Ipad Wheatley, uncharted territory, We are going to get a little more information, now Roth hatred, Wars Ralphie, which he's with, and you can see the ESPN has just move. Breaking news alert right now. The NBA has made the decision. They have just announced that they are suspending. Why did the NBA anything after has suspended it? Caesar? and Manfred, realises slaves, oh shit, and then the league is going to use that hiatus to decide their next steps. How little go forward. My poor lass is simple,

was to begin its season and the entire country issue down around me joining us, and I have to figure out how to get my sport back on the field. Amid all this menace and now is a player has tested positive for ripple effect on other things from New York Times unworkable borrow this is a daily today, my colleague, which met on the fraud weeks that led up to last night's opening game of the twenty twenty baseball season for, the perspective of the commissioner of Major League baseball, it's Friday July. Twenty fourth, everybody thinks I'd like

ever been to a base. No, there was actually told that before we started, that's not true. I I grew up in the United States of America. They they. They like this, like a pre briefing now for you and their luggage he's never been you're a baseball. So let me get this straight. Somebody stands in the mill and rose above all. There's, ok, ok, we're, Minister, Michael the past three years we have talked to you about the President, Russia, the FBI, national security. We have not talk to you about baseball, but here we are in this, hang out for you you tell us a story about baseball, so just explained during the three years covering the rush investigation Mahler, whether the present obstructed justice to under

stand the story. I focused on the characters who I thought drove it: the former FBI director Jim call me the former White House Council time again. But earlier my career. In my first speech when I covered baseball, Call me in Mcgann of that story for my reporting was a little known labour lawyer named Rob Manfred Weber, who started the first have to the days of hearings on the use of steroids performance, enhancing drugs in baseball He wise deforestation, when the commissioner's office, who had to deal with this steroids scandal that was engulfing the spoil, my friend

we're labour and human resource visually baseball. Thank you, Mr Chairman ranking Member committee members. I especially appreciate the opportunity and speak with you may effort in. I had a pretty rough. Tar relationship? I was in over aggressive young report and he was this pugnacious in your face. Takes no prisoners lawyer who had the sports biggest problem on his desk. And we would just get on the phone we gotta speaker, phony bamiyan speaker found in you would screen me- and I would push back here and after a while a few years. It is, I think we both sort of looked down at our hands and realise that our hands we sort of bloody, but we hadn't really got anything out of it. And we started to build a much more constructive relations

did you find the get off speaker from now robs raw the kind of guy. I put you on speaker phone and tell you what he's really thinking rob is not someone who waxes poetic about baseball. He said, when that ended up working at baseball is gonna. Do everything his power to support and defend that sport. So I went on to do other things and he became the head of the sport, but The corona virus was involved in the country. I said to myself: there's a lot of weighty, really important things going on right now, but the idea of rob any at all by himself. Trying to figure out how to save his sport season had saved the summer was pre appealing to me, so I reached out to him and I said, look you You are going to be spending the rest of your career, explaining how you dealt with this issue,

and you and your sport both face an existential threat. If you dont have a season, your sports gonna. Even more money. It's gonna, your legacy, let's get on the phone and talk about what that's like rob yeah. Just do me one side and he agreed I got to do this car with you and I'll call you in one minute: okay, the first time I call him is on May 20th Like all you want to talk about this morning, he still at home in Florida, like many people working from home, He's taking zoom calls

I mean literally what I'm doing is. I got a regular series, of course, to get an its clear that he's a mercy and knee deep in the question: how do you take a spore? That's normally played in stadiums in front of thousands and thousands of people, there's a right up against each other on the field and every few days teams like a travel, roadshow, go to another city to play team that's coming from another part of the country, so how do you do that in age of cold? It How do we get back to play on one of the things that flow? from one of the experts is. She was a way that you can do. This is to quarantine plaques right

then he explained to me that there was initially an idea to quarantine all the players in a bubble. Essentially, the players would go to a location and be cut off from the rest of society, as they played the season and then going to start a fool I have one season in your life is gonna, be Tell the ball back to hotel Room service not see. Her van Your family's, you can't be with your families. Maybe that's one of them. I mean with one other. Quarantine and we realized you- that's pretty personnel we started Fatima include The same reason, then you realize, is moving to that face. Did you get it? quarantine numbers bitter in Saint just me there is another point, the base. Was essentially gonna play in three Hobbs. Arizona, Texas in Florence

Arizona for the West Coast teams, taxes for the central themes somewhere in Florida, Further EAST postage stamp- makes sense because those states seem to be more receptive to took to letting us flying the three parts of the country that has not really been heavily by the by not at that point right, but as they are weighing this plan, the country starts to open up so baseball, again shifted plan and says: ok, the team will play in their city the aims and we will have a game, but it will have Many many new restrictions that me We as a fan and many fans never could have failed.

