Strike Date August 30th

[Booyamos]

Well I am sure some of you have heard, they had been talking about it, but now it is official. The strike date is August 30th. ESPN Strike Date (http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2002/0816/1418791.html)

If baseball strikes again I think I will ban baseball for the next 5 years at least. I would hate it, because I love baseball, but this is just ridiculous. Baseball should be about the fans, not the money.

[eSDee]

The Aug. 30 strike date, the Friday of Labor Day weekend, means that if players walk out and the season is not completed, they would lose 16.9 percent of their base salaries. Texas shortstop Alex Rodriguez stands to lose the most, $3,557,377.05 of his $21 million salary this year. A player at the $200,000 minimum would lose $33,879.78.

Great, another bunch of welfare candidates that I have to pay for with my tax money!

Both ends need to get their heads outta where the sun don't shine. I'm with Kacarp, if they strike, I'm out. :2far:

[whitak24]

it would suck if they strike.

i'm not a huge baseball fan, but I just think it is unfortunate when fans enjoyment of the game is ruined by the greed and stupidity of the owners and the players' union. :2far:

[Hiro]

Originally posted by whitak24
it would suck if they strike.

i'm not a huge baseball fan, but I just think it is unfortunate when fans enjoyment of the game is ruined by the greed and stupidity of the owners and the players' union. :2far:
my thoughts exactly. since when did this turn into a greed / power / money hungry game?

[DoPeY5007]

so do you think any players will get real jobs?

[jujubees]

Nooooo, not when my Angels are doing so well. :bawl:

They have yet to begin their infamous July-September losing streak, so I guess the strike date will take care of any post-season hopes. :rolleyes:

[leemaj]

they make enough money... i hope they all strike and lose their 16.9%....greedy bastards

[Cantacuzene]

I cnt wait for Replacement Players: Part 2.

[topane]

Damn unions. Just make your $5 mil a year and pee in a cup when asked. What's so hard about that?

[Merlin]

Originally posted by Corsec

my thoughts exactly. since when did this turn into a greed / power / money hungry game?

Around 1910 or so. :(

I'm a huge baseball fan and I think that a strike will happen. It saddens me that the players have picked the date they did but I understand it. By striking at the end of the season they would hurt the owners by wiping out their most profitable time of the year. If they wait until the beginning of next season they would lose quite a bit of leverage.

Steroids are not the issue here. Both sides pretty much agree that the issue needs to be addressed. Not that it will make a differnece. Cutting edge technology in performace enhancing drugs nowadays is synthetic human growth hormone and not steroids. And growth hormone does not show up in drug tests.

The whole issue that would cause a strike is over how to control player salaries. Players, like anyone else, don't want artificial limits put on what they can earn. They want to let the market decide.
The owners want some form of restriction (salary cap, luxury tax, etc.) to control how much is spent. The success of the Yankees over the past five years has only fueled the fire.

I hope this issue gets resolved soon because I would really miss the games if they do strike.

[dbax791]

The biggest problem that I don't understand is that the players union wants to avoid luxury taxes, salary caps etc. But the main thing that it would accomplish if put into effect is to allow the top echelon (sp?) of players to make the max, while the rank and file players don't really get any benefit. I've never understood how a "union" would fight so hard to protect the high salaries of a few without looking out fot the protection of the many.

[Merlin]

I think they would say a rising tide lifts all boats, even if that is not really true.

[latingirl]

Okay, I thought this was soooo cute...

I was just watching NBC news and they were showing and doing commentary on some little league games. Those kids were excited and some emotional (when they lost or allowed runs to get in).

I agree when they said...

"Baseball in its purest form....for the LOVE of the game (not the dolla's)"

[sbp]

Let the greedy b@stards squabble, destroy MLB and drive the fans away. Baseball will still be played at colleges, in the minor leagues and elsewhere. Why worry and pay to watch a bunch of overpaid fatasses while you can enjoy those who really care about the game.

