MLB officially announced that the owners were locking out the players as soon as the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement expired at midnight on Dec. 2, 2021.
MLB.com’s website and all its affiliated team websites were well prepared as soon as the clock struck midnight.
As soon as the lockout occurred, MLB’s website stripped out all news stories about player signings. Instead, historical content was posted on the site. The same was true of team sites, which also removed photos of players on the 40-man rosters due to name, image and likeness rights the league no longer possesses due to the expiration of the contract.
https://twitter.com/JMackeyPG/status/1466281447828901893
Photos of coaches remain though, since they’re not part of the players’ union.
On team sites, player headshots are gone while coaches and staff remain. pic.twitter.com/pymwUuxyN3
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 2, 2021
Ticket promos no longer have names of players attached to them.
Oh this is a trip. Promo items based on current players no longer have names attached.
For example, the giveaway on April 9 was originally Adam Wainwright/Yadier Molina mystery jerseys. Now, get ready for “adult Cardinals battery” mystery jerseys https://t.co/vWp08kqRtQ pic.twitter.com/iqI516k56T
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) December 2, 2021
Team websites went to evergreen content, such as articles on the best players and seasons in team history.
https://t.co/gRX7dMspZf, hours after they introduced Max Scherzer, Mark Canha, Starling Marte and Eduardo Escobar in news conferences. pic.twitter.com/XMlRZYLh0Z
— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) December 2, 2021
MLB.com’s homepage showed content about 1995.
Just going to https://t.co/BILXtjOBD6 and catching up on the 1995 playoffs https://t.co/ggnMT3QPAS pic.twitter.com/5bvSj16L6l
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) December 2, 2021
