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CNN Live Today

Baseball's Strike Zone

Aired July 08, 2002 - 12:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Major League Baseball is taking a break for tomorrow's All-Star Game, but more people are talking about what might happen after that. Members of the Players Union are in Chicago today talking about a possible strike.

CNN's Jeff Flock is there, too -- what's the word, Jeff?

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, in addition to those players that are not getting a break because they are playing in the All-Star Game, some other players here in Chicago -- or at least outside Chicago here in Rosemont, Illinois -- meeting to talk strategy for a potential strike later this season.

Now, many of the players have not yet arrived, but the leadership is here. Let's take a look. Don Fehr, who is the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, is expected today to press for authority to move forward on a strike if necessary. We don't know exactly what form that might take. We talked to Gene Orza, who is his No. 2, about an hour or so ago, who said he expected there to be some action today taken by the players -- no word on exactly what.

What they don't want to have happen -- nobody does -- is a repeat of 1994. That, of course, was Major League Baseball's last strike. It was by far it's worst: 232 days and a World Series and playoffs and a season all washed out.

Now, what are the issues that are on the table? Well, No. 1: revenue sharing, this concept by where the most well-heeled of the teams would share their revenue with those teams that don't make very much money, the ownership proposing that 50 percent of their revenue be shared. The players want far less than that.

Luxury tax: That is taxing those teams that have high payrolls, like the Yankees, for example. Once you get above a certain level, a tax kicks in. And that money, then, would be shared with the teams that don't have as much -- also a proposal for a worldwide draft that would encompass all players from around the world to try and make that more fair.

Now, we talked to some of the players going in, specifically Charles Johnson, Florida Marlins. We talked to him. And he said that they are taking a sort of a wait-and-see at this point. At this point, they don't have a real strategy. That's what they are here today to look at.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES JOHNSON, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER, FLORIDA MARLINS: It's part of the game. And some things have got to be resolved. And we've just got to sit down and see what's going on.

FLOCK: Strike date today?

JOHNSON: I wouldn't say that. We haven't even met and talked yet. So we've got to sit down and see how things turn out.

FLOCK: You are a veteran with a lot of perspective on this stuff. What does your gut tell you about this year?

JOHNSON: Well, you know, it's very difficult to say. To really speculate and say how things are going to work out is -- to me, right now, is a little early, especially when we haven't met yet to really talk about the avenues that we are going into as a union.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLOCK: And it may fool us no matter what they do. Keep in mind, Kyra, in 1994, they had a similar meeting mid-season during the All- Star break, did not set a strike date at that meeting. And you know what happened in 1994. So, whatever happens here today, there will be much more to come -- back to you.

PHILLIPS: Yes, we will keep following it.

Jeff Flock, thank you.

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