BALTIMORE -- PETER'S PRINCIPLES: The Orioles informed MLB
that they won't play spring training games against teams using
replacement players (Mark Maske, WASHINGTON POST, 2/18). Acting
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said the opposition from Orioles Owner
Peter Angelos "isn't anything new, obviously" (Buster Olney,
Baltimore SUN, 2/18). But columnist Ken Rosenthal asks: "How
would the Orioles know if their opponent was using scabs?"
(Baltimore SUN, 2/18).
CALIFORNIA -- SLOW TICKET SALES: Angels VP of Stadium
Operations Kevin Ulich said sales of tickets to Cactus League
games are down about 5,000 from this point last year, and sales
of regular season games are down about 2,800 (Mike DiGiovanna,
L.A. TIMES, 2/20).
CINCINNATI -- HARD LINE: Reds GM Jim Bowden said Reds minor
leaguers will be expected to play in Grapefruit League games.
Bowden: "If they decide not to perform, they have that statutory
right and we will not discipline them. They will be put on the
disqualified list and go home" (Chris Haft, CINCINNATI ENQUIRER,
2/18).
COLORADO -- REPLACEMENT PARK: According to the team's ad
agency, the "star" of the Rockies' '95 marketing campaign will
not be the players, but the team's new stadium, Coors Field (Norm
Clarke, ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 2/19).
DETROIT -- PARTING THOUGHTS? Tigers Manager Sparky
Anderson, who went on unpaid leave Friday rather than manage
replacement players, called the team a "mess" and accused the
front office of "phoniness" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/20).
FLORIDA -- RIGHTS FEES: Marlins President Don Smiley said if
replacement games are played for an extended period, he would
consider reducing the rights fees of the team's TV partners or
increasing the number of telecasts on Sunshine Network and WBFS-
TV (Barry Jackson, MIAMI HERALD, 2/19).
LOS ANGELES -- PICKET PREPARATIONS: The Dodgers, the only
private owner of a spring training facility, met with local
authorities to prepare for possible picket lines at Dodgertown
(Bob Nightengale, L.A. TIMES, 2/20).
MINNESOTA -- AD TIME: Midwest Sports Channel GM Kevin
Cattor said he will decide in a few weeks whether MSC will lower
its ad rates to attract more advertisers to Twins games. WCCO-TV
will do the same this week (Rachel Blount, Minneapolis STAR
TRIBUNE, 2/21). Some Twins sponsors have requested "rate
adjustments," and WCCO-TV is "struggling" to sell ads at full
price (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/17).
MONTREAL -- ALOU WAVERS: Expos Manager Felipe Alou said he
is undecided whether he would manage a replacement team
(AP/Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 2/21).
NEW YORK -- SHOWALTER PUTS OFF DECISION: Early on Friday,
Yankees Manager Buck Showalter "expressed uncertainty about
whether he would manage replacement Yankees." By the afternoon,
he said he would be at the March 2 spring training opener, but he
put off a decision on the regular season (Jack Curry, N.Y. TIMES,
2/18).
OAKLAND -- OPEN-DOOR POLICY: A's President & GM Sandy
Alderson, on the team's openness on their replacement players:
"We don't want to expose any of our guys to pressure or ridicule"
(SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 2/19).
PHILADELPHIA -- WHAT TO DO? The Phillies are to open their
spring schedule with the Orioles on March 3, but the O's say they
won't play teams with replacement players. Phillies GM Lee
Thomas: "If we're just going to play minor-leaguers against
minor-leaguers, then why do we even have the replacement players
here?" (PHILA. INQUIRER, 2/19).
PITTSBURGH -- JOB TO DO: Pirates Manager Jim Leyland, who
described the scene as "weird," will manage the team this spring:
"I have to do my job. And I intend to do that to the best of my
ability" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 2/21).
ST. LOUIS -- UNION TOWN: Labor leaders are urging the St.
Louis area's 250,000 union members to boycott Busch Stadium if
the Cardinals use replacement players (Roger Signor, ST. LOUIS
POST-DISPATCH, 2/19).
TORONTO -- NO FREE LUNCHES, OR DINNERS: The city of
Dunedin's annual "Welcome Back Blue Jays" dinner was cancelled
(Jim Byers, TORONTO STAR, 2/18).
