Red Sox refuse to play

[Balta1701]

Normally I'd have stuck this in the catch all thread but I figured someone would fail to notice it there and create a thread for it anyway. The Red Sox actually just made the breaking news on CNN.com.

The Boston Red Sox refused to take the field for their final spring training game in Florida on Wednesday and threatened to boycott their flight to Japan for their season openers unless their coaches and other staff are paid for the trip.

 

Fans filled the stadium, the national anthems were sