A couple of issues to consider as the negotiations continue:
1. Will teams be ready to play Friday?
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports that all teams will be prepared to play on Friday, even if a settlement is reached late Thursday night. The three teams that have the longest distances to travel for road games beginning Friday will travel on Thursday: the Twins play in Minnesota on Thursday and head to Oakland, the Royals have an off day in Kansas City before going to Seattle and the Cardinals travel from Cincinnati on Thursday for a Friday day game in Chicago.
2. How will the schedule be handled if there is a short strike?
Two days of games were lost in the 1985 strike and all games were made up later with doubleheaders. A similar scenario could occur this year. If Friday games are cancelled, doubleheaders could be played Saturday or Sunday to keep the 162-game schedule intact. If the strike is prolonged, matters are complicated. Jayson Stark reports that the situation would likely be handled similar to Sept. 11th last season, when commissioner Selig decided matters on a day-to-day basis, and a week worth's of games that were postponed were made up with the postseason pushed back a week.
In the last formal proposal, made by the owners Sunday night, management offered to set a tax on team payrolls beginning at $107 million for the first three years of the agreement, then at $111 million for the fourth year. Prior to Wednesday, the players' last threshold proposal had the numbers at $125 million in 2003, $135 million in 2004, $145 million in 2005 and no tax in 2006. Subsequent years beyond 2003, it is believed, remain a concern in ongoing discussions.
The agreement, when signed as part of the new labor deal, will be four years in length. The program includes unannounced tests for drugs on the federally banned list of "Schedule III" anabolic androgenic steroids but not for marijuana or cocaine. Two player representatives were quoted Tuesday night saying those drugs would be part of the program.
All i know is, if they strike I will not be watching any MLB for a long time as long as these over paid idiots are on the field.
:thefinger :moon:
1. Will teams be ready to play Friday?
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports that all teams will be prepared to play on Friday, even if a settlement is reached late Thursday night. The three teams that have the longest distances to travel for road games beginning Friday will travel on Thursday: the Twins play in Minnesota on Thursday and head to Oakland, the Royals have an off day in Kansas City before going to Seattle and the Cardinals travel from Cincinnati on Thursday for a Friday day game in Chicago.
2. How will the schedule be handled if there is a short strike?
Two days of games were lost in the 1985 strike and all games were made up later with doubleheaders. A similar scenario could occur this year. If Friday games are cancelled, doubleheaders could be played Saturday or Sunday to keep the 162-game schedule intact. If the strike is prolonged, matters are complicated. Jayson Stark reports that the situation would likely be handled similar to Sept. 11th last season, when commissioner Selig decided matters on a day-to-day basis, and a week worth's of games that were postponed were made up with the postseason pushed back a week.
In the last formal proposal, made by the owners Sunday night, management offered to set a tax on team payrolls beginning at $107 million for the first three years of the agreement, then at $111 million for the fourth year. Prior to Wednesday, the players' last threshold proposal had the numbers at $125 million in 2003, $135 million in 2004, $145 million in 2005 and no tax in 2006. Subsequent years beyond 2003, it is believed, remain a concern in ongoing discussions.
The agreement, when signed as part of the new labor deal, will be four years in length. The program includes unannounced tests for drugs on the federally banned list of "Schedule III" anabolic androgenic steroids but not for marijuana or cocaine. Two player representatives were quoted Tuesday night saying those drugs would be part of the program.
All i know is, if they strike I will not be watching any MLB for a long time as long as these over paid idiots are on the field.
:thefinger :moon:
