Contraction

[nyy26wc]

MLB just announced there will be contraction of 2 mystery teams. The teams will not be identified until after the details are worked out, including the war with the union.

MLB says the contraction will be done before the 2002 season. I still don't believe there will be a 2002 season.

[Skipper Steve]

Wow! Thanks Lee! Never thought I would see the day.

Here's more:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2001/1106/1274159.html

Tuesday, November 6
Owners vote to eliminate two MLB teams
Associated Press

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Baseball owners voted Tuesday to eliminate two teams before the start of next season but didn't say which ones they would be.

Baseball owners will not lock out players or freeze signings, Selig also announced.

Montreal, Minnesota and Florida, however, have been mentioned as the likliest candidates for elimination.

"It makes no sense for major league baseball to be in markets that generate insufficient local revenues to justify the investment in the franchise," commissioner Bud Selig said. "The teams to be contracted have a long record of failing to generate enough revenues to operate a viable major league franchise.

"There are more than two candidates," Selig said. "We haven't picked the final teams.

"I'm not going to get into the numbers game," he said. "There were a lot of people in the game who were in favor of four-team contraction."

[Skipper Steve]

Another good link:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/mcadam_sean/1274034.html

[Duque]

You know, when I think of all the good markets still out there that don't have teams, and some of the deserving players in the Minor Leagues that don't make the Show because there isn't enough space for them, this contractions stuff just gets worse and worse.

There is a group of Minnesota businessmen trying to buy out Carl Pohlad, but I doubt they'll be able to muster the $250 million MLB will.

[Duque]

Another question: the owners may like this - but I doubt the MLBPA will. Think they'll want rosters expanded to 30, plus extended player security (e.g. - not shipping a guy off to Japan) as a result?

[Skipper Steve]

It only gets thicker:

The following is the text of the response by Donald Fehr, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, to the owners' decision to begin the process of contracting by two unnamed teams:

"Today's announcement by the commissioner that the clubs will attempt to immediately eliminate two as yet unnamed major league clubs is most imprudent and unfortunate. This decision has been made unilaterally, without any attempt to negotiate with the players, apparentlyl without any serious consideration of other options, including relocation, and seemingly with little concern for the interests of the fans. We consider this action to be inconsistent with the law, our contract and perhaps most important, the long-term welfare of the sport.

"Over this last season, and especially over the last several weeks, we have been reminded vividly of the special place baseball holds in America. This makes it all the more unfortunate that the clubs would choose this moment to dash the hopes of so many of its fans.

"And, of course, this is the worst manner in which to begin the process of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. We had hoped that we were in a new era, one that would see a much better relationship between players and owners. Today's announcement is a severe blow to such hopes."

I agree Duque - - at the least, Buffalo would take a team and give them 2 million a year.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Anyone think this might just be a bargaining chip on the owners' part? That is, they give up the contraction idea at the table for other things like maybe a salary cap of some sort of other pay for play limit. Just a thought, but going to the table with 50 heads on a plate is a strong position to bargain from.

[satchel]

This is a maneuver to hold the Players' Union hostage in CBA negotiations, and to hold the target cities hostage to get them to cough up for new ballparks, despite war and recession. If this goes to court, MLB can kiss its precious antitrust exemption goodbye.

[Skipper Steve]

All this crap is just steps to the great CBA dance. Let's just hope they don't trip too often.

[nyy26wc]

Originally posted by Duque
Another question: the owners may like this - but I doubt the MLBPA will. Think they'll want rosters expanded to 30, plus extended player security (e.g. - not shipping a guy off to Japan) as a result?

Under MLB rules, a player must agree to go to Japan. Most, if not all, of the time, the player requests to be sold to Japan, rather than the team making the move and then asking if he'll approve.

Originally posted by Duque
You know, when I think of...some of the deserving players in the Minor Leagues that don't make the Show because there isn't enough space for them, this contractions stuff just gets worse and worse.

Deserving as in "can swing a bat, throw a baseball, and move under own power" or deserving as in "good enough to play in an ideal Major League enviornment"? I don't like the lower quality of overall baseball caused by 30 teams, personally. I say trim all the fat (worthless teams) and we'll have a better league for it. The only regret I might have with any kind of contraction would be the loss of living history. I hope the shallow Expos, Marlins, and Devil Rays get contracted. The Twins would kind of bother me, because you'd be saying "to hell with you" with the memories of Walter Johnson, Firpo Marberry, Harmon Killebrew, Sam Rice, Rod Carew, Kirby Puckett, and (gasp) Danny Gladden. I was going to put Pagliarulo, but I had no idea how to spell it, as I'm sure is in evidence. The owners' greed is starting to collapse on them. It's kind of like the Roman Empire. When it was relatively small, it was well governed and all Romans prospered. As the empire got more spread out, it became harder and harder to keep it under control and eventually it became vulnerable and collapsed. That should be part of a memo written to all professional sports. Contraction, to some extent, is probably necessary to keep the "empire" strong.

Just noticed I am an MVP. Sweet!

[Duque]

Originally posted by Throwback


Deserving as in "can swing a bat, throw a baseball, and move under own power" or deserving as in "good enough to play in an ideal Major League enviornment"? I don't like the lower quality of overall baseball caused by 30 teams, personally.

I honestly think that, with the expanding baseball environment around the globe, and the increased science and medical information that goes into the game today, there's more talent in baseball than any other time in history. Especially in the pitching department, where there's a ton of good young pitchers just coming along in the past couple of years.

[Skipper Steve]

Agreed Duque - - look at all the players from the D.R. in recent years - - a new development and a pool that was untapped in he past.

[BuzzBuzzard]

I still suspect contraction is a big smoke screen and that the owners will give this up in lieu of a lot of other concessions from the players' union. Just my hunch.