FOULED OUT

Major League Baseball Cancels Opening Day After Pay Negotiations Collapse

“Not a particularly productive day today,” Commissioner Rob Manfed said after nearly 17 hours of negotiations on Tuesday.

Baseball fans will be staring at an empty ballpark when the season begins on March 31 after Major League Baseball failed to resolve a labor dispute with the player’s association before a Tuesday deadline. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said he’s canceling the first two series of the season, which will likely cut six games from the schedule. Players won't be paid for those games, and it’s unclear if there are any avenues to resume negotiations. “Not a particularly productive day today,” he said after nearly 17 hours of negotiations on Tuesday. Players and owners have been deadlocked for months over a host of pay issues, including luxury tax thresholds and clubs’ revenue-sharing formula. It’s the first time a labor dispute has derailed a season in 27 years, ABC reports.