Despite the 99-day lockout in Major League Baseball, more than 150 minor leaguers worked out at the St. Louis Cardinals’ Spring Training facilities in Jupiter, Fla. And the Peoria Chiefs expect their Class A squad to arrive in town April 2 or 3 for a 2022 season starting April 8 in Wisconsin and opening at Dozer Park April 12.
The owners’ lockout “will not affect us at all,” said Chiefs media-relations manager and play-by-play announcer Cody Schindler days before the March 10 settlement with the Players Association.
As Community Word reported in its December issue, this season will see improvements for Chiefs players, who’ll get in-season housing and a wage increase from $290 to $500 a week.
Major League owners, however, still seem to want to treat minor leaguers as indentured servants.
In February, owners’ lawyer Elise Bloom told a federal judge that minor leaguers should be considered trainees during Spring Training and not be paid until games start.
“During the training season, the players are not employees,” Bloom said during a hearing in an eight-year-old class-action suit set to begin June 1.
Weeks earlier, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s office warned minor league teams not to change preseason schedules.
“Please be advised that clubs may not adjust their previously scheduled Minor League Spring Training dates as a result of the work stoppage at the Major League level,” said a Jan. 27 memo. “However, players who have signed a Minor League Uniform Player’s Contract that includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training must be given the opportunity … to participate in Minor League Spring Training.”
In Peoria, Schindler is looking forward to returning to the broadcast booth and Chiefs promotions.
On Opening Day at Dozer Park, magnetic schedules will be given to fans, he said, and on several games, temporary team names will be used.
All Thursday games will have Chiefs players don “Peoria Distillers” uniforms. On April 30 and two other days, their jerseys will read the Peoria “Pork Tenderloins,” and ballplayers will be dressed as the Orange Barrels, a tribute to construction workers.