NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Major League Baseball cancelled the first week of spring training games through March 4 on Friday in the first public acknowledgement of the disruption caused by the lockout.
The announcement came with the work stoppage in its 79th day, and a day after economic talks between the management and the Major League Baseball Players Association lasted just 15 minutes.
Negotiators are set to resume talks on core economics on Monday, and MLB said members of the owners鈥� negotiating committee will attend the session, just the seventh on the central issues of the dispute since the lockout began Dec. 2.
Spring training was to have started this week, and the exhibition schedule had been set to begin on Feb. 26. There were 16 games set for that day, including the World Series champion Atlanta Braves playing Boston in Florida and the Cleveland Guardians taking on Cincinnati in Arizona.
鈥淲e regret that, without a collective bargaining agreement in place, we must postpone the start of spring training games until no earlier than Saturday, March 5,鈥� MLB said in a statement. 鈥淎ll 30 clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands."
MLB told the union it thinks Feb. 28 is the last possible date to reach an agreement that would allow a timely start to the season. The union didn鈥檛 respond to MLB on whether it agrees with that date or thinks there is additional time.
The players鈥� association was discussing whether any players will attend the next session.
For the most part, owners and players have joined the bargaining by Zoom. Colorado Rockies CEO Dick Monfort, chairman of the owners鈥� labor policy committee, and free agent reliever Andrew Miller both attended the Jan. 24 session, the first in-person bargaining during the lockout.
鈥淲e are committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to each side,鈥� MLB said. "On Monday, members of the owners鈥� bargaining committee will join an in-person meeting with the players' association and remain every day next week to negotiate and work hard towards starting the season on time.鈥�
Spring training workouts were to have started Wednesday.
鈥淭he clubs have adopted a uniform policy that provides an option for full refunds for fans who have purchased tickets from the clubs to any spring training games that are not taking place,鈥� MLB said.
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Ronald Blum, The Associated Press
