CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Major League Baseball has canceled opening day, with Commissioner Rob Manfred announcing Tuesday the sport will lose regular-season games over a labor dispute for the first time in 27 years after acrimonious lockout talks collapsed in the hours before management’s deadline.
The MLB lockout will not impact the Charlotte Knights, who are the Triple-A minor league team for the Chicago White Sox. Tickets for the Charlotte Knight season, including their April 12 home opening knight, went on sale Tuesday despite the MLB news.
Manfred said he is canceling the first two series of the major league season that was set to begin March 31, dropping the schedule from 162 games to likely 156 games at most. Manfred said the league and union have not made plans for future negotiations. After the sides made progress during 13 negotiating sessions over 16 1/2 hours Monday, the league send the players’ association a “best and final offer” Tuesday on the ninth straight day of negotiations.
Ahead of Tuesday, the MLB had already canceled the first week of spring training games for major league players.
THE QUESTION:
Does the MLB lockout also affect the schedule for minor league teams like the Charlotte Knights?
OUR SOURCES:
THE ANSWER:
No, the MLB lockout does not affect minor league teams' schedules like the Charlotte Knights.
WHAT WE FOUND:
According to the Minor League Baseball Players Association, in collective bargaining, the association represents players on the 40-man roster.
Under MLB standards, that's a combination of players on the 26 man roster, plus major league players who are on the injury lists or are taking other approved leave and some minor league players.
That means all non-roster players who are a part of the farm system are eligible to report, practice and play.
We reached out to the Charlotte Knights, and in an email, Viola said their season is scheduled to begin on April 4 in Norfolk and April 12 for their home opener at Truist field.
Our Verify reporter, Meghan Bragg, asked if the lockout continues, would those games be played as scheduled? Viola confirmed to us that they would run business as usual.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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