Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Players Likely Setting Strike Deadline

Aired August 12, 2002 - 14:04   ET

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


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, eight years ago today, baseball struck out. Now, the sport is close to doing it all over again. The next move is up to the players.
And Josie Karp with CNN Sports is at the Chicago hotel where the players are meeting over a strike date -- Josie, has that meeting started yet?

JOSIE KARP, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the meeting has started now, Carol, and we are getting closer to finding out in a couple of hours what they do decide to do. During the meeting, the executive director of the players' union is going to brief players on what the state of negotiations is, and there is every indication and reason to believe that they will then debate whether or not to set a strike date, and all indications are that that will happen.

Earlier today, just a couple hours ago, players started to arrive from all around the country. One of the bigger names who was here is the Boston Red Sox's Nomar Garciaparra, and even though this is the anniversary of when players walked out eight years ago, and things seemed to be unfolding along a similar pattern to what happened then, some players believe that even if a strike date is set, history does not have to repeat itself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE GIRARDI, CHICAGO CUBS: I don't it's waving a black flag. I think it is just trying to push the envelope and try to get a deal done, because the players want a deal done just as bad as the fans and the owners do. You know, in a lot of union negotiations, there's a lot of strike deadlines set. We're not the only people that set strike deadlines. And obviously, the people don't want to hear about it, you know, but it might be what it takes to get the deal done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARP: The players hope that if they do set a strike deadline, then that will increase the pressure. Maybe negotiations will heat up a little bit. The stumbling blocks, right now, are those core economic issues. Both sides agree that there needs to be more revenue sharing than there has been in the past, but they differ on just how much, and then there is the idea of a competitive balance tax, or a luxury tax. The owners have said that they won't enter into an agreement without one, and the players have really been reluctant, Carol, because they don't want anything that could act as a salary cap -- back to you.

LIN: Josie, is this as ugly as it was back in 1994, when they actually did actually strike?

KARP: You know, the sense you get from all of the parties involved -- who were involved back then is that "ugly" is not a word that you would use yet to describe what is going on here. The tone has been very different, and they have been a lot more successful actually getting some things done up to the point where they are now, where there is a chance that they could set a strike deadline. However, that could change. There is something combative about setting this type of deadline. That might change the tone of these negotiations.

LIN: All right. Have you heard of a date yet, or a ballpark figure? Pardon the pun.

KARP: What people have been talking about is the last ten days of August and the first couple days of September. Again, in the next couple of hours, all of that will become much more clear.

LIN: There you go. All right. Thank you very much. Josie Karp in Chicago.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com