MLB History: Longest Strike in History Ends
By David Hill
The Player’s Strike of 1994 was a complete disaster for the MLB, wiping out the World Series and ending a potentially historic season. On this day in 1995, the strike came to an end.
One had to imagine that the 1994 MLB Player’s Strike would come to an end at some point. Replacement players had been brought in by most teams to start the season if need be, and various lawsuits had been issued by both sides. Finally, an injunction was issues reinstating the terms of the expired agreement between the two sides.
With that injunction in place, the two sides could begin to work together to end the nightmare. On March 31, the players offered to return, allowing the baseball to truly begin once more. Finally, on this day in 1995, the MLB owners accepted that offer, putting an end to the longest strike in the history of the game.
Even with the players returning, the season needed to be shortened. An abbreviated Spring Training needed to happen, and the regular season was shortened to 144 games in order to accommodate the postseason. However, baseball was back.
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The damage was done to the fans though. After an exciting 1994 campaign that saw Tony Gwynn make a run at a .400 batting average, and Matt Williams‘ run at Roger Maris‘ home run record come to a crashing halt, the fans were angry. Just because baseball returned did not mean that they would.
It took until Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig‘s consecutive game streak before the fans began to drift back. Then, in 1998, they truly returned when Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire captivated the nation in the steroid fueled power surge. The damage from the strike had finally been reversed.
Fortunately, both sides appear to have learned their lesson from that disaster. Labor peace has reigned in the MLB since, with the players and owners actively working together to keep the game going. Even the most recent labor talks were relatively harmonious, keeping the peace for five more years.
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On this day in 1995, the longest strike in MLB history came to an end. Fortunately, there has not been one since, as both sides have learned their lesson.