After a 60-game season in 2020, and local COVID-19 restrictions affecting attendance in the early months of 2021, Major League Baseball had the opportunity for a perfectly normal 2022. However, because of the inability to initially reach an agreement on a new CBA (collective bargaining agreement) after 2021, the league implemented a lockout on December 1st. This lasted 99 days until a deal was reached on March 10th. (To put this into perspective, Tom Brady’s retirement lasted only 40 days which was less than half the time of the lockout).

Thankfully, baseball is back now, and the league will play a full 162 game season. Many fans have forgiven both sides for the issues of the lockout that could have potentially shortened the 2022 season and have gone back to just relaxing and enjoying baseball. But for some fans, particularly newer and younger fans, the lockout caused great damage and changed the way they think about their favorite teams and players. For a league that was already suffering a decline in overall attendance and a loss of popularity over the last few decades to the NFL and the NBA, a lockout was the last thing they needed.

The social media era gives the ability to players to have a louder voice than ever and to express their emotions. There was some high tension during the lockout between the players and the league, as many took to social media calling out the commissioner.  They claimed that the owners often manipulated the media into thinking there was a deal when talks were getting close before an actual agreement was made on March 10th. With all that tension, it’s safe to say that the relationship between the league and some of its players will have a permanent stain on it. Worse is that it has left a permanent stain on some of the fans. Many longtime fans have moved on and believe that labor stoppages are just another part of sports. But to younger and newer fans, the frustration levels are most definitely higher for a sport that has struggled in recent years to connect with the younger generation. It will be interesting to see in the next few years exactly how much the lockout affected the fans’ relationship to the league and the players.