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CNN Saturday Morning News

MLB Players Set Strike Deadline

Aired August 17, 2002 - 09:33   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. There's no crying in baseball. But there might be a strike soon.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: And they may be crying after the strike. Major league baseball players yesterday set a strike date of August 30. And here to discuss all of this and the prospects for a settlement, the issues surrounding this, the future of the big leagues, Josie Karp, she's with CNN Sports. Hello, Josie.

JOSIE KARP, CNN SPORTS: Good morning.

CALLAWAY: She's in New York. And "USA Today" baseball writer Mel Antonen, who's in Nashville. We never did establish, Mel, exactly why you were in Nashville...

MEL ANTONEN, "USA TODAY": Good morning.

CALLAWAY: ... when Miles spoke with you earlier.

O'BRIEN: He's got a career in country music, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

CALLAWAY: Oh, there you go.

You know, I said earlier that we have only received one e-mail that I have read in support of the players.

O'BRIEN: Let's get right to it here. We've got Dale Friesen of Burnaby (ph), one of our frequent e-mailer, has this. I'm going to give you a pair, and then want you both to comment on it.

"It would seem that the timing of this strike is unfortunate and out of synch with the overall mood of the times, both in terms of the economy and the proximity of the looming strike date to September 11. Is it possible that an actual strike could turn into major league baseball's worst PR nightmare?"

And related to this, this comes from an NYPD detective. "The real heroes and the boys of summer are the police and firemen of N.Y.C. They will always be there in good times and in bad. How many of these men and women put their own time in to save the lives at the World Trade Center, and didn't worry about money or their health?"

And coincidentally, they are asking for money today. There is a bit of strange irony to all of this.

Josie, ladies first. How -- take this -- is this the worst PR nightmare for baseball potentially?

KARP: Potentially, absolutely no question. There's no way around it. I think both sides realize, at least they're saying they realize it. As far as the whole issue of 9/11, that's another thing that both sides have addressed. Just this morning, going over some of the national reports coming in from cities around the country, one player saying that, you know, After everything we did good for the game and for the world after 9/11, the idea we could be on strike on that date, there is just no way. So PR nightmare, yes, 9/11, they are aware of it.

O'BRIEN: Mel?

ANTONEN: Ironically, you know, last year at this time after the 9/11 tragedy, both players and owners were saying that this tragedy, that the tragedy is going to put everything into perspective and they are not going to have any work stoppage or strikes or any real serious labor problems because of that. Because they were starting these negotiations, you know, way back last year.

But, boy, have they forgotten what they promised.

CALLAWAY: All right, we're going to go right to the phone calls. And before we take the phone calls, we want to remind everyone to please turn down your television before we (UNINTELLIGIBLE), because there is a bit of a delay.

Gene from New Jersey, you're on.

CALLER: Chutzpah. Why do these owners pay these exorbitant salaries and then cry that they're losing money?

CALLAWAY: Either one of you, go ahead.

ANTONEN: I tend to agree with you. I mean, I think that is one of the big issues. The owners have to understand that they pay all this money voluntarily and then they ask -- you know, then they blame the players for the economic mess that baseball is in. It's unbelievable that the Baltimore Orioles are paying Albert Bell $12 million and he's not even playing. Bobby Higginson of the Detroit Tigers is another example. He's making $11 million this year and is struggling to hit .290.

I mean, there's a lot of the examples of the players -- of the owners overpaying, and then they hold the players responsible. It's ridiculous. The caller makes a good point.

CALLAWAY: You know, but Josie, let me ask you a question really quickly. How much are -- not all of the players are making in the millions, though, right?

KARP: No, absolutely not. The minimum salary right now is around $200,000. But the average salary is almost $2.4 million. When you look at that, you can understand why people out there are saying, Hey, how could these two sides, both of them, have any problems right now? Just settle your difference. You're making an average of $2.4 million each.

On the idea of the owners creating this problem, I think it is a classic example of creating your own monster, but it's out of control right now. Both sides agree there has to be some form of revenue sharing, increase, and they've got to get the salaries under control. It's just a question of how much.

O'BRIEN: All right, you know, in the history of Reporter's Notebook, I cannot recall a subject that has generated such strong opinion and such unanimity. Let's look at these, from Chris, first of all. "If they strike again, they have lost me as a viewer forever. I hardly watch any games now." That is representative of hundreds of other e-mails like it.

