As the Mets and Cubs are "set to depart" this week for
a two-game series March 29-30 in Japan, Cardinals 1B Mark
McGwire believes the teams and MLB "are making a huge
mistake," according to Murray Chass of the N.Y. TIMES.
McGwire: "I know [MLB] wants to do more internationally, but
there's no purpose in it. I don't agree with it." Chass
writes that the series is "part of baseball's global
strategy, a plan to export the game and its merchandise to
more parts of the world in order to generate new revenue."
But McGwire said, "The Japanese have their own brand of
baseball over there. Our game is too international as it
is. It comes down to how much money can they make. It's
not what can we do for the good of the players." But Chass
adds that the MLBPA "strongly favors the globalization" of
baseball and "in fact, has been in the forefront of the
effort." McGwire: "I don't think it's in the best interests
of the players. ... I take the game seriously. To me, to go
play worldwide doesn't turn my crank. ... I have nothing
against anybody else in another country. This game belongs
here. ... They want to copy what the N.F.L. and the N.B.A.
are doing. What's different? The N.F.L. and the N.B.A. are
not the American pastime" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/21).
GIVE BACK: USA TODAY's Hal Bodley reports that as part
of last weekend's MLB exhibition games between the D'Rays-
Braves in Venezuela, MLB and the MLBPA donated $250,000 "to
help relief efforts for damage caused" by floods and
mudslides in the country last December (USA TODAY, 3/21).