What would a game look like now, as things are in place, based on what you have? What would you know the he's hurt the issues in the Red Sox replaying tomorrow, while without Look like I look at sixty seven pages of stuff. I mean it's, it's really thorough in terms of what people can't you no high, five, no spitting hand sanitizing in between any mandatory, no exchange of liner cards. It play it stand. Vienna players who are not likely to play the game are outside the dog out in the first couple arose understands the play so pretty different version of baseball them these two totally and there is an economic issue, the owners players know that if they returned to the field, it will almost certainly be a shorter season, and they will be less money to go around and Manfred.

As the representative of the owners think said, he has understanding with the players about how that issue will be resolved, they asked him about a hundred and seventy million dollars a salary? but they agree in return. It they would only get paid their salaries. This based on appropriated numbering aids, so no words celebrating when it appears like the thing standing in the way of baseball returning to the field is the virus and Manfred, as half of it as an executive is I've ever had to deal with, sounds confident about this and says we're going to make. This They might like. I'm run for today and happy to pick up the next time panels. That's fine! Let's do that guy! I really appreciate it. Ok,. But by the next time we got on the phone

in June eleventh everything had changed. Let's kick off with major League baseball and what's going on the players thought they had a deal for. One hundred percent provided salaries and owners are saying. You misunderstood me order asking for a full salaries, we're just asking whatever games we play. We light Beginner game Jack that gave way to thank you and your team, me: you're not going to go to work to play a game. We would all killed a plate pro play for But again maybe I was wrong with the Rome. I do not think brow, I'm risk my life. I don't believe that the players are going to look good. When you got thirty, three plus million people had already five unemployment. The subject comes up Wendell breeding players. They make millions and has pointed out that the owners make billions like a lot of people that got all worked up, there's not going to be any baseball looking into so far apart and I'm like this is what they called the ghost.

Am I right or ever say how to proceed with all its golden today? Well, you tell me so it Sir The afternoon is clear that the season is in doubt I guess, but now it's not because of the virus. It's all about that deal with the players and like. What's the crux of this labour issue that the commission is suddenly encountering show at this point in the pandemic. It is clear. The owners anyone else paying attention that the last thing to come back is going to be mass gatherings, and that means no fans in the stadium. For

of the season. Typically, ETA gave you have anywhere from twenty thirty forty, fifty thousand people they're. All those seats will be empty and all that revenue will no longer be there ire. So the owners, one and negotiate new terms for what the players are going to be aid per game, because the owner say we're going to be making even less money than we thought because will be no fans in the stands war. The lowest moment of the past week, I think the union's last proposal when they stated a hundred

The failure to rule in response to what we thought was a pretty good proposal was disappointing and then what's the response from the players, the player so were already taking a huge paper, a shorter season. Fewer games were paid per game, and this is a lot less money. So now even though we're having a shorter season. You want us to take More of a pay could the player say look We only have a couple of years in which were in the leave. The average career is five years in Europe. He has to give up more money. What about the owners? be there for many many more years and are worth billions and Billy.

The dollars. Has there been a point in this where you sort of said yourself gash? This is worse than I thought it would be because you're thinking I'm going to go down as well as its it's an existential threat to the sport right. It's an existential threat to you right, yeah. It is your duty, the outcome of no games on is a massive threat to the good and again remember the sport. Has these other problems? Basketball has more of a cultural falling. Football has better ratings. There was the asteroids cheating scandal. There is the decline in attendance.