And then this one from U4bred at AOL, "Perhaps Barry, J.D., Chipper, and the other prima donnas will have to get a real job now like the rest of the world. Wow. Whatever will happen to their lifestyle then? Would you like some fries with that, sir?"

There is a tremendous amount of animosity there, Mel.

ANTONEN: Yeah, it's typical of fans, obviously. You can understand why they are upset. As a fan, I would be upset. You know, in the history of work stoppages, the fans have always said, We're never coming back, we're never coming back. But history shows they eventually do come back. And I don't think the union chief, Don Fehr, the players, the player representatives, and the owners believe the fans. I really don't think they do, because they don't really take too much -- they don't take that into consideration.

So, you know, maybe this year will be different if they go on strike. But I think the principals involved in the negotiation do not believe that the fans will leave forever.

O'BRIEN: Gary Cullen has this from Richmond. "Is it true that many small market teams are actually in good shape financially and the reason they can't attract star players is that their owners choose not to invest the money they receive from revenue sharing in player salaries?"

Josie?

KARP: Well, that is a contention that a lot of the ballplayers will make, that maybe there is a way that the books have been finagled, and they aren't losing as much as they say. And one of the players' concerns is when you have the revenue sharing and you basically draw a line and say if you're below this line you're going to get a bunch of money, that those middle teams will take that money and not invest it in player salaries and will pocket it and make more of a business decision in terms of, you know, are they going to be in the red or in the black, and not try to make their team better?

That is one of the concerns they have among the major issues of revenue sharing.

O'BRIEN: All right. Here is one that talks about what Mel was just picking up on. "We will pay higher cable fees, we will pay higher ticket prices, we will pay higher concessions prices, because we are addicted. Yes, we will stop for a while, but we always return to the drug and lure of baseball. I will only believe that baseball is truly hurt when next year the Yankees versus the Red Sox draw only 10,000 fans in September and the Cubs have only 5,000 fans on opening day. It won't happen." Ricardo Alvarez in the Bronx. I think you know what's going on there.

ANTONEN: Well, the issue in baseball, you know, are the fans going to come back? In 1994, there was a slow turnaround. Fans didn't come back right away. And I think the players and the owners felt, you know, I think they were -- I think they felt a little bit of fear.

But then you had Cal Ripken's Iron Man streak, you had the home run derby between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire, and that made everything better. The fans forgave the players and they went back and watched, they went back to the game and started to watch it.

Now the question is, are there any Mark McGwires, Sammy Sosas or Cal Ripkens in the game that could save the game once again if the players decide to go on strike? The answer to that question may be no. I mean, it's hard to imagine who that might be. The type of player that could put the game on its back and start selling tickets again. I don't know.

KARP: I agree with Mel on that. Just if you look at the fact that maybe the most marketable guy out there, the most recognizable guy out there right now, is Barry Bonds, and he is not the kind of person that everyone is going to rally around, because he's had some things to say that haven't necessarily been the most positive about the fans.

He's basically come out with the attitude that, hey, the fans are going to come back, they always come back. So if you're hanging the rest of, you know, baseball, is it going to live or die, on Barry Bonds and the fact that maybe in a couple years he's going to break the all-time home run record, you might be barking up the wrong tree, so to speak.

ANTONEN: Well, fans always -- I -- and that's good, that's a good point that Josie makes on Barry Bonds. Fans don't relate to Barry Bonds and his limousine lifestyle like they do to Mark McGwire, who is just an everyday player and really did relate to the fans and the love of the game.

And there's a big difference there.

O'BRIEN: All right, we got to end it on this little ditty which came from one of our viewers.

"Take me out of the ball game, take away the crowd. Buy me condos and Cadillacs, I don't care if I ever come back. Ruin, ruin, ruin the whole game. If I don't win, it's a shame. For it's one, two, three strikes, lights out, at the old ball game."

That comes from Mario St. Michael in Naples, Florida.

CALLAWAY: And that says it all.

O'BRIEN: He's on his way to Nashville probably for a song career himself.

CALLAWAY: And Miles, I'm sure they are going to ask you to voice that.

O'BRIEN: I thought about singing it, but that's, you know, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

CALLAWAY: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

All right, Josie Karp and Mel Antonen, thank you for being with us.

KARP: Thank you.

ANTONEN: Thank you.

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