04/27/24
July 19, 2002
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays were two weeks late in paying $1 million to former players Steve Trachsel and Gerald Williams. Is this a real problem, or are baseball owners striking a woe-is-us pose for labor PR?
Strong union + weak ownership = all sorts of bennies for the players And then, they start getting selfish and go on strike. I would love it if owners brought in scabs to play out the rest of the season. It would certainly be something to remember, and throw the playoffs to a tossup.
posted by insomnyuk at 10:15 AM on July 19, 2002
If they bring in scabs, where do I try out?
posted by trox at 10:26 AM on July 19, 2002
trox - amen. I'll walk through that picket line in a heartbeat. I don't care what kinds of stares and glares any players gave me...if I had a shot, just one shot at playing a pro game, no matter what the circumstances, I'd jump at it. Getting paid to play baseball is a privelege not a right. or as Pete Rose said "I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball"
posted by vito90 at 11:25 AM on July 19, 2002
trox - amen. I'll walk through that picket line in a heartbeat Yuck. Think what you want about pro sports unions, SAG, whichever, but yuck.
posted by yerfatma at 11:54 AM on July 19, 2002
yerfatma, can you explain the yuck? Is it disgust with unions in general, baseball's union, or the willingness of a scab to cross a picket line?
posted by vito90 at 12:09 PM on July 19, 2002
Look who the Devil Rays are paying all that money too, then ask yourself WHY the team is struggling. Why should baseball owners be immune for being accountable to their own insanity?
posted by djacobs at 03:51 PM on July 19, 2002
Interesting how Trachsel doesn't seem to be bothered by the late payment. Apparently the $450,000 checks he gets from the Mets provides some cushioning. Boy that's just got to hurt, being an owner and having to pay money to a guy pitching for another team, or after he's retired, or has completely left your organization. What's really brilliant is when Trachsel (I'm sure there are hundreds of other examples) pitches against the DRays. Haha, they're paying him huge ducats to pitch against them. Strong union + weak ownership = all sorts of bennies for the players