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American Morning
In the Strike Zone
Aired August 30, 2002 - 09:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to big league baseball right now. Some bigtime bargaining continuing today. Talks here in New York City between owners and players reps never took a break last night. Word that they have narrowed the gaps, significantly in some areas, in fact, but still no agreement.
Let's go to Josie Karp on the streets of Manhattan for more on this.
And, Josie, good morning again. Where do we stand now?
JOSIE KARP, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I stand In midtown Manhattan, where one center of attention is focused. There is another center of attention I'll talk about in just a little bit, but here is the latest.
Early this morning at around 6:25 a.m., negotiators from the union side came over here to Major League Baseball headquarters, and they received an ownership proposal in a meeting that lasted about 25 minutes.
Since then, they've been playing a waiting game here. From what I can tell, from sources, in this agreement that's on the table right now, revenue sharing is a done deal. It transfers about $258 million a year. Another done deal is contraction. From what I can tell, from sources, contraction -- the owners have agreed not to contract during the life of this agreement, while players agreed not to stand in the way of contraction after the four years of this agreement, if this agreement actually gets done, because there are two things still standing in the way of an agreement.
The first is the fourth year of a luxury tax, and second is that termination date, October 31, or December 31.
The other center of attention that will tell what is going on in New York is what is going on in Boston, where the Red Sox were supposed to have gotten on a charter plane at 8:30 this morning. They were going to take a bus from Fenway Park to their charter plane at 7:30 this morning. They arrived with all of their bags, but they are in a holding pattern right now. And from what people have told me, just before I stepped on the set to talk to you, is they are still waiting word to hear where they are going and what to do. So that is the very latest.
HEMMER: Josie, boy, that is a whole lot of news, essentially, what you are saying that Minnesota Twins survive for at least three or four years, the Montreal Expos survive for at least three or four years to come. You talked about the revenue sharing being a done deal. The luxury tax, according to my numbers. There are only about $3 million apart as far as last night.
Given all of that, when this deal is done, is there someone right now talking about a winning side, or is this truly a mutual agreement, in which both owners and players have put aside significant differences and come to issue of compromise.
KARP: It's too early to tell. But the one thing, that if an agreement gets done, you can be certain both sides are going to say that they got what they wanted, as much as they could get, and then point to the fact that there were still things they feel like they had to compromise on.
Again, though, Bill, it is not a done deal, and in terms of contraction, from what I've been told, the union has agreed not to stand in the way of contraction during the four years of this agreement. Things can happen over time that might change that, but right now, that's what we're hearing. It's all dependent upon if they can get this particular deal done.
HEMMER: Josie, quickly here. I am almost out of time. You mentioned Boston. I understand, in Chicago, apparently, they are selling tickets right now. The ticket window is open for the Cards and Cubs game, 3:20 Eastern Time, the start for that today.
What is, if you could, what is the last dying moment in which owners and players can agree in New York City to continue the season, work out the labor deal without stopping baseball?
KARP: I just asked that question to somebody on the inside, and they couldn't tell me. So this is changing minute by minute. I think -- I don't know -- I don't have eyes in the back of my head, but I think something is going on right now that we might be able to update you on in terms of perhaps another meeting taking place -- Bill.
HEMMER: We'll cut you free. Thanks, Josie. Josie Karp in New York.
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