"Frustrated and disappointed by the Angels' inability to
discipline Tony Phillips for his refusal to enter an
inpatient drug program," Walt Disney Chair Michael Eisner
said that "there is a crisis in [MLB] and that his
organization would work within the system to produce changes
in the game's image and policy," according to Ross Newhan of
the L.A. TIMES. Eisner: "I'm disappointed that [MLB] doesn't
have the kind of discipline that I think would be a good idea
for an industry presenting itself as a role model for kids."
Eisner: "This has been a learning experience for me and I
couldn't believe that a club can't act quickly,
authoritatively and with the kind of discipline necessary to
set an example. ... I talked to ... people in other sports
and was told that only [MLB] would act this way." Eisner:
"This wasn't about Disney holding to a higher standard.
Everybody should hold to a higher standard. Unfortunately,
America's pastime is saying that drugs are more important
than baseball. ... At some point, I assume there'll be a
commissioner, and hopefully he'll be a strong one whom the
owners are willing to let lead them" (L.A. TIMES, 8/24).
REAX: Disney's action on Phillips situation national
reaction: In L.A., Robert Jones, on the mix of boos and
cheers when Phillips returned to the Angels' lineup: "Maybe
Tony Phillips is a cokehead. And not exactly a role model.
But he had beaten Disney. And that was enough" (L.A. TIMES,
8/24). In Tampa, Bill Chastain wrote Disney "played the case
brilliantly. On the surface it worked. When the smoke
cleared, the bad guys were baseball and the players union ...
[But] in essence, all Disney did was make a bad situation
worse by ignoring the established policy to make its
grandstand play" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 8/24). ESPN's Bob Ryan:
"The Angels were grandstanding. ... They were trying to
grandstand to appease their fans' family values" ("The Sports
Reporters," ESPN, 8/24). In Orange County, Mark Whicker
wrote under the subhead: "The Disney Co. Is No Angel" (ORANGE
COUNTY REGISTER, 8/22). In Dallas, Ken Daley: "Abandoned by
their peers and mocked by their adversaries, the [Angels] are
the latest club sent home licking their wounds after daring
to tangle with the [MLBPA]" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/24). But
in K.C., La Velle Neal: "Disney shouldn't be criticized for
trying to preserve its image here. Shoot, they're employing
someone who allegedly has broken the law" (K.C. STAR, 8/24).
On ESPN SportsZone, Mark Kreidler: "The Angels, rogue-warrior
mentality aside, had it right in this one" (SportsZone,
8/25). ESPN's Mitch Albom: "[Y]ou do want to react as an
employer who's got some responsibility for public image. On
the other hand, what's the most powerful force in all of
sports today? The players union in baseball. You're not
going to break that" ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 8/24).
One MLB exec told Mark Maske: "I'm sure Disney got what it
wanted. It made a public-relations statement that it was
against this guy continuing to play. Disney protected its
image by making baseball reinstate him, and the Angels got
their player back" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/24).
AVOIDING FOX: In L.A., Ross Newhan also reported that
the Angels will "abstain" from voting on News Corp.'s
ownership bid for the Dodgers. However, Disney's Eisner
"said he would 'have no problem' with Fox owning his nearest
competitor." Eisner also "expressed disappointment" with the
Angels' attendance average of 22,574, "but he believes
stadium construction in Anaheim has contributed to that."
Eisner said that the Angels are "ultimately capable of a fan
base comparable to the Dodgers" (L.A. TIMES, 8/24).
