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From: radio@spuxll.UUCP (Rick Farina)
Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Impending Strike (in defense of the players)
Message-ID: <702@spuxll.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 2-Aug-85 10:13:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: spuxll.702
Posted: Fri Aug  2 10:13:18 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 4-Aug-85 08:47:16 EDT
References: <693@spuxll.UUCP> <375@uvaee.UUCP>, <714@fisher.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Information Systems, South Plainfield NJ
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>> 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.
  
> But you're not, and I'm not going to pay $8 to see YOU play, and I'm
> not going to watch YOU on TV.  If Prince can make 17 million dollars a
> year, I have no problem with the thought the top baseball stars can
> make 10% of that.  The latter, at least, I find entertaining.

A point well taken. This MUST be the rationale behind the player's strike.
In major TV markets, the sports reporter for the 6 & 11 o'clock news
on the local network affiliate probably makes more than most of the
hometown baseball players. And HE only "works" 5 minutes a day!!!
How else could Graig Nettles -- good for over a million per -- be seen
on a local sports show a month ago, talking so sincerely about the "wisdom"
of going on strike late in the season so that the owners would either give in
to the players demands or "lose all of that playoff and World Series
money"?

Fact is, baseball is part of the entertainment business, and the
payoff there for the winners is megabucks. Ballplayers, arguably, 
are just trying to achieve parity with other successful pop entertainers.

On the other hand, it is difficult to sympathize with a millionaire
on a picket line -- hence the fact that most polls show fans
lining up with owners. But shed no tears for them, either.
The last owner who actually made his livelihood from baseball -- 
Calvin Griffin -- left years ago, driven out by -- you guessed it -- 
free agency and escalating salary costs.

raf
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