MLB At A Crossroads, Day 171: MLB Continues Education Effort
MLB Exec VP/Administration Sandy Alderson and Exec VP/Labor Relations Rob Manfred are "setting up meetings with local newspapers so owners could speak with one voice about labor and financial matters, rather than having 30 ball clubs give their interpretations," according to John Erardi of the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER. Alderson and Manfred said that they "realize that whatever public opinion comes out of these city-by-city visits won't affect how quickly a settlement can be reached." Manfred: "It's very important from the commissioner's perspective that fans understand that our stance began from a position of moderation, that we have acted in a way designed to avoid confrontation and that we (want an agreement) that accomplishes the thing we want to accomplish without a (work) stoppage" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/25). Alderson, on the reasoning behind the visits: "We've been criticized in the past for not communicating at all. It's important for us to get feedback" (CINCINNATI POST, 4/25). In Cincinnati, Tim Sullivan writes that in their meeting, Manfred and Alderson "were pleasant and persuasive, making the case that baseball has lost its bearings and its balance through mounting disparities in the distribution of revenue" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/25).
KEEP QUIET: In Minneapolis, Randy Furst reports that as part of the lawsuit to keep the Twins in the Metrodome beyond this season, attorneys for the Twins "turned over almost 22,000 documents" yesterday to attorneys for the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission. The commission's attorneys "were surprised to find almost all of them labeled confidential." If the commission wants to dispute the confidentiality of the documents, a court-appointed "special master" will make a ruling. Documents from MLB "have yet to be turned over to the commission" (STAR TRIBUNE, 4/25).
NOTES: On "Unscripted" yesterday, MLB HOFer George Brett said, "I really believe [that] if there's one more lockout or one more strike, they might as well fold up the gates because no one is going to come back." Brett added he will not become part of an ownership group for an MLB team because "ownership is 365 days a year, and I don't have that type of money" (ESPN, 4/24)....The K.C. STAR's Jeffrey Flanagan has created the "Have Not League," which is made up of the ten MLB teams with payrolls under $50M. The newspaper will run the standings of the "league" once a week, beginning today. The Pirates and Twins, through Tuesday's games, are in first place (K.C. STAR, 4/25).
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