99-Day Lockout Ends

LOS ANGELES — There will be time for analysis. There will be time to figure out who “won” and who “lost” this interminable lockout. There will be time to dissect the rule changes and adjustments to the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Players’ Union and Major League Baseball.

But today is not that day. Today is a day to celebrate. Because what could have been monumentally stupid instead becomes just slightly annoying. The game we all love got as close to being ruined as it’s ever been, and somehow, they were able to pull a rabbit out of their hat and come up with a way to play a full 162-game season. Halleluiah!

Sure, the first few weeks of the season will be pretty ragged on the field while teams round themselves back into shape, and sure they’ve got some outstanding issues to deal with that got tabled this go-round, but as early as tomorrow, you’ll be seeing players in Dodger blue in Arizona, like they should have been for nearly a month now.

According to an article at ESPN.com, here what we know so far….

• Opening Day moves to April 7 and a full 162-game schedule will be played
• Spring training camps open with a March 11 voluntary report date and March 13 mandatory date
• Spring training games start March 17
• Free agency to begin immediately once CBA is ratified
• Playoffs expand to 12 teams, beginning this season
• The National League adopts the designated hitter starting this season
• CBT expected to begin at $230 million and grow to $244 million

Get ready for a total feeding frenzy on free agents starting right now. The hot stove has been off for three months, but baby now we’re cooking with gas!

Let’s do this!