The year was 1994. OJ Simpson was on trial. The Rockets won their first NBA title. Nancy Kerrigan was attacked. Baseball?
To understand what happened to Major League Baseball in 1994, you have to go back to 1992. It was time to re-negotiate the Collective Bargaining Agreement between owners and the MLB Players Association.
Given an uncertain financial situation, the owners wanted a hard salary cap, no salary arbitration, a faster free agency timetable, player benefits paid by their revenue, and licensing revenue split 50-50. The players declined for financial reasons. The Association made a counteroffer.
With rumors of a strike, the season started. It was more than a rumor. The Association set August 12th as ‘Strike Day.’ Without a settlement, the strike effectively ended the season. Fans were devastated, and the Montreal Expos (odds on favorite to win the World Series) didn’t play.
U.S. President Bill Clinton intervened and asked MLB owners to work hard and come to a deal. The owners had other ideas, holding dearly to a salary cap, and, in 1995, teams recruited replacement players to participate in Spring Training.
In mid-1995, a United States District Court got involved, ruling against the MLB owners. Baseball normality resumed.
But we’ll never know how the 1994 season might have turned out, and that’s something Expos’ fans will never, ever forget.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IxKZ5Awnd8
