Things may be coming to a boiling point sooner rather than later with regard to the Cold Stove. Executive Director Tony Clark issued a statement today:
"Pitchers and catchers will report to camps in Florida and Arizona next week. A record number of talented free agents remain unemployed in an industry where revenues and franchise values are at record highs.
Spring Training has always been associated with hope for a new season. This year a significant number of teams are engaged in a race to the bottom. This conduct is a fundamental breach of the trust between a team and its fans and threatens the very integrity of our game.”
Three days ago he wrote:
"For decades free agency has been the cornerstone of baseball's economic system and has benefited Players and the game alike. Each time it has been attacked, Players, their representatives and the Association have united to defend it. That will never change."
Methinks the drumbeats of strike and/or grievance can't be too far off...
4 comments:
Boy... A lot of shut dowm talk today
The market giveth and the market taketh away!!!!!
I guess the MLBPA (especially Tony Clark) believes that they transcend basic economics.
MLBPA should think carefully about these kind of statements. I am a person that sides with labor most of the time, but MLB labor has had things quite friendly for the better part of a generation.
Their claims may have some legitimacy, but the public won't know without details on the asking prices and club offers for all these unsigned free agents. With the amount of information available to all, it is fairly easy to deduct that the big and long multi-year deals rarely have a happy ending. If this is about the JD Martinezes and Eric Hosmers not getting $200 million deals, they need to understand that guaranteed commitments of that nature are only worth the risk for the best of the best. That means, players that are household names and draws at the gate and on TV.
Without Boras's hold out for the weak owner caving working, the ripple effect for the mid level guys is not good. Hence, the Frazier-type deal.
With the info we have, I think Lyle nailed it with his comment above.
A strike, after the NFL's black eye, would be just stupid. Stupid.
It would shorten the injury-prone Mets' pitcher's season, though!
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