Menu
Leagues and Governing Bodies

BASEBALL ONE YEAR AFTER: NO CLOSER TO A DEAL

     The one year anniversary of the '94-95 baseball strike was
featured by most reporters and columnists covering the sport this
weekend, with the primary theme being that both sides are no
closer to a long-term collective bargaining agreement.  Some news
and views on Major League Baseball:
     FROM THE OWNERS:  Red Sox CEO John Harrington, who served as
one of the owners' chief negotiators during the strike, predicts
that this year's losses for the teams will match last year's
$400M mark.  However, according to Will McDonough of the BOSTON
GLOBE, Harrington did say that he expects the players and owners
to issue a joint statement "within the next couple of weeks"
saying that the playoffs and World Series will be played this
year without threat of another work stoppage (BOSTON GLOBE,
8/12).  Acting MLB Commissioner Bud Selig:  "If anybody told me
last August 12 there wouldn't be an agreement now, I'd have said
they were crazy" (Jerry Green, DETROIT NEWS, 8/12).
     THE COSTS:  In Chicago, Jerome Holtzman writes that the
players' salary losses are estimated at $350M -- 29% of their pay
last year (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/13).
     COULD IT HAPPEN AGAIN?  In Philadelphia, Jayson Stark
writes, "There are so many reasons to get this mess settled this
winter, hardly anyone doesn't think things will be better a year
from today" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 8/13).  While low-level talks
continue, attorneys for the players "wonder how the meetings can
lead anywhere if owners are still in the process of hiring a lead
negotiator," according to Ross Newhan of the L.A. TIMES.  Newhan
adds, "They fear it's all part of a protracted scenario in which
the owners will ultimately try to declare another impasse and
implement a salary cap, igniting another round of legal
confrontations -- and certain death" (L.A. TIMES, 8/13).
     IT'S PAST TIME:  Harrington reports "some progress" in the
lawyers' pre-meetings and says that full discussions could resume
in October (Peter Gammons, BOSTON GLOBE, 8/13).  In New York,
Murray Chass cites one source not "directly involved" in the
meetings who describes them as "no-notes, informal, brain-
storming, 'let-it-all-hang-out' sessions."  Chass reports, "The
owners still would like to install a salary cap, but their
representatives say they remain willing to accept a substitute.
While the groups haven't discovered the right avenue, they have
agreed that it is worthwhile to continue meeting and also that it
makes sense to revisit some avenues that hadn't worked before"
(N.Y. TIMES, 8/13).  The owners meet today in Chicago, but Selig
said that labor negotiations "will not be the primary topic of
conversation" (Mark Maske, WASHINGTON POST, 8/13).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1995/08/14/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/BASEBALL-ONE-YEAR-AFTER-NO-CLOSER-TO-A-DEAL.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1995/08/14/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/BASEBALL-ONE-YEAR-AFTER-NO-CLOSER-TO-A-DEAL.aspx

CLOSE