The ABC NEWS/WASHINGTON POST poll surveyed 1,026 randomlyselected adults (382 of which identified themselves as baseballfans) from January 26-29. The margin of error on the poll is +/- 3% for the full sample, and +/- 6% for the fans subsample(Richard Morin, WASHINGTON POST, 2/1).QUESTION: As you may know, professional baseball players havebeen on strike since August. Whose side would you say you're on-- the players' or the owners'?
|
| ALL | FANS |
| OWNERS' SIDE | 48% | 55% |
| PLAYERS' SIDE | 27 | 28 |
| OTHER | 25 | 17 |
QUESTION: Do you think baseball players are paid too much, notenough or do you think they are paid about right?
|
| ALL | FANS |
| TOO MUCH | 70% | 71% |
| NOT ENOUGH | 2 | 1 |
| ABOUT RIGHT | 24 | 27 |
QUESTION: Do you think there should be a limit or "cap" on whatmajor league baseball owners may pay their players, or don't youthink there should be a limit?
|
| ALL | FANS |
| SHOULD BE LIMIT | 71% | 73% |
| NO LIMIT | 26 | 26 |
QUESTION: Do you favor or oppose using replacement players inmajor league baseball games if the strike is not settled by thescheduled opening day of baseball season in April?
|
| ALL | FANS |
| FAVOR | 59% | 61% |
| OPPOSE | 35 | 38 |
QUESTION: Do you think you, personally, will be as big abaseball fan as you were before the strike, more of a fan or lessof a baseball fan?
|
| ALL | FANS |
| AS BIG A FAN | 35% | 47% |
| MORE OF A FAN | 6 | 7 |
| LESS OF A FAN | 42 | 44 |
| NOT A FAN | 17 | 1 |
QUESTION: As you may know, President Clinton may ask Congress tostep in to settle the baseball strike if the owners and playershave not reached an agreement by Feb. 6. Suppose no agreement isreached by then: Do you think Clinton and Congress should forcea settlement of the strike, or should the players and owners beleft alone to work out an agreement for themselves?
|
| ALL | FANS |
| CLINTON/CONGRESS SHOULD FORCE AGREEMENT | 21% | 32% |
| LEFT ALONE TO WORKOUT AGREEMENT THEMSELVES | 78 | 68 |
REACTIONS TO THE SURVEY: WASHINGTON POST pollster RichardMorin writes that the survey indicates that MLB owners -- and notthe players -- "are winning the important battle for publicsupport." But, Morin adds, "However quickly a settlement comes,the survey suggests that the strike has hurt professionalbaseball and particularly the image of professional baseballplayers." MLBPA Exec Dir Don Fehr "dismissed the findings andsuggested that the language of many of the poll questionsproduced biased results that favored the owners." Fehr: "Iwould not pay serious attention to it." Acting MLB CommissionerBud Selig: "These numbers are absolutely consistent with all thepolling we've done. ... Having said that, it only points again tothe fact that we have to get back to the table and make a deal"(Richard Morin, WASHINGTON POST, 2/1).