Finally, why the hell does MLB still have an anti-trust exemption? Take it away now!

[Cheesypuff]

I wonder what people are going to do with the money not spent on buying tickets? Hmmm...maybe invest it and get rich?

[NuTs62]

well, for me.. i'll still watch the game.. i don't want 'em to strike, but hey, its a business.. as with any other business, its their right to. the difference is that sports is a form of entertainment for many of us..

think Merlin stated everything pretty well here.

[brain]

What do they think they will accomplish out of this? Too many MLB franchises are losing money. This will cause more fans to drop out. This will cause them to lose MORE money. These people are obviously not thinking.

[nickel]

we have a great minor league ball club where i live. i'd rather watch them anyway. i can watch them in person and get to see some nice butts close up. :D

[Merlin]

Originally posted by sbp
Finally, why the hell does MLB still have an anti-trust exemption? Take it away now!

Because back in the day when anti-trust was still being hashed out nobody wanted to deal with baseball. They figured it was designed for abuses in big business and that baseball was "only a game" Now obviously it has since evolved into a multi billion dollar business. So in hindsight it looks like a bad decision, expecially when you consider that over time as other sports it the big time congress now knew better than to hand out exemptions.

The courts have not stricken it down. Their attitude is congress gave them the exemption, let congress take it away.

Should they have the exemption? My opinion is no. Unfortunately it won't change the situation at hand.

[Merlin]

Originally posted by brain
...Too many MLB franchises are losing money...

Don't you believe that for a second. Just because "Bud" says so don't make it so. As anyone who stays up on current events can tell you - accounting books don't always tell the whole story. Many teams sub-contract out parking to a separate company (usually owned by the same guy who owns the team) so that $8 per car parking is left out. Many teams, like the Braves and Angels, are owned by media conglomerates. Do you really think T. Turner is reporting the real cost of those broadcasting rights as team revenue, or do you think he gives his network a nice discount. In this case the team's revenues are greatly distorted. On top of that, you throw in a bunch of non-cash charges like depreciation and you start to get a very different picture of the game. Remember, these are private companies whose accounting statements are not held up to scrutiny by anyone. If large public companies whose books are audited by outside firms and followed by numerous analysts can get away with pulling the wool over eyes, you better take Mr. Selig's numbers with a HUGE grain of salt.

I trust Bud Selig about as much as I would trust a used car salesman...



(Note to casual observer: Bud Selig made his money running a chain of used car dealerships - how fitting)

[Merlin]

This is an industry that needs to seriously re-evaluate itself, its leadership, its business practices, its understanding of the product and its customer. But it's pretty hard for anyone to take it seriously, not when billionaires and millionaires sound like the Kennedy kids fighting over who gets the bigger dish of ice cream.

For anyone interested, Peter Gammon has a pretty good article on this topic...

Peter Gammons (http://espn.go.com/gammons/s/2002/0817/1419256.html)

[whitak24]

Originally posted by Merlin


For anyone interested, Peter Gammon has a pretty good article on this topic...

Peter Gammons (http://espn.go.com/gammons/s/2002/0817/1419256.html)
great article, merlin. thanks for linking.

i found this point ironic/really funny:

Commissioner Bud Selig should have gotten this deal done without all this. He should also have set up a management office to teach some of these teams how to run their baseball businesses, because while the playing field is unlevel and there are gross inequities inherent to the current system, the fact is that the Brewers, Tigers, Royals, Devil Rays and other teams are what they are for a reason -- bad management.
correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't the brewers owned by selig and managed by his daughter? :heh:

[sbp]

Maybe they don't care that they will reduce baseball to pro soccer...That low fate is what MLB deserves.


Originally posted by whitak24
correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't the brewers owned by selig and managed by his daughter? :heh: Well yes wink wink the brewers are managed by Buddy boy's daughter but nod nod people know who is really running the team. Definitely qualifies him to be Commissioner. :dodgy: