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CNN Live Today

Baseball Players Arrive for New Season

Aired August 30, 2002 - 12:32   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to bring our Jeff Flock back in. He's live in Chicago there at Wrigley Field as players are arriving, dropping their bags, valet parking their cars, getting ready maybe to play ball.
Jeff, what do you know?

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, I guess, you know, I am not as up to speed. I didn't realize that this is standard procedure that these guys get the valet treatment. In fact, there is one coming right over my shoulder here now; perhaps you are going to see him come into the camera shot and range here. We talked to a number of them as they have come back, some people not eager to talk.

You know, the players from the start on this were not real eager to have a lot to say about all of this. They wanted their representatives to do it.

Is that Kerry Wood?

Hey, Kerry, how does it feel?

Hey, Kerry?

Well, if anyone could have made my point, that would have been Kerry Wood. I think he was in earshot there. I think the players have realized in some sense they were not on the tremendously sympathetic side in this one. If in past strikes, people have been on the side of the players and sort of against management, fans this time, I think it is fair to say, really haven't had a lot of sympathy for either side as we look at one more. I think Kerry Wood pointed that out -- but no offense to him, but not eager to hash the whole thing out. I think they are eager to get back to baseball and doing what they do best.

I do want to listen again to a couple of those comments from Rosie Brown and Bobby Hill, but I do want to see who is emerging from this vehicle here and see if we can't get some fresh perspective from these players.

I am looking at my clock now, Kyra, and I'm seeing that we are less than three hours from game time here, Cubs-Cardinals. We have not seen the Cardinals' bus yet, which ought to be arriving fairly soon, too. So we are watching for that as well.

PHILLIPS: Jeff, it is interesting, the rookies have no problem talking to you. They are eager to talk to you. They can't wait to get out to play. Then you see the big dollar players coming in, the Louis Vuitton luggage, and they don't want to say anything to the media.

FLOCK: Yes, the earlier was Jeff Fassero, who played for the Cubs for most of this season, had not a very good season, to put it without too fine a point, and was traded to the Cardinals. And so he didn't have much to say either.

We'll see if we can get this gentleman.

Say! How does it feel? How does it feel to have it over? Pretty happy.

We got a thumbs up anyway. So that was good.

Kyra, is this a good time to listen to some of those other guys who actually were, as you point out, willing to chat?

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Our Jeff Flock there at Wrigley Field. Thanks, Jeff.

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