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CNN Live At Daybreak

Interview With Chris Cotter

Aired August 30, 2002 - 06:08   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to talk more about the strike, or the no strike, we just don't know right now.
Chris Cotter of 790 The Zone in Atlanta is here for his regular Friday visit.

And you have word -- I'm going to say "word."

CHRIS COTTER, 790 THE ZONE: How many times have we talked about this?

COSTELLO: I know.

COTTER: Has it been a month-and-a-half, six weeks? Every time I come in here, it's something else about the strike and the non-strike and is it going to happen?

Well, today, we're finally going to find out if it's really going to happen, which it isn't going to happen, by the way.

COSTELLO: OK. Why?

COTTER: They won't strike. They have too much to lose. Both sides have too much to lose. Listen, we have been saying this all along. And Bud Selig shows up 48 hours in advance, and not supposed to make a big deal, a big difference in...

COSTELLO: He didn't even go into negotiations. He just, like, looked on.

COTTER: You're right. He hasn't even been in there face-to- face, but his presence is making a big difference.

COSTELLO: I'm sure. Just like an angel.

COTTER: I'm sure, though, that the common man around the country is pleased to see Tom Glavine and some of these other baseball players in at 4:00 in the morning talking about things. I mean, that's -- I'm sure they are saying, wow, at least now they're working my kind of hours. You know, people that are up right now are saying, hey, these guys are at least working my kind of house.

COSTELLO: But the biggest issue has been settled.

COTTER: Yes, which is a big deal, and that is the one that is going to sort of be the snowball effect with the other ones, and that's the luxury tax issue supposedly has been settled. They have reached a number.

If you remember a couple of weeks ago when I was in here, the players wanted about $140 million, payrolls over that; Owners wanted $100 million. Well, they kind of came to a middle ground, about $118 million, $120 million, and that's the number that they're going to go with there.

So now that they've gotten that one done, it's mostly now semantics in some of the smaller issue items that they're going to be able to -- that they're going to have to get done, but...

COSTELLO: So give us an example of one of the issues they are still quibbling about.

COTTER: Well, one of them might be, for example, when the next agreement will end officially. Is it four years from now, or is it four years from October 31, is it four years from December 31? And one side has reason, but I don't know what it is, why they would want December 31, and the other side, why they would want October 31st.

Get the deal done, for crying out loud. You're killing us over here.

COSTELLO: This luxury tax, now that they've agreed, can you explain to us what exactly it means. So they have come up with this figure of anyone with a payroll over $118 million...

COTTER: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... is taxed on what?

COTTER: Is taxed on the amount over that $118 million. And so, what that is going to do essentially is it's going to not necessarily end any of the owners' ability to spend more than $118 million, but it is going to penalize them.

If you have a George Steinbrenner, for example, who really feels like this one player can put him over the top to win a World Series, it might be worth it to him to pay that luxury tax just to be at $125 million, $128 million payroll, if he really feels like it.

So some of the owners have enough money to where they'll even go above and beyond that $118 million.

COSTELLO: Yes, and I think George Steinbrenner...

(CROSSTALK)

COTTER: But most will not, and at this present time, it only affects a couple of teams, three teams, I believe: the Dodgers, the Rangers and the New York Yankees.

COSTELLO: New York Yankees.

COTTER: Those are three teams that that it will affect...

COSTELLO: Got you.

COTTER: ... at the present time, so.

COSTELLO: OK, well, we'll keep our fingers crossed, and hopefully, that Chicago game will get off on time.

Chris Cotter from The Zone joining us this morning -- we appreciate it.

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