MLBPA kicks off “Leave it Better’’ campaign on Labor Day to celebrate players’ efforts to advance the game for future generations
- Jerry Crasnick
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Since the MLBPA’s founding under the leadership of Marvin Miller in 1966, players have placed great value in the concept of making baseball better for the next generation of players and fans. While that idea has long been rooted in advancing player rights and benefits through collective bargaining, the mantra has gradually expanded to encompass much more. Players love the game. They are fans at heart. They embrace their role as caretakers of the sport, and they feel a shared sense of responsibility to make a positive difference, for their teammates, for future athletes, and for the entire baseball community. That begins with the product on the field, but all players -- both individually and collectively – recognize their responsibility to leave a positive mark on the sport, and in their communities.
This month, in recognition of Labor Day and the union’s 60th anniversary, the MLBPA is launching a “Leave it Better’’ campaign to recognize the generations of players who have worked and continue to strive to leave the game better than they found it -- for each other, for fans, and for everyone who loves baseball.
In the latest round of collective bargaining, today’s players are focused on finding ways to encourage competition, attract more young talent to the sport, and expand baseball’s growing popularity around the world – all with an eye toward protecting and advancing baseball not only for the guys who play, but for the legions of fans who want the game to thrive. Off the field, players take part in countless community events and good works with support from the Players Trust, the union’s nonprofit arm. These traditions endure because of veterans who counsel young players, and young players who embrace the leadership mantle and continue the cycle. The one constant, through it all, is honoring the past while keeping a constant eye on the future.
“We all know how fortunate we are to be playing this game, and it’s because of the players who came before us,’’ said Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. “We have an appreciation of the sacrifices that players made before us, and we want to carry on that tradition. Baseball has such a strong brotherhood. We try to take care of each other as best we can. You want to be proud of the legacy you leave, and part of that is continuing to pass it on to the next generation.”
Over the coming weeks and months, the union will continue to feature players past and present, sharing their thoughts on the game and precisely what it means to “leave it better’’ -- on and off the field. Veterans will reflect on the influential voices that molded and guided them, and explain why they, too, are determined to pay it forward. Young players will share what motivates them to get involved -- in their union, their communities, and the future direction of their sport. Regardless of service time, team, position or place of birth, they are all part of the same brotherhood, with a mutual commitment to the game and a desire to take it to an even better place.
