Past Crises of the MLB

Major League Baseball is often categorized into time periods. Looking at the current time period, we will be focusing on the past two decades when looking at past crises that the MLB has dealt with and, that I would say, has overcome.

The 1994-1995 MLB Strike. I will briefly hit the main points of the strike and also delve into the ramifications the strike had on the league. The strike began on August 12, 1994 and ended on April 2, 1995, totaling 232 days. At least 931 were canceled including the 1994 postseason and World Series.

The issue at stake? Money.


The owners wanted to come up with some type of system that would allow more equal revenue sharing by creating a salary cap. This salary cap would essentially not allow the players to make as much money as they potentially could. The Major League Baseball Players Association stood firm on their demands. And would not agree to any contract offer that included a salary cap, which led to their 232 day strike.

The two sides agreed to terms and began the to-be-shortened 1995 season. Some players who tried to become replacement players are still not allowed in the MLBPA. However, fans showed their discontent with the actions of the two sides:

"On Opening Day in 1995, three men, who were each wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the word "Greed," leaped onto the field at Shea Stadium and tossed more than $150 in $1 bills at players.[5] In Cincinnati, one fan paid for a plane to fly over Riverfront Stadium that dragged a sign reading "Owners & Players: To hell with all of you!"[5] The meager crowds at the openers often booed at the players for their rusty fundamentals, shoddy defense, and in response to frequent high-scoring contests. Fans in Pittsburgh disrupted Opening Day by throwing sticks on the field, and holding up the action for 17 minutes before being warned that there would be a forfeit of the game between the Montreal Expos and Pittsburgh Pirates.[5] However, they continued to boo afterwards"

Attendance numbers dropped, fans were upset, others lost touch with the game that was missing for almost a full calendar year. But the MLB has lived on and is continuing to prosper even with the highest payrolls in its history.