Agent Scott Boras called comments made by Padres
President Larry Lucchino regarding Kevin Brown's signing
with the Dodgers a "reflection of 'sour grapes,'" according
to Buster Olney of the N.Y. TIMES. Boras: "To suggest that
the Dodgers and [News Corp. Chair Rupert] Murdoch lack
market savvy is like saying Whitney Houston is tone-deaf.
It's a very arrogant and transparent position to suggest
that the Dodgers, Murdoch and Fox are a willing market
patsy." Lucchino "suggested" that Boras was giving
"misinformation" during the Brown negotiations and said,
"there are flaws in the structure of the process that allows
for blindman's bluff." Boras, on Lucchino's suggestion that
"contending offers" for a free agent be confirmed in one way
or another: "The clubs did report their offers to central
baseball, and it's called collusion, and they had to pay ...
as a result" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/18). More Boras: "This is a
case of someone being upset with the market message, so they
try to shoot the messenger" (L.A. TIMES, 12/18).
REAX: In N.Y., George Vecsey: "Cancel the basketball
season. And while you're at it, cancel the baseball season,
too. There's no point playing ball, what with big
television money creating a wedge between the haves and the
have-nots" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/18)....ESPN.com's Peter Gammons
wrote that the Brown deal "raised questions about the
dichotomy between the elite and the elves." MLB Exec VP/
Baseball Ops Sandy Alderson said that if teams "do the wise
thing" and reduce payrolls to $15-20M to "finish in the
second division ... it will get the union's attention"
(ESPN.com, 12/16)....In Boston, Bob Ryan suggests that since
Brown probably gets "some sort of bonus," on top of his $15M
salary, if he makes the All-Star team, he should "kick back
half a mill if he doesn't" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/18).
SAY IT AIN'T 'SPOS: The NATIONAL POST's Tom Maloney
writes that the Expos, who received a revenue transfer
payment of C$12M -- a 50% increase over their payroll of
$8.3M -- are "accused" of using those payments to "turn a
profit, rather than to field a competitive team." MLB Exec
VP/Baseball Ops Sandy Alderson "confirmed" that the Expos
made a profit "primarily" due to the revenue transfers.
Expos VP/Baseball Ops Bill Stomeman: "These owners did not
take $12-to-13 million and slide it into their pockets. ...
I can tell you, without revenue sharing, this business
doesn't survive" (NATIONAL POST, 12/18).
MLB NOTES: USA TODAY's Hal Bodley writes that MLB
Commissioner Bud Selig's "first step to put a damper" on
spending is to enforce a rule that states teams cannot
borrow more than 40% of their value (USA TODAY, 12/18)...
...Fatsis & Walker of the WALL STREET JOURNAL report on
other amenities offered to athletes in addition to
"contracts for a zillion dollars a year" (WSJ, 12/18).