According to all reports this morning, Acting MLB
Commissioner Bud Selig will cancel the season, including the
World Series, sometime this afternoon. ESPN's Jimmy Roberts:
"Many of those who have been here in New York to participate in
meetings over the last few days packed their bags and headed
home." ESPN's Dan Patrick: "Barring a unlikely appearance from
a voice of reason, you will hear the voice of doom ... when the
Acting Commissioner says, 'thanks for the memories'"
("SportsCenter," 9/13). The season will end "with a news release
and a telephone call" (Jayson Stark, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER,
9/14).
CONFIRMATION: Baseball's owners received a resolution from
Selig via fax calling for them to support the decision to cancel
the World Series. Selig's resolution blames the MLBPA for
"creating a negotiating stalemate," saying the union "has
consistently refused to bargain with the clubs concerning a
division of industry revenues with the players." The resolution
asks for the signatures of the other owners. As of last night,
there were questions as to whether Selig would be able to get the
"consent" of the Orioles's Peter Angelos, the Dodgers' Peter
O'Malley and the Blue Jays' Paul Beeston. But no formal vote is
necessary to cancel the season (Mark Maske, WASHINGTON POST,
9/14).
FEHR PLAY? Selig phoned MLBPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr last
night to discuss today's announcement. Fehr: "He wanted me to
sanction and agree with him that it was OK and pull down the
season. I told him that if he wanted to pull down the World
Series, that was Bud Selig's responsibility, not mine"
(PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 9/14).
WHAT ABOUT NEXT SEASON? Braves Player Rep Tom Glavine
believes if the World Series is gone, then '95 spring training
and Opening Day "are in a lot of trouble, too": "If the
postseason wasn't enough incentive to get something done, there's
no incentive in the off season" (Tim Tucker, ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION, 9/14). Red Sox CEO John Harrington said
negotiations must continue or the '95 season will be threatened
as well: "We really have to reach an agreement by mid- to late-
October, because player contract transactions (for 1995) go into
full swing in early November. We don't have any time to spend
sitting around" (Tom Massarotti, BOSTON HERALD, 9/14).
PUBLIC RELATIONS MOVES: Both Fehr and Richard Ravitch
appeared on NBC's "Today" show. But the union was "irate" that
Selig apparently "shut them out" of an appearance on ABC's
"Nightline." Selig was on the show with NBC's Bob Costas and
baseball historian David Halberstam. Steve Fehr, Donald's
brother and a union official: "We certainly talked to [ABC] and
complained about it. At first, we heard they made a deal with
Bud that he would come on if that was a condition. They deny
that, but in effect it is the same" (Mike Fish, ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION, 9/14).
TUBE TALK: Bob Costas: "The biggest issue is trust. The
owners come into these negations with a lot of baggage. The
owners had a couple of years to present a coherent plan, but they
didn't do it until the 11th hour." Author David Halberstam:
"[The owners] sensed that the players had the bad odor of young
millionaires, and that they weren't handling it very well and the
fans were somewhat holding back, and they used that and they
found a resonance there ("Nightline," ABC, 9/13). Royals Player
Rep David Cone: "The emotion is building toward anger as we
really feel there are a few owners who want to bust the union"
("Sports Tonight," CNN, 9/13).
