CRYSTAL LAKE HERALD

SPORTS – GNATS NOW
Brandon Johnson Elected PEBA Union President
Updated: November 6th, 2032 – 8:05 PM

By Howard Heskin, Gnats Beat Writer and ESPN PEBA Correspondent – Twitter @HowardHeskin1

Brandon Johnson was unanimously elected president of the PEBA player’s Union today for the 2032-2033 calendar year. Johnson the son of the famed actor and athlete Dwayne Douglas Johnson aka “The Rock” will succeed long time president Jim Klein who recently retired last off-season. Johnson is well respected by players around the league and last played with Aurora in 2031. Johnson has claimed that PEBA teams coordinated against him preventing him from playing in 2032 because of his activism for PEBA player’s rights.

The election of Johnson is likely to bring current PEBA media deal negotiations into the spotlight this off-season. The PEBA media deal was last re-negotiated for the contract year 2024. With PEBA’s popularity expanding to 30 teams and soon to be 32 teams – media companies have been discreetly clamoring for exclusive broadcast rights. But with the election of Johnson – no more. “It’s about time the players get our fair share of the pie,” stated Johnson today. “PEBA’s owners, its Commissioner and his henchmen on the board are flush with cash. They need to pay up if they expect us to continue to play. We haven’t had a raise in over a decade.”

PEBA Players Association has rejected a recent proposal from PEBA to delay salary increases until 2040 along with veteran health insurance and pension increases starting in 2035.

Regarding the declined agreement, Johnson noted that both sides clearly seem to lack trust for the other. Both sides have been negotiating the details for the upcoming season for months now, but there seems to be no room to meet in the middle.

“Whatever the owners propose, the union is not going to go with it,” Johnson said on Kevin Scully Radio, November 5th. “There’s almost a [feeling from the players] that we’re not going to try to help the players out.”

The famous older Duane Johnson launched the first PR salvo today on behalf of his son Brandon today with a video on all social media platforms directed at the PEBA Commissioner Harry Castle.

“Where are you? Where is our leader?” Johnson asked early morning. “Where is our leader at this time when our beloved baseball players are down on their knees, begging, pleading, hurt, angry, frustrated, in pain with its arms out, just wanting to be heard… and paid fairly?”