Red Sox to Boycott Japan Trip

Kurn · #1 03-19-08, 11:15 AM

And thus forfeit their 1st 2 regular season games?

Wow.

Talking Poker · #2 03-19-08, 12:38 PM

I was watching this on ESPN this morning... crazy.

FWIW, I think the players are doing the right thing, and think management would be completely stupid to not pony up what they promised for everyone and allow this trip to not happen.

PShabi · #3 03-19-08, 01:04 PM

I'm torn on this one.

On one hand, I applaud the solidarity of the team.

On the other hand...."Wahhhhhhhhhh."

Talking Poker · #4 03-19-08, 01:05 PM

The players aren't doing this for themselves - they would still be getting their $40k bonuses. They are doing it for the coaches and staff... and for those guys, $40k is a lot of money.

PShabi · #5 03-19-08, 01:08 PM

It's "2/5" of their salary. So, they make $100k, but they want $140k, because their duties are not including a one-week business trip, where they could feasibly go to Japan and get by w/o spending a single dime out of their own pocket if they wanted to.

I totally understand getting your money, but still...."Wahhhhhhhh."

You know?

Kurn · #6 03-19-08, 01:55 PM

No, I don't know. It's not "wahh" at all. In fact, its not the coaches who are complaining. Its the players saying it isn't fair to the coaches.

Forget your jealousy over how much these guys make. They have a job where the only days off they get during the spring and summer are when it rains. They spend a minimum of half their work year away from their families. Yeah, its baseball, not football or basketball, but the job is still physically grueling.

A short trip to the other side of the world may be an adventure to me and you, but its just more down time on an airplane to them, and for what? So MLB can make more money off the Japanese market.

The $40 K payout to the players is a token, but it would be meaningful to the coaches. MLB stands to make a lot of scratch from marketing inroads into the world's 4th or 5th largest consumer economy. No reason for them to get cheap.

Good for the Sox players!

PShabi · #7 03-19-08, 01:07 PM

From the article, I understood that it was MLB and not Sox management who renegged on this. If it was the Sox org itself, I don't think they would be asking Oakland about it.