MLB commissioner refutes MLBPA criticism of salary cap ads - ESPN

PHILADELPHIA — MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and MLBPA interim executive director Bruce Meyer shared differing views on the «Level the Field» advertising campaign expressing the league's desire for a salary cap within the next collective bargaining agreement.

The ads have been airing this season in an attempt to sway public support for MLB's proposed economic system, and they come as the league boasts increased attendance and a general positive vibe about the product on the field.

«I think when you have a difficult public issue, particularly when the other side of the issue is being very public about what their views are on the negotiation, I think it's incumbent on us to keep our fans informed of our view of the world,» Manfred said Tuesday morning from the All-Star Game. «Particularly given sometimes the other side may not be completely accurate or fair in terms of their recitation of what's going on.»

Meyer fired back, insisting the league can't have it both ways, and declared the sport is in a good place but that it also needs more fixing.

«I have watched over the last two years [how] the owners, the commissioner's office, try to convince fans, the consumers of their product, that the product is broken,» Meyer said. «I think it's perverse. Case in point is leading up to this All-Star Game, any of us who watch baseball… are seeing ads not so much for the All-Star Game, not promoting the game, not promoting the players, [but] promoting the league's desire for a salary cap.»

The acrimony over the ads highlights the early, bumpy stages of labor negotiations that could extend into next season. The current CBA expires Dec. 1, and all signs point to an extended lockout before any agreement on a new one can be reached. The