The average salary for MLB players this season has dropped
by $100,000, according to a survey of all active players and
those on disabled lists by USA TODAY. The current average salary
is $1,099,206 compared to $1,188,340 in '94, a drop of 7.5% (Hal
Bodley, USA TODAY, 7/7).
WHO'S COUNTING? Ronald Blum of the AP examines the
discrepancy between the tickets sold number which is released by
MLB as attendance, and the actual number of people who show at
the ballpark. Several newspaper editors called on MLB to rectify
their figures. New York Times Sports Editor Neil Amdur: "The
person who goes to the ballpark and sees 10,000 people in the
stands and then reads the box score and it says 23,000 knows
something is not right. That's a question of honesty vs.
integrity. It's the error of omission that's at issue here, and
baseball needs as much integrity as possible." Acting
Commissioner Bud Selig: "Tickets sold is a more meaningful
number" (AP/Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/7).
LOTS MO' ON NOMO: In Washington, Tom Knott writes, "He's
not a savior. He's merely a symbol of baseball's healing power
if the game is allowed to take its natural course" (WASHINGTON
TIMES, 7/7). Nomo is also profiled today in the WALL STREET
JOURNAL and PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. COULD NOMO MAKE JAPAN'S
DREAM TEAM? The current issue of USA TODAY's BASEBALL WEEKLY
gives cover treatment to their proposal to allow pros to compete
in an IBA sanctioned tourney at the All-Star Break (BASEBALL
WEEKLY, 7/5-12).
