11/05/24
July 29, 2002
Hall of Famers step to the plate.: Forty Hall of Famers wrote a letter to Don and Bud, urging the players and the league to use a mediator and forego a strike. They see the writing on the wall. Does Baseball see it? Will the players listen to their elders?
Players may strike as soon as August 16th. In my opinion, it's time to end the "writing on the wall," "death of baseball" rhetoric, and accept that a strike will probably happen--and it won't, necessarily, demolish the postseason. I, for one, respect the right of the players to fight against the owners--owners who do not, I think we can agree, have the best interests of the players at heart: saying that the rich, bastard players just want more money is more than inaccurate, it's depressingly cynical. I'm not afraid to admit to loving baseball, and I'm not afraid to proclaim that no penny-ante work stoppage is going to tear me away from it. But for those of you dead-set against a strike, there is good news: one team has voted against authorizing a date--the first time in eight labor disputes.
posted by kjh at 11:58 PM on July 29, 2002
I'm glad to see them speak out. I think it will have limited effect on the players because I honestly believe very few of them have respect for the history of the game. I suspect the average ballplayer of today considers the stars of yore to be cranky old curmudgeons whose time has long passed. Also thought the passage about Bush signing an executive order requiring players to play in the event of a stoppage was interesting - would he do the same in the case of a lockout?