"Manclown...Ruining Baseball"!: Marcus Stroman Rips Rob Manfred

With the threat that Opening Day is now in jeopardy due to the lack of progress in the baseball labor talks, players have started to speak up, and with that, the most outspoken of players has had his say. Chicago Cubs starter Marcus Stroman has ripped commissioner Rob Manfred with this memorable trolling job:

Manclown and his boys need to figure it out and stop ruining the game of baseball. https://t.co/gfQz4ctQas

— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) February 6, 2022

"Manclown and his boys need to figure it out and stop ruining the game of baseball," wrote Stroman on Twitter. 

No doubt Rob Manfred has been called a lot of nasty names during his controversial run as baseball commissioner, but "manclown" could be a new one. 

The MLB owners and players association remain stalemated on how to go about coming to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement. If not for the lockout, spring training would be kicking off within two weeks around parks in Florida and Arizona. And with the season scheduled to begin on March 31st, that, too, is now in doubt. 

The players rejected the owners' offer last week to have a federal mediator get involved, and now nobody's even sure who's court the ball is in right now. 

Other players have spoken out about the negotiations this weekend as well. 

We don’t need mediation because what we are offering to MLB is fair for both sides:

— Max Scherzer (@Max_Scherzer) February 4, 2022 

How can MLB request for there to be a mediator from the Federal Government to help with negotiations when they literally haven’t even done any negotiating up to this point? Asking for a friend.

— Alex Wood (@Awood45) February 4, 2022

It would probably take 2 weeks just for an “impartial” mediator to get caught up enough to proceed. They’d then use an already broken system/CBA as guideline toward a new deal. Makes zero sense for anybody. Players are ready to make a fair/mutually beneficial deal! #AtTheTable

— Alex Wood (@Awood45) February 4, 2022

While New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer said, "We don’t need mediation because what we are offering to MLB is fair for both sides," San Francisco Giants pitcher Alex Wood went with "How can MLB request for there to be a mediator from the Federal Government to help with negotiations when they literally haven’t even done any negotiating up to this point? Asking for a friend."

Not exactly "manclowning" Manfred, but making their points, nonetheless.

Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports