1994–95 Major League Baseball strike

None December 2025 December 2021 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike August 12, 1994 – April 2, 1995 (08 12 1994 4 2 1995) United States Canada Expiration of the previous MLB collective bargaining agreement on December 31, 1993 MLB team owners' proposal for a salary cap to be included in the next MLB collective bargaining agreement Owners proposed revenue-sharing plan in addition to a salary cap Agreement reached to end strike via injunction on April 2, 1995, without a salary cap 1994 World Series canceled on September 14, 1994; implementation of expanded postseason delayed until 1995 Owners agree to begin 1995 season with replacement players on January 13, 1995 1995 season reduced to 144 games per team Players were bound by the terms of the expired agreement until a new collective bargaining agreement was reached Injunction that ended the strike upheld on September 29 Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) Major League Baseball (MLB) Federal government of the United States Donald Fehr (executive director) Bud Selig (acting commissioner) Richard Ravitch (MLB owners representative) Bill Clinton (President) Sonia Sotomayor (District Court judge) William Usery Jr. (federal mediator) The 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike was the eighth and longest work stoppage in Major League Baseball (MLB) history, as well as the fourth in-season work stoppage in 22 years.Labor Pains http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/news/2002/05/25/work_stopppages/ https://web.archive.org/web/20020808001407/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/news/2002/05/25/work_stopppages/ dead August 8, 2002 August 8, 2002 July 23, 2009 CNNSI.com The strike began on August 12, 1994, and resulted in the remainder of that season, including the postseason and the World Series, being canceled. This was the first time in ninety years, since 1904, that a World Series was not played. The strike was suspended on April 2, 1995, after 232 days, making it the longest such stoppage in MLB history and the longest work stoppage in a major professional sports league at the time (breaking the record set by the 1981 strike, also in MLB). As a result of the strike, a total of 948 games were canceled. Both the 1994 and 1995 seasons were not played to a complete 162 games; the strike began after the teams had played at least 113 games in 1994. Each team played a total of 144 games in 1995. This was the first time in North American professional sports that an entire postseason was canceled because of labor disputes; the second (and most recent) was the cancellation of the National Hockey League's 2005 Stanley Cup playoffs as a result of the entire 2004–05 season being canceled. Coincidentally, the NHL also experienced a labor dispute of their own in 1994. Background In response to a worsening financial situation in baseball, the owners of Major League Baseball teams collectively proposed a salary cap to their players.https://blogs.fangraphs.com/mlbs-winning-and-losing-efforts-to-conquer-tv-part-i-the-strike/ MLB's Winning and Losing Efforts to Conquer TV, Part I: The Strike Edwards Craig February 26, 2020 Fan GraphsJohnson Richard A. Stout Glenn Johnson, Dick Yankees Century: 100 Years of New York Yankees Baseball https://archive.org/details/yankeescentury00stou_919 limited Houghton Mifflin Company 2002 0-618-08527-0 386 Ownership claimed that small-market clubs would fall by the wayside unless teams agreed to share local broadcasting revenues (to increase equity among the teams) and enact a salary cap, a proposal that the players adamantly opposed. On January 18, 1994, the owners approved a new revenue-sharing plan keyed to a salary cap, which required the players' approval.Baseball To Share Revenue; Conditional Plan Adopted by Owners Maske Mark The Washington Post January 19, 1994 B01Finally, revenue sharing is voted in Bodley Hal USA Today January 19, 1994 3C The following day, the owners amended the Major League agreement by giving complete power to the commissioner on labor negotiations. The dispute was played out with a backdrop of years of hostility and mistrust between the two sides. What arguably stood in the way of a compromise settlement was the absence of an official commissioner ever since the owners forced Fay Vincent to resign in September 1992. In the 1980s, MLB owners were three times found to have colluded with each other by agreeing not to sign free agents from other teams in order to keep salaries down, and to not have any contracts longer than three years to limit owners’ risks in case of injuries, and owners were ordered to make payments to players in each case. This reduced trust between players and owners. Vincent said the owners had colluded in the signing of free agents, which led to "a $280 million theft" by Bud Selig and Jerry Reinsdorf, which "polluted labor relations in baseball" and left Donald Fehr, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, with "no trust in Selig."http://www.businessofbaseball.com/vincent_interview.htm Business of Baseball Fay Vincent interview dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060103124147/http://www.businessofbaseball.com/vincent_interview.htm January 3, 2006 On February 11, 1994, the owners greatly reduced the commissioner's power to act in "the best interests of baseball."Moffi Larry The Conscience of the Game: Baseball's Commissioners from Landis to Selig https://archive.org/details/consciencegameba00moff limited 2006 University of Nebraska 222 9780803283220 Owner representative Richard Ravitch officially unveiled the ownership proposal on June 14, 1994.Owners Serve Up Their Salary-Cap Package Stark Jayson The Philadelphia Inquirer June 15, 1994 D5 Jayson Stark The proposal would guarantee a record $1 billion in salary and benefits.Baseball Proposes Salary Cap; Move Heats Up Talk of Strike Justice Richard The Washington Post June 15, 1994 D1 But the ownership proposal also would have forced clubs to fit their payrolls into a more evenly based structure. Salary arbitration would have been eliminated, free agency would begin after four years rather than six, and owners would have retained the right to keep a four- or five-year player by matching his best offer.Owners Unveil Salary Cap Proposal To a Chilly Reception From Players Chass Murray The New York Times June 15, 1994 B13 Owners claimed that their proposal would raise average salaries from $1.2 million in 1994 to $2.6 million by 2001. Fehr rejected the offer from the owners on July 18. He believed a salary cap was simply a way for owners to clean up their own disparity problems with no benefit to the players. On July 13, Fehr said if serious negotiations between the players and the owners did not begin soon, the players could go out on strike in September of that year, threatening the postseason. On December 31, 1993, Major League Baseball's collective bargaining agreement ran out with no new agreement yet signed. https://www.si.com/mlb/2014/08/12/1994-strike-bud-selig-orel-hershiser The Strike: Who was right, who was wrong and how it helped baseball Corcoran Cliff August 12, 2014 October 21, 2014 Strike June As negotiations continued to heat up, the owners decided to withhold $7.8 million that they were required to pay per previous agreement into the players' pension and benefit plans. The final straw came on June 23 when the Senate Judiciary Committee failed to approve an antitrust legislation by a vote of 10–7. According to Fehr, the action left the players with little choice but to strike. "We felt in '94 we were pushed into it," he said. "I still think that's a justified conclusion."Lopresti Mike Strike timeline https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2004-09-13-strike-timeline_x.htm July 8, 2011 USA Today September 13, 2004 July–August On July 28, the Players Association executive board set August 12, 1994, as a strike date.Players Set Strike Date: Aug. 12; Meetings Set; Free Agency Pivotal Bamberger Michael The Philadelphia Inquirer July 29, 1994 D1 When that day came, the players went ahead with their threat to walk off the job.Baseball; No Runs, No Hits, No Errors: Baseball Goes on Strike Chass Murray The New York Times August 12, 1994 A1 Murray Chass https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/12/us/baseball-no-runs-no-hits-no-errors-baseball-goes-on-strike.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm January 29, 2012 The last games of that baseball season were played on August 11, 1994. thumb|right|Greg Maddux pitching for the Atlanta Braves at Mile High Stadium in what would become the final game of the 1994 season On August 31, three-and-a-half hours of negotiations with federal mediators produced no progress in the strike, and no further talks were scheduled as the strike went into its 4th week. According to then-acting commissioner Bud Selig, September 9 was the tentative deadline for canceling the rest of the season if no agreement was reached between the owners and players. The MLBPA offered a counterproposal to ownership on September 8 calling for a two-percent tax on the 16 franchises with the highest payrolls to be divided among the other 12 clubs. Teams in both leagues would share 25% of all gate receipts under the MLBPA's plan. The owners responded by claiming that the measures wouldn't meet the cost. The rest of the season, including the World Series, was called off by Selig on September 14.Pennington 2019 208 Selig acknowledged that the strike had torn an irreparable hole in the game's fabric.Baseball: The Season; Owners Terminate Season, Without the World Series Chass Murray The New York Times September 15, 1994 A1 https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/15/sports/baseball-the-season-owners-terminate-season-without-the-world-series.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm January 30, 2012 The move to cancel the rest of the season meant the loss of $580 million in ownership revenue and $230 million in player salaries. In 1994, the average MLB salary was an estimated $1.2 million. Repercussions The Montreal Expos were enjoying the best season in their history at the time of the strike. The Expos had the best record in baseball, 74–40, and were six games ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East despite having the second-lowest payroll in MLB.Team by Team Baseball Strike Information Dodd Mike Antonen Mel USA Today August 11, 1994 5C Most baseball writers considered the Expos to be World Series contenders. Coincidentally, the only time that the Expos had made it to the postseason was in 1981, the last time that there was a significant players' strike in Major League Baseball.Deja vu; Looming strike brings back memories of 1981 Expos Blair Jeff The Montreal Gazette August 6, 1994 F1 That year, Montreal had qualified by winning the second half of the season. Chicago White Sox star Frank Thomas, who wound up winning the American League's Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award for the second year in a row in 1994,Thomas repeats as AL MVP, wins bonus Antonen Mel USA Today October 27, 1994 1C said "I've had a career year, but I'm not going to finish it."Thomas' Career Year Will Come Up Short Bickley Dan Chicago Sun-Times August 11, 1994 97 Tony Gwynn had a chance to be the first hitter to finish a season with a batting average at .400 or better since Ted Williams did so in 1941, as he was batting .394 at the time of the strike. The strike also cost Matt Williams of the San Francisco Giants a chance to beat Roger Maris' single season home run record. When the strike forced the cancellation of the remaining 47 games of the season, Williams had already hit 43 home runs, on pace to match Maris' single season record of 61 home runs.Strike Would Affect Record Chase The San Francisco Chronicle August 12, 1994 E3 Associated Press Cleveland Indians second baseman Carlos Baerga was unable to extend his record two-year streak of 20 home runs, 200 hits, and 100 RBIs by a second baseman because of the strike. Seattle Mariners star Ken Griffey Jr., who led the American League with 40 home runs at the time of the strike, summed it up by saying, "We picked a bad season to have a good year."'We Picked a Bad Year to Have a Good Year'; Walkout May Halt Players' March On History Books Gildea William The Washington Post August 7, 1994 D1 Kevin Mitchell of the Cincinnati Reds, Julio Franco of the Chicago White Sox, and Shane Mack of the Minnesota Twins opted during the strike to play in Japan in 1995. By the third day of the strike, Cleveland Indians owner Richard Jacobs directed that all souvenirs being sold at the Indians' gift shop carrying the words "inaugural season at Jacobs Field" be sold at half price.Total Free Agency May be Game's Next Step McCoy Hal Dayton Daily News August 14, 1994 2D The Colorado Rockies were completing their last season at Mile High Stadium with an attendance of 3,281,511 through 57 home games for an average of 57,570 per game. At that pace, the team would have had a good chance of drawing over 4.6 million fans in their 81 home games if the season had continued. This would have eclipsed the major league season attendance record of 4,483,350 fans set by the Rockies only the season before. The strike meant that fans would not witness what was described as "one of the worst division races in history." The Texas Rangers were leading the newly reformed AL West despite being 10 games under .500. The last-place California Angels were only 5 1 2 games out despite having the second-worst record in the majors at 21 games under .500—on pace for 96 losses. In fact, the two last place teams in the other American League divisions (namely, the Detroit Tigers of the AL East and Milwaukee Brewers of the AL Central) had better records than the Rangers.https://www.espn.com/mlb/history/season/_/year/1994 MLB Season History – 1994 ESPN November 5, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20101117202552/http://espn.go.com/mlb/history/season/_/year/1994 November 17, 2010 live The National League's MVP award was given to Jeff Bagwell. His hand was broken by a pitch on August 10,Bagwell breaks hand Associated Press The Boston Globe August 11, 1994 70Jeff Bagwell hit by pitch, hand broken Hohlfeld Neil The Houston Chronicle August 11, 1994 A1 just before the players' strike began; had the season continued, he would likely have missed the remainder of the year and might not have won the MVP. But because of the timing of his "lucky break", Bagwell became just the fourth player in National League history to win the award unanimously. The strike caused a transaction to take an absurd turn. The Minnesota Twins traded Dave Winfield to the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named later. Since the strike led to the season being canceled, no further transactions could be made until it was settled. The Twins would officially be listed as having sold Winfield to the Indians, but the actual transaction was conducted much differently. Instead of the Indians buying the contract outright, team management went out for a meal with Twins management and the Indians paid the tab; this essentially meant that Winfield had been traded for dinner.Tom Keegan Tom Keegan Owners try on global thinking cap The Baltimore Sun 2C September 11, 1994 Arguably, the biggest storyline of the strike was the New York Yankees. In having the best record in the American League, which was also the second-best record in baseball at 70–43, with a 6 1 2 game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, the largest division lead of any division leader,Pennington 2019 211 the strike cost their captain, Don Mattingly, a chance at making the postseason for the first time in his 13-year career.Pennington 2019 187, 204, 209 The Yankees had not been in the postseason since 1981. Because the Yankees' prior postseason chances had also been cut short by a strike,Pennington 2019 7, 203, 211 news media reported on the parallels between the two Yankee teams (1981 and 1994), both of which had division leads taken away by strike actions.https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/07/sports/baseball-flashback-to-81-another-lead-another-strike.html?pagewanted=1&pagewanted=print Flashback to '81: Another Lead, Another Strike August 7, 1994 Jack Curry The New York Times A1 Jack Curry August 19, 2010'81, '94 Yankees Both Winners but Worlds Apart in Personality Kawakami Tim The Los Angeles Times August 10, 1994 C2 Major League Baseball would not attempt another salary cap until the 2026 season.MLB owners propose first salary cap since 1994 strike https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48903168/mlb-owners-propose-first-salary-cap-1994-strike May 28, 2026 ESPN.com December On December 5, it was announced Richard Ravitch would step down as negotiator for the owners on December 31, 1994. Ravitch instead resigned on December 6, 1994. On December 14, labor talks headed by federal mediator William Usery broke down. The next day, the owners approved a salary cap plan by a vote of 25–3, but agreed to delay implementing it so that another round of talks with the players could be held. On December 23, with negotiations at a standstill, the owners unilaterally implemented a salary cap.Pennington 2019 213–14 January 1995 On January 4, 1995, five bills aimed at ending the baseball strike were introduced into Congress.Congress introduces antitrust-repeal bills Dodd Mike USA Today January 5, 1995 1CTeams Prepare for Replacements Baseball: Committee discusses contingencies for playing in '95 Ross Newhan The Los Angeles Times January 5, 1995 C2 Ross Newhan The next day, Fehr declared all 895 unsigned Major League players to be free agents in response to unilateral contract changes made by the owners.Unsigned Players Called Free Agents Chass Murray The New York Times January 6, 1995 B12 On January 10, arbitrator Thomas Roberts awarded 11 players a total of almost $10 million as a result of collusion charges brought against the owners. On January 26, both players and owners were ordered by President Bill Clinton to resume bargaining and reach an agreement by February 6. Unfortunately, President Clinton's deadline came and went with no resolution of the strike. Just five days earlier, the owners agreed to revoke the salary cap and return to the old agreement. Replacement players List of Major League Baseball replacement players thumb|right|Kevin Millar had no Major League experience before becoming a replacement player After the deadline passed with no compromises, the use of replacement players for spring training and regular season games was approved by baseball's executive council on January 13. Replacement players were guaranteed $5,000 for reporting to spring training and another $5,000 if they made the Opening Day roster. Selig declared that, "We are committed to playing the 1995 season and will do so with the best players willing to play."1995-01-14 Strike-breakers to earn hefty wages https://www.newspapers.com/image/1167283731/?match=1&clipping_id=169763584 2025-04-07 Jackson Citizen Patriot 11 Newspapers.com Associated PressCalcaterra Craig 2019-08-12 Baseball strike in 1994-95 began 25 years ago https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/news/baseball-strike-in-1994-95-began-25-years-ago 2025-04-07 NBC Sports en-US On March 14, the players' union announced that it would not settle the strike if replacement players were used in regular season games, and if results were not voided. Detroit Tigers manager Sparky Anderson was put on an involuntary leave of absence as he refused to manage replacement players.1995-04-04 Anderson gets his job back, says he has no regrets https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/04/04/anderson-gets-his-job-back-says-he-has-no-regrets/ live https://archive.today/20250407075115/https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/04/04/anderson-gets-his-job-back-says-he-has-no-regrets/ 2025-04-07 2025-04-07 Chicago Tribune He retired soon after the 1995 season ended, disillusioned with the state of the sport.MacLennan Ashley 2018-02-08 Sparky Anderson snubbed replacement team in 1995 https://www.blessyouboys.com/2018/2/8/16990850/detroit-tigers-history-sparky-anderson-refused-replacement-players 2025-03-11 Bless You Boys en Replacement players created major issues for two American League teams. The Toronto Blue Jays could not play games with replacement players or umpires in Ontario, due to labour code amendments passed by the Ontarian Government that prohibited replacement workers. Manager Cito Gaston and his coaching staff were sent to work with minor league players, and the team announced that games featuring replacement workers would be played at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida.Elliott Bob April 2, 2015 Remembering the Who Jays of 1995 https://torontosun.com/2015/04/02/remembering-the-who-jays-of-1990 Toronto Sun The Baltimore Orioles, owned by labor lawyer Peter Angelos, announced they would also not be using replacement players.Collins Louise Mooney https://archive.org/details/newsmakerspeople0000unse_t2w0/page/8 Newsmakers, The People Behind Today's Headlines, 1995 Cumulation Speace Geri J. Gale Research Inc. 1995 0-8103-5745-3 New York 8 On March 20, the Orioles canceled the remainder of their spring training games. On March 28, Maryland governor Parris Glendening signed a law barring teams playing at Camden Yards from using replacement players.1995-03-28 Baseball https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-28-sp-47935-story.html 2025-04-07 Los Angeles Times Associated Press On March 24, Atlanta Braves replacement pitcher Dave Shotkoski was shot and killed near the team hotel in West Palm Beach, Florida. Fellow replacement player Terry Blocker assisted police in locating the suspect, who was later convicted of second-degree murder.Braves player murdered in Florida - UPI Archives https://www.upi.com/Archives/1995/03/25/Braves-player-murdered-in-Florida/5340796107600/ 2025-09-13 UPI en Television deal collapses Following the end of the 1993 season, CBS Sports lost the rights to broadcast baseball games on television.Sandomir Richard World Series: TV Sports; CBS Is Getting Out Just as It Gets It Right The New York Times October 15, 1993 https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/15/sports/world-series-tv-sports-cbs-is-getting-out-just-as-it-gets-it-right.html August 30, 2026 Production of nationally televised games was taken over by MLB itself, which sold the games as brokered programming to ABC and NBC as part of a joint venture that was referred to as The Baseball Network.Nelson John May 9, 1993 Major League Baseball Strikes Unique Deal with NBC, ABC http://www.deseretnews.com/article/289457/MAJOR-LEAGUE-BASEBALL-STRIKES-UNIQUE-DEAL-WITH-NBC-ABC.html?pg=all https://web.archive.org/web/20140113231254/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/289457/MAJOR-LEAGUE-BASEBALL-STRIKES-UNIQUE-DEAL-WITH-NBC-ABC.html?pg=all dead January 13, 2014 Deseret News Originally, the idea was for ABC and NBC to share a slate of games aired in prime time during the week, with the two networks alternating coverage of the All-Star Game and World Series and splitting the Division and League Championship Series between them. The agreement was to run for six seasons and end in 1999, with ABC and NBC airing the World Series and All-Star Game three times each; NBC would air the All-Star Game in even numbered years while ABC would do so in odd numbered years, and the network that did not air the All-Star Game would instead carry the World Series. The strike, however, resulted in ABC losing out on two weeks of coverage and the World Series and NBC losing out on all of its allotted regular season games. MLB and the local NBC and ABC stations lost a combined $595 million in advertising revenue, and both networks announced that they would be opting out of the deal after the shortened 1995 season. Both networks would share coverage of the World Series that year, with ABC airing the odd numbered games and NBC the even numbered games. Fox became the new broadcast partner for MLB in 1996 and has remained as such since. NBC did elect to retain some broadcast rights; however, it continued to air the All-Star Game in even numbered years and retained its rights to air the World Series in odd numbered years until Fox gained exclusive rights to national MLB broadcasts in 2001. Strike ends On March 29, 1995, the players voted to return to work if a U.S. District Court judge supported the National Labor Relations Board's unfair labor practices complaint against the owners, which was filed on March 27.Newhan Ross 1995-04-02 Baseball Players End Strike; Owners on Deck : Sports: Decision follows a judge's ruling in their favor and could pave the way for an end to the 232-day walkout. But owners may vote on a lockout. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-02-mn-49893-story.html 2025-10-17 Los Angeles Times By a vote of 26–2, owners supported the use of replacement players.1995-04-01 Strike chronology https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-strike-chronology/183147464/ 2025-10-17 Democrat and Chronicle 31 Associated Press Judge (and future Supreme Court Justice) Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a preliminary injunction against the owners on March 31.https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=4206638&type=story Sotomayor helped in '95 baseball strike May 26, 2009 September 21, 2012 ESPN.com On April 2, the day before the season was scheduled to start with the replacement players, the strike came to an official end at 232 days.Chass Murray Murray Chass April 3, 1995 Baseball; Baseball owners quit fight; opening day is set for April 26 https://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/03/us/baseball-baseball-owners-quit-fight-opening-day-is-set-for-april-26.html The New York Times Judge Sotomayor's decision received support from a panel of the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which denied the owners' request to stay the ruling. As part of the terms of the injunction, the players and owners were to be bound to the terms of the expired collective bargaining agreement until a new one could be reached and the start of the season would be postponed three weeks, with teams playing an abbreviated 144-game season instead of a 162-game season. Post-strike 1995 season During the first days of the 1995 season, some fans remained irate at both players and owners.Maske Mark After the Strike, Baseball's Disgusted Fans Decide to Strike Back The Washington Post April 30, 1995 A1 Attendance at the games plummeted, as did television ratings, to a greater extent than during the last significant players' strike in 1981.Baseball Is Suffering A Silent Spring Kornheiser Tony The Washington Post April 29, 1995 H1 While a total of 50,010,016 fans had attended the 1,600 MLB regular season games played in 1994, averaging 31,256 per game,https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/1994-misc.shtml 1994 Major League Baseball Attendance & Miscellaneous baseball-reference.com March 2, 2011 a total of 50,416,880 fans attended the 2,016 games of the 1995 MLB regular season, for an average attendance of just 25,008 per game.https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/1995-misc.shtml 1995 Major League Baseball Attendance & Miscellaneous baseball-reference.com March 2, 2011 This represented a decline in average attendance of 20% from 1994 to 1995.https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=1856626&type=story 1994 strike was a low point for baseball August 10, 2004 September 21, 2012 Associated Press ESPN.com A few of the fans who showed up demonstrated their frustration,Smaller but Angrier Crowds See Openers Baseball The Los Angeles Times April 27, 1995 C8 Associated Press and booed the players; the strike was seen as the worst work stoppage in sports history, leaving the game in crisis and some fans angry. Writer Chuck Klosterman observed that during previous strikes, public anger was directed most fervently at players, but the 1994 strike attracted outrage at both players and owners in apparently equal measure.Klosterman, Chuck (2022). The Nineties. New York: Penguin Press. p. 174. 978-0-7352-1795-9. Among the major examples of fan protests: Three men wearing T-shirts emblazoned with "Greed" leaped onto the field at Shea Stadium to a standing ovation, and tossed $160 in $1 bills at the players' feet before being restrained by security, who were loudly booed as the men were escorted from the field.Mets Give Fans Their Money's Worth Associated Press The Buffalo News April 29, 1995 C9 In Cincinnati, one fan paid for a plane to fly over Riverfront Stadium that carried a banner reading "Owners & Players: To hell with all of you!"Reds fans still love the game, hate losing Weir Tom USA Today April 27, 1995 3C Fans in Pittsburgh disrupted the Opening Day game between the Montreal Expos and the Pittsburgh Pirates by throwing various objects on the field, causing a 17-minute delay before being warned that the game would be declared a forfeit to the Expos; however, they continued to boo afterwards.Pirates give fans chance to spill venom Smizik Bob Pittsburgh Post-Gazette April 27, 1995 D1 In Detroit, fans booed and hurled beer bottles, cans, baseballs, cigarette lighters, and a hubcap onto the field, causing a 12-minute delay, while holding up signs saying "Field of Dreams Greed" and "Strike, Owner$ Win, Player$ Win, Fans Lose".https://archive.today/20130415141616/http://www.pbs.org/baseball-the-tenth-inning/dark-days/millionaires-vs-billionaires/ Baseball's Darkest Days While 50,425 fans showed up for the New York Yankees' home opener against the Texas Rangers, it was the smallest opening day crowd at Yankee Stadium since 1990. MLBPA president Fehr attended the game, angering many fans who blamed him for ruining their team's postseason chances, and also what would have been Don Mattingly's postseason debut.https://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/27/sports/baseball-ceremony-circus-act-and-even-some-fans-greet-game-s-return.html?pagewanted=print Baseball: Ceremony, Circus Act And Even Some Fans Greet Game's Return April 27, 1995 Murray Chass Murray Chass The New York Times B11 September 3, 2010 Fans booed Fehr and yelled "You ruined the game!" in response to him having attended the last game played at Yankee Stadium before the strike and also booed him as he left the stadium.With Baseball's Last Out, a Strike Justice Richard The Washington Post August 12, 1994 A1Major League Baseball Goes on Strike Stark Jayson The Philadelphia Inquirer August 12, 1994 A1 Jayson Stark During the game, one fan held up a sign saying "$HAME ON YOU!"Boswell Thomas Thomas Boswell April 27, 1995 Fans Allow Yankees Leeway on Strike Zone https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1995/04/27/fans-allow-yankees-leeway-on-strike-zone/878f2851-7561-44a8-832a-da127781f186/ The Washington Post B1 The opening games were played with replacement umpires, the first time since Opening Day 1991 that replacement umpires were used.This Time, Fans Make Statement Paul Sullivan The Chicago Tribune April 27, 1995 Sports.3 On August 3, 1995, the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a bill calling for the partial repeal of baseball's antitrust exemption to the full Senate on a 9–8 vote. In August, George Nicolau, baseball's arbitrator since 1986, was fired by the owners.Team owners fire longtime arbitrator https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1995/08/16/team-owners-fire-longtime-arbitrator/ 2025-10-17 Tampa Bay Times en On September 29, a three-judge panel in New York voted unanimously to uphold the injunction that brought the end to the strike in April. The owners had appealed the injunction issued on March 31, but the panel said the Players Relations Committee had illegally attempted to eliminate free agency and salary arbitration. Replacement players on postseason teams While replacement players from the 1995 spring training were allowed to play on postseason teams, these players were not allowed to have their names or likenesses on any commemorative merchandise; furthermore, they could not be featured in video games or tabletop games and were instead replaced by placeholder players. The affected players include Shane Spencer of the 1998, 1999, and 2000 New York Yankees; Damian Miller of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks; Brendan Donnelly of the 2002 Anaheim Angels; Kevin Millar and Brian Daubach of the 2004 Boston Red Sox; and Jamie Walker of the 2006 Detroit Tigers.Replacement Players http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/replacement_players.shtml October 11, 2006 Baseball AlmanacBaer Bill 2019-08-12 Players who crossed picket line in 1995 https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/news/players-who-crossed-picket-line-in-1995 2025-05-26 NBC Sports Baer2019Gutierrez Paul 2006-08-12 The Replacements https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-the-replacements/183147634/ 2025-10-17 The Sacramento Bee C1, C7Jamie Walker 2009 Postseason Pitching Game Logs https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=walkeja01&t=p&year=2009 2025-10-17 Baseball Reference Long-term impact Arguably the largest impact was to the Montreal Expos. The strike was considered to be the start of the franchise's downfall in Montreal, eventually leading MLB to relocate them to Washington, D.C., to become the current Washington Nationals.The Expos' demise was a decade in the making MacDonald L. The National Post September 30, 2004 A17 The Expos were one of the league's top teams, and had the best record in MLB, and were six games ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. In 1995, they were forced to lower payroll and sell off their four highest-paid stars (Marquis Grissom, Ken Hill, Larry Walker, and John Wetteland) in the span of less than a week in spring training.Infamous season a source of painful memory Johnson Chuck USA Today September 13, 2004 2C https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/expos/2004-09-12-expos-ten-years-later_x.htm April 30, 2012 With the strike negatively affecting its fan base, the Expos would never recover from the incident.To Fans, Expos' Goodbye Is More Bitter Than Sweet Lapointe Joe The New York Times September 30, 2004 D6 Despite respectable performances in 1996, 2002 and 2003, the team never came close to contending again;For Fans, It's Time To Say Goodbye Sheinin Dave The Washington Post September 30, 2004 D15 the team was purchased by Major League Baseball after the 2001 season,Mnookin Seth Feeding the Monster. How Money, Smarts, and Nerve Took a Team to the Top Simon & Schuster 2006 New York 0-7432-8681-2Expos relocation timeline Boeck Scott USA Today September 30, 2004 2C and would become the focus of contraction rumors until MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C., to become the Washington Nationals after the 2004 season.Baseball's Coming Back to Washington Lori Montgomery Thomas Heath The Washington Post September 30, 2004 A01 After the 1994–95 strike, players' strikes became less common, although major professional sports leagues have seen lockouts amidst labor disputes between owners and players' unions. See also Baseball Organized labour 1994 Major League Baseball season 1995 Major League Baseball season 2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout 2004–05 NHL lockout 2012–13 NHL lockout 1998–99 NBA lockout 2011–12 NBA lockout 2011 NFL lockout 2012 NFL referee lockout References Inline Citations 30em Bibliography Chumps to Champs: How the Worst Teams in Yankees History Led to the '90s Dynasty 2019 Bill Pennington Bill Pennington 9781328849854 Boston Houghton Mifflin Harcourt External links BW Online: A Business Week article from June 27, 1994, about the possibility of a baseball strike and its economic impact on the involved parties. YouTube: An episode of the Charlie Rose show from August 1, 1994, devoted entirely to the looming possibility of a baseball strike. CBC TV Archives: A news report from August 12, 1994, about the strike and its impact on the Montreal Expos (with a prediction that the 1994 World Series would still be held). Time.com: An article in Time from August 22, 1994, about the (then) ongoing strike. USMayors.org: A report by the United States Conference of Mayors from August 1994 about the financial impact of the strike on cities with baseball teams. CBC Radio Archives: A news report from September 14, 1994, covering MLB's announcement of the canceled postseason and its impact on the Montreal Expos. YouTube: An episode of the Charlie Rose show from September 14, 1994, in which guest Bob Costas discusses the cancellation of the postseason. Baseball Almanac: "The Strike of 1994", a poem by Don Angel written in February 1995. BLS.gov: An article in Monthly Labor Review from March 1997 by Paul Staudohar about the 1994 strike and its lingering problems for the league. SportsIllustrated.CNN.com: A Sports Illustrated article from August 26, 2002, about victims of the 1994 strike (written from the perspective of another possible strike in 2002). Cincinnati.com: The Cincinnati Enquirer article from August 12, 2004, providing a brief overview of the 1994 strike and its impact on baseball history. USAToday.com: USA Today article from September 12, 2004, about baseball's recovery from the 1994 strike and the possibility for further conflict in the league. Baseball History – 1990 to 1999 1994-95 strike effects are still felt, at least on video games https://web.archive.org/web/20140202222931/http://baseball.about.com/b/2010/02/03/1994-95-strike-effects-are-still-felt-at-least-on-video-games.htm February 2, 2014 : By Scott Kendrick (February 3, 2010) Did the 1994-95 strike cost Fred McGriff the Hall of Fame?: By Matt Snyder | Baseball Writer (CBSSports.com) Millionaires vs. Billionaires: Major League Baseball Strike 1994-95 Major League Baseball Strike, 1994-95 Major League Baseball Strike, 1994-95 strike 1994 Strike Strike Category:Major League Baseball controversies