Braves Legend Tom Glavine Compares Current Situation to 1994 and Says Players Could Be Blamed for Stoppage

The fate of the 2020 MLB season might lie on the negotiating table, as the owners and players need to agree on a deal that makes sense from a financial point of view before a game is played, or before safety is even fully addressed.

Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame lefty Tom Glavine, a former Players Association head during the 1994 work stoppage, claimed that even if the players have justifiable complaints, they will still be painted as the villains in this clash of wills.

"If it were to come down to an economic issue and that's the reason baseball didn't come back, you're looking at a situation similar to the strike of '94 and '95 as far as fans are concerned," Glavine said. "Even if players were 100% justified in what they were complaining about, they're still going to look bad."

And yes, he's speaking from experience.

This would be a tense time for labor negotiations regardless, but the impending CBA expiration will end up throwing another wrench into proceedings, as players are fearful owners will use some of the figures they agree on this year during CBA negotiations following the 2021 season.

One clever tactic that the MLB owners will try to use to turn the tide of public opinion in their favor is to paint the players as greedy and stubborn. In reality, the players want to be fairly compensated and don't want the owners using the 2020 season against them in the next CBA negotiation. That is worth digging your heels in for.