TAMPA, Fla — Major League Baseball's spring training season is supposed to begin on Feb. 26, with each of the 30 teams in action at their respective facilities.
For spring training to start on time, a deal has to be hammered out by the league and the union that represents the players, the Major League Baseball Players Association.
So far, that hasn't happened. The continued delays complicate when spring training can start. A delayed and shortened spring training isn't new. In 2020, the training period was shortened to just three weeks.
The spring training start date of Feb. 26 is about a week and a half after pitchers and catchers report. Teams also need to take into account time to implement COVID-19 precautions, including testing.
These delays mean money lost.
The team owners will be feeling the pinch of revenue lost in spring ticket sales. Host cities will not have the added revenue of fan spending before and after games.
Riveters is a sports bar less than two miles away from Steinbrenner field, where the Yankees practice in the spring.
"Honestly before and after spring training, we'd usually have a full house," said Sara Smith, a bartender at the sports bar. "Didn't matter what time of day. What day of the week. People from here, people from out of town."
In 2020, with COVID-19 shortening the spring training season, game attendance was down, and so were the crowds in bars on game days.
"Last year there wasn't much for spring training," said Smith. "You'd have a few people trickle in and things like that. But mostly [it's] people from the area."
Smith said Riveters typically makes an additional $7,000 to $10,000 each spring training game. A delayed season would cost them tens of thousands in revenue.
"I think people were really eager to get back out and just do the things we were doing pre-COVID. So, I think it's a big bummer that we're not having it again. Well - temporarily."
In a study conducted by Downs and St. Germain Research, in 2018, the Grapefruit league generated $687.1 million in economic impact in the Sunshine State. At least 7,152 jobs were supported by the spring season games.
For fans, we all are trying not to go back to the pandemic days of watching literally any sport that would air on television because most everything else was canceled.
"It's very frustrating," said Terry Eiting. He is a Wisconsin snowbird.
Eiting had plans to attend spring training games with his grandsons while they were in town visiting.
"They had plenty of time to get it done. They didn't do it. It comes down to: who do they care about? Themselves? The fans? Whatever. It's obvious who they care about," Eiting said.
Now it has him reconsidering his support for the team in its entirety.
"Well, this time, I think it's going to hurt," said Eiting. "I know, myself, if they don't come, it'll be a long time before I want to watch them again."
Eiting and his grandson made the most of the visit, visiting the store and purchasing a new Yankees jersey.
"I really wanted to go to a game, but it didn't really work out," said Drew, Eiting's grandson.
MLB's opening day is scheduled for Thursday, March 31. This leaves the MLB and MLBPA fighting the clock to hammer out a deal with enough time for a shortened spring training season, players to be notified, and COVID protocols to be implemented.