Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 alpha 4/15/85; site sdchema.sdchema.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcc3!sdchema!mmf From: mmf@sdchema.UUCP (Marsha Fanshier) Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball Subject: Re: Pennant Races (and impending strike) Message-ID: <431@sdchema.sdchema.UUCP> Date: Fri, 2-Aug-85 11:23:24 EDT Article-I.D.: sdchema.431 Posted: Fri Aug 2 11:23:24 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 4-Aug-85 07:02:18 EDT References: <693@spuxll.UUCP> <375@uvaee.UUCP> Reply-To: mmf@sdchema.UUCP (Marsha Fanshier) Organization: Chemistry Dept, UC San Diego Lines: 64 > - Jay C. > I hope so. As a fan, I'd hate to see the rest of the season >ruined, but I am tired of this crap. I think the owners deserve to >make money and the players aren't hurting for money, are they? >I have no sympathy for the players. Hell, I'd do what they are doing >( if I was capable of it) for 10% of what the average player makes. >Anyway, if you consider what is best for the fans ( thats US ), the owners >should really stick it out, show the players a hard line and maybe, just >maybe, three things will happen: Everyone is always out to blame the players because of a strike. That's so easy! The players are out to negotiate a contract. The owners have refused to negotiate without pressure so the players put on the pressure. You're blaming the players because they took an action -- one that was easy for you to see. Are you blind that you cannot see the owners' inaction? This whole mess could have been avoided if the owners had sat down with the real intention of negotiating a contract MONTHS ago. They didn't. They wanted to force the players into an action that would be unpopular with the fans and when they players were forced into that situation you did everything the owners wanted of you with your emotional reaction against the players. I have a feeling that if your employers refused to deal with you in good faith that you might also be willing to take drastic, if not unpopular, action. > - The players will think twice about striking next time. Didn't they just strike a few short years ago? Aren't they thinking about it again right now? What makes you think this will change in the future? > - Ticket prices will remain stable. Perhaps, but the owners are always looking for a bigger piece of the pie just the way the players are. Prices could go up for lots of reasons. As fans this might be the one place we do have a means of power. With the last raise in prices of football tickets around here the sales dropped enormously. There is a limit to what people are willing to pay and owners and players both have to face that. > - Cities like Pittsburg will not lose franchises due to > economic woes brought on by high player salaries. Is this why no one supports the team? Are people in Pittsburgh too poor to go to baseball games? In any case it is important that a city support a club both for its survival and for the good of the league. I also think we need to keep a perspective here and not blame the players for everything that has gone wrong with baseball over time. If some cities can't handle the salaries in baseball then the subject needs to be addressed. To think that all blame belongs to the players and that solutions can be found in the overall contracts is a naive response to a complicated problem. The proposals the owners are making wouldn't even solve this problem. My own opinion: I don't think there is going to be a strike. I usually do think that strikes will happen (I wasn't fooled by the last football strike -- I knew they'd go) but in this case there isn't any real need. All these people need to do is sit down and do some serious negotiating and it seems they're finally getting around to it. With the Commissioner's help I think we will see baseball continue on to the playoffs and World Series and I plan to attend both here in San Diego. See ya then! Marsha Fanshier