Baseball doesn't come back amid a pandemic. At the same time, the other sports are because Player many who were millionaires and owners. Many who were billionaires are having a fight over money. It could heavy devastating long term impact on the sport and, of course- moving in the back of Manfred head and everyone else in baseball is the fact that in the sports, recent history They did lose a season because of labour issues and baseball paid enormously foreign

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to get started, visit each dot com, such podcast for more information, each trade, Securities LLC member fin raw as Ipc. So all this is going on with Manfred I'm thinking of ninety. Ninety four and more happened and engine IFOR so opening day. Ninety four huge crowded, oh boy, whether could not have been more co I'm eleven years old and I am in the baseball more than I have ever been Yes, I love and gains being played this afternoon, a major league baseball on opening day. Ninety ninety four, including President Clinton Jacobs Field in downtown clean, I feel like I know nearly player on every team. The Yankees might stand legally things off. I'm looking at the back scores every day

I'm watching sport centre and worrying you just got a computer in the house and pointing out pictures of Yankee players and placing them on the card board and putting a month in my bedroom, peers Perhaps the most popular applaud, ray of all time, Tony Gwen, stepping in its So what magical sees the right attitude fill out surveys that people think we all start. Tony glad he's gonna hit four hundred. Then said the home run record. Maybe grumpy Ma America like that, it's gone and tags I want out of a far greater five, we win these ages, you back their great again a Yankee fan.

One thousand three hundred and fourteen and now they're on a pace to win one hundred end game. When I'm literally sitting at the edge of my seat as a Finn, more engrossed in the game than I had ever been before the expose leave the field in first place yet wondering if their best season in jeopardy, even so, there prepare sit it out for as long as it takes the season is stopped. Washed by reading wonders. May we will other have no other choice but to go out and take and the game baseball, in the mill this summer the players go on strike in a dispute with the owners about money and then but I'll say what I said, many of you.

Independently or or collectively the baseball. Commissioner at the time comes out. Like a lot of things in life, you won and kiss a paid, something and fear that it's coming up, that it isn't. Announces that the World Series will be cancelled and won the day here. There is an incredible amount of sadness. Will be no more baseball in nineteen. Eighty four. And how is young baseball crazed MIKE feeling as he hears the World Series has been cancelled. The season is officially over. I was crushed. I was crushed, and there is nothing really to compare it to what I saw that moment as a kid.

Is something that I understand better now after covering it, which is that there are two sides to baseball, there's the romantic sigh, but there is the other side of it, which is that. It is? A business in baseball runs into problems when business rears its head and Rick's the romanticism right out of it, and what is interesting is that the commissioner, at the time in ninety. Ninety four, the guy who actually had to cancel the season was bud ceiling already may differ from Manfred he's a baseball romantic. If you get on the phone with silly, you always have to listen to

Henry Gal Intel stories about baseball history, just a deep seated love of the game, and he was the person who had to cancel the nineteen any forces. He was the one that had to put his name on the statement that came out and said There will be no world series so, as this is the twenty twenty season blotted out, I thought the person to call is bought ceiling. About. Commissioner, can you hear me I? I can hear you very good good because he understands were then

He went out the situation that man finds himself in still would looking at the whole question of a baseball sea broke. It goes back to ninety. Ninety four tell us that story and tell us why a baseball season is so important. Well? Let me always your might, give you a little history. So, like I said, silly starts with some baseball history. He goes back to world war, kid hundreds of players were sent off to fight, but even as they were at war after I had written a letter in December, a boy to nineteen forty, two urging baseball.

De the season was not in question and saw through this unbelievable certain war war, where they their preparation, so we go I'm married before I guess it was about to sixteen September. My memory serves me well and I thank you I was in college Stadium, And we're gonna have to announce that there would be no easy matter night. I came home when I shared upstairs and again and I we paid every word sharing from nineteen forty had on everyone. Dont be making our balance are a man like my first election was tribal. Chagos brow comes this way.

Your check, their very quietly when he thought on first went away Margaret knew predominant. Now I will charge. One law, my moments of my career, I like because, a world war, could eliminate the world series. It was raining when you're sitting there that night and a damn what else is going to your head? Well, one thing, I don't think any of us ever really understood was how much in its war. Fans were angry and we drag them. Do it, but I mean it's now: twenty six years ago

pain as sugar and got come back and I was worried scared about a bit of money. Anyway, we need three blowing without being spy in the sunlight judgments between state and I dont know. I think everyone's money hungry Finding a great men he found line through the boy preferred by the candidates has again how much money again and the oars bigger they they said we make an important question is what is enough money, I guess this watch biodegradable already know what our new, an amateur start, rereading Dantes in August? That's where I think they should send the whole lot so

as you probably suspected it wasn't just eleven year old MIKE who was mad at baseball. It was no. And his bad is. Ninety four was ninety five. Ninety six, ninety seven were just as bad, because fans were so upset by the strike that sport had to rebuild itself in rebuilding credibility with the fans, one thousand shooting nineteen. Eighty four, is on the mind of man enormously huge front of mine. Because that labour lawyer, who I met back when I was covering drugs in baseball. He was just starting out baseball and nineteen. Eighty four and he

was a junior lawyer who was deeply involved in the strike in trying to help the yours when the labour fight and that's what I met him. And the more I saw a random. Why I liked him and I work well together. Somebody asked me the other day. I believed you talk to run back then I'd, maybe ten times a day. Then he wanted, I may add so after Manfred became commissioner ceiling, try to give them some since some distance he didn't want to look like the father telling Sign how to run the sport and a bit of distance grew between the two of them. One day you will say to each other like as never found himself in the situation He began to lean back on ceiling

I'm the only other guy in the face of the earth and understands exactly what the pressure is and what situation and they talked more than they have at any other point. Since Manfred had become commissioner, since I've done there could twenty Doin area and yet I'm the only one who stand what he's so, yes, directors, there's no question about it. I really bring. There are great where I hope you enjoy. It was a pleasure to do it and then we'll talk. So thanks. So what happens next in a story like so at this point, in more than a month since my first conversation with rob and things are getting really nasty between owners and the players

the middle of June and boy, what asked rose fans would give to be sitting in the stands. A minute made park right about its true and we will hopefully baseball negotiations grinding to a halt like we're almost there Why now there's nothing I mean we're still the same. Secondly, we are March. If they don't do something about it. This war is going to face even more how are you, commissioner, like baseball should have been back a month ago. They should be basically saying here is our the treaty to recapture in It is unfortunate that it's been so public. I think the answer they turned away a little bit. There's a reason. Major League baseball executive office is filled with labour lawyers, because aerial labour fight every twelve years actively so Manfred become self straight: it did. He decides to go out on television and say: well:

no, the owners- are a hundred percent committed to getting baseball back on the field. Unfortunately, I can't tell you that I'm one hundred percent- certain that's gonna happen. I said there gonna be a season we can, but actual Now I m not sure and he's trying any attempt to reach start the negotiations, get the players back to the table and move forward. That ultimately doesn't really work, and he to go out on his own and announces that is six Became season will start angel I twenty third, so Mikey can do that. Just call us the game season without a deal between the players and the owners. It wasn't his first choice. He wanted both sides to buy an He wanted a better deal on how much the players would take a reduced in salary, but without

other choice and his deep desire to have a season at pretty much A cost that was his only option. The scene is a win for the players or for the owners. Often neither the player you're going to get paid their full salary for the games that they play. Manfred is going to get his season but neither of them are walking away feeling good about their relationship and in the two minds tat they ve taken to resolve this labour issue. There now back to a health Safety problem, because, in that time, covert has

Splendid in spread, ten new states and actually today, as I was preparing to talk to rob for the final time news broke. That the all star player on the nationals, one Soto, had tested positive for cove it. So here's Manfred on Cusp of having the season. He fought so hard for learning just hours before the first pitch, that one of the star players may have the virus not ideal. Another oh shit, moment a long season, greater Israel, our em,

the day well, we're gonna make it to the starting line. Everybody think they glided, like we ve done something all we did was to get out of the day you have caught up with the hard part is playing the game. Siena hope, anyway, I'm glad we're we're Rubia Did I feel pretty good about it? Where are you right now, I'm in watching the national park. What's the feeling in the air you're at opening day with no fans, just the members of the staff, what does that feel like we don't know opening day. I've ever seen. It really different light. The minutes very start right now, I'm it's early still, but its very start right now, when you heard today that one should have contracted coded returning them

all star on the World shabby Japan. Are you like? Oh, oh, no, we can't do this. What's your? What's your nicer, I mean look. My initial reaction is. I can't believe this is happening on opening day

but then I dropped back and I thought about. We know we're. Gonna have passed with unfortunate. There was opening day in and it was one solo, but the protocols were built. The deal that that the whole point is you: did you gotta build a system with lots of all went off to deal with? What's coming, we know was come a mindful that today's July twenty third, the first time we spoke with, may twentieth, it's been two months. What will be got now is pretty much the plan that you had back then for the virus, but in this period of time you wanted it all. For Malta was thing: if you could go back, would you ve done aiding differently and indirectly mistakes made in the project? What, if I could go back you know, I'd want an opportunity to replace their hands

I really wouldn't go up. I think that one thing I can certainly point to the whole from the very beginning on the back and forth in the press, and all that I just I tried to avoid it. I didn't manage to do it. I'd love to have had a chance to go back and do it over again and be better at their long term damage her. You know, I think than I do think it was unsightly and we should, if we should not have allowed it to happen. I think we should have a debt to our fans. Money ask if this were the two months of nasty power back and forth ago. She hastened to nurse

Where do you think that war long term there's sport joy forward, similar to ninety four? But I just I just I don't know what to say to the largest donor to tonight on the field will be exactly what you mapped out. Suppliers will be distance, no high, five, no, no spitting. What is your hope for how this game deals to the stand watching at home I'll see? I hope that at the end of the night. What fans are thinking is you know what it's not everything that were used to and love about the game, but you know what it's great to have a stadium and knows how judgments

the fans of no acknowledgement through the fans from those they were done. Thank you. As a party of DE, we got no good feel forty nine January, the now one they're, your well known, Washington, national fans, Doktor Anthony factually defraud the first batch. So MIKE I'm talking to you at nine thirty p m on Thursday evening, the game is currently under way in the first pitch was thrown out by Doktor Anthea vouchers and it was pretty wobbly, I assume you ve been watching again. Yes, we now, in the middle of a rain, delay grape juice brass wire. Talking to me,

I know you didn't set out to be philosophical about baseball with this assignment, but if we can get philosophical for just a moment. I wonder how you're thinking about baseball and this game right now. Look I told you about my first realisation. When I was eleven years, All that baseball walks a fine line between being a game and a business. When I became a sports reporter, I covered the darkest underbelly of the sport and sought in probably a nastier light. Then most fans could ever dream of, and in the years after that, I had a hard time falling back into the romantic phantom of baseball

I have just seen too much, but last year, almost a decade after I left sports, I got my fanned back. I caught the bug again and as twenty twenty started, I was ready to continue that and to try and be a fan, Again, these negotiations brought back those feelings of the two headed monster of baseball and a business head becoming too big, but at the end of the day, there's gonna be a season in it's gonna, look weird and feel very, very different

it's a season and its baseball numbers you're still a little bit of a romantic love I'll. Take it I'll. Take it for now last season, a couple of very difficult I'll stands really preventative accomplishing much of any right. Thank you very much enjoyed a game door. The season, thanks for asking on at an earlier to love, that was my that, as far as guy back in the love set of veal seats, had there been fans at the ball Park, it was a guy that bought the worst see that water gotten

somebody here. One stem it's a two under her and the Yankees immediately Jake Luxury. Nothing lately turned around and ninety six miles an hour, fastball, four hundred and fifty nine feet. What's the same, we always had the harder it comes in the harder goes out and that's the empty peace Wang than they do. Your gig is required for the Mormons the wind goes that law and so far there should serve a meal so the ice. They got. You nothing Lee that was twenty years old. You back. The following message is brought: you buy track, Psmith High, I Malcolm Global, hosted revision, history and also a lifeline runner, which is why I'm here you about my favorite running brand tracks path. They make the most functional and beautiful product on the market. The secret is in their fabric.

From odor, resisting marina, well to soften stretch, the italian plans it see only running gear. I were to receive fifteen dollars off your first daughter visit track, Psmith dot com, slash the daily, that's track, Psmith Dotcom, slash the daily here's. What else you need? Ten thirty on Thursday, the United States reached a new milestone in the pandemic with food. Million known infections. Infections are now on the rise in thirty nine different states, Washington, DC, Porter Rico and the. U S virgin islands. Everything was going well. The tremendous list of speakers, thousands of people wanting to be there and I mean in some cases desperately be there. They wanted to it. At the White House, President Trump said he would cancel

look portion of the Republic and National Convention scheduled for August to avoid strict social distancing, the president had moved the events from North Carolina to Floored, which now has the highest infection rates in the country, but I get my team, and I said the timing, for this event is not right. It's just not right with what's happened recently, the flare up in Florida to have a big convention is not the right time. The daily is made by seal delcambre and emails. Lisa Tobin, Rachel, Questar, Lindsey, Garrison, Amy Brown, Clara Tennis, get her cage Cowan, Michael Symon Johnson.

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