August 12 1994 - Major League Baseball StrikeIn 1994 the Major League Baseball players went on strik

August 12 1994 - Major League Baseball Strike

In 1994 the Major League Baseball players went on strike mid-season. The remainder of the season was canceled and for the first time in 90 years there was no World Series.

The strike occurred because the League, the owners, and the players all disagreed about a potential salary cap, and a revenue share model to keep the smaller market teams from going bankrupt. It sounds good on paper but as the players association and the owners got into bargaining they disagreed on every detail.

The players heard ‘salary cap’ and thought their pay was going to be cut. The owners didn’t like the idea of players hitting free agency in 4 years instead of 6. Basically, there was no consensus.

Fans were furious. They saw the players as greedy and selfish for walking away, especially mid season. To this day I twinge when I hear ‘salary cap’ even though I think it’s for the best. (I’m a hockey fan and it’s made the league way more interesting by adding that layer of strategy to the game.)

The biggest heart break was the Montreal Expos who were 74–40, leading the league and having their best season in franchise history. With the season coming to an abrupt halt in August they didn’t get their chance to compete for a World Series. The fans were pissed.

Ironically, the Expos were exactly the kind of small market team that MLB was worried about and trying to protect. Even though they were having a good season, the MBL wasn’t wrong. The Expos couldn’t sustain in Montreal. 10 years later would move to DC and become the Washington Nationals.

The strike lasted 232 days ending in April of 1995. The league had a shortened 1995 season but did have playoffs and a World Series. The Expos didn’t even make the playoffs finishing last in their division,