Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the initial CBA proposals by the MLBPA and MLB: some specific points of departure and alignment, whether we really learned anything about what each side wants or the likelihood of lost games, and what the rhetoric and rebuttals say about the PR battle to come. Then (50:08) they banter about whether baseball broadcasts could ever get good enough to endanger attendance, why ABS challenge rates haven’t closely correlated with batter quality, a difference between what fans and neutral spectators tend to enjoy about teams, whether ace-type starting-pitcher seasons are making a partial comeback, a threat to baserunners and bat-dog employment, and a mid-start stretching-related mishap.

Audio outro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Drellich on franchise values

Link to MLBPA proposals

Link to Drellich on the MLBPA proposals

Link to Normandin on the MLBPA proposals

Link to Mains on the MLBPA proposals

Link to Drellich on the MLB proposals

Link to Meyer statement

Link to Caplin statement

Link to CBA math post 1

Link to CBA math post 2

Link to Episode 1542

Link to Passan’s CBA proposals breakdown

Link to Ben’s bargaining primer

Link to Hershberger’s 1876 post

Link to Sam on challenge rates

Link to challenge leaderboard

Link to Andrews on Wood’s challenges

Link to pitcher-pace leaderboard

Link to batter-pace leaderboard

Link to George injury article

Link to bat-dog suspension article 1

Link to bat-dog suspension article 2

Link to “Pups in the Park” page

Link to 2025 bat-dog call-up

Link to Pérez injury article

Link to Reddit comment about Ben

Link to MLBTR on Brebbia

Link to MLBTR on Jones

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