The current collective bargaining agreement with Major League Baseball is set to expire at midnight on Wednesday, which could lead to the first work stoppage in major American sports in eight years.
Baseball has been on a strike since 1995.
The MLB via the same images.
Between 1972 and 1995 there were only three missed games in the history of MLB, and all of them were caused by work stoppages.
The MLB canceled its 1994 playoffs because of a 232-day player strike from August 1994 to April 1995 and the 1972 and 1981 strikes.
The National Hockey League has had labor disputes in the past, including a 309-daylockout in 2004 that caused the cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season.
The National Football League has largely avoided missed games due to labor disputes, but it has had its fair share of drama, including a player strike shortened the 1987 season by one game, and a 136-day Lockout in 2011.
The National Basketball Association has had four work stoppages, two of which resulted in shortened seasons.
The MLB and its players' union are currently negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement to avoid a work interruption, but discussions are going nowhere fast. When owners initiate a dispute, there is a strike, while when players bring about a strike, there is a Lockout. The MLB's complicated salary structure and lengthy path to free agency is the main disagreement between owners and players. The MLB has a controversial policy that requires six years of league service before a player can sign with a new team, which teams have long been accused of manipulating for their own benefit.
The pace of free agency has never been quicker, as MLB players are not allowed to sign with a new team during a labor dispute. The most lucrative deal in MLB history is the three-year, $130 million contract signed by Max Scherzer to join the New York Mets.
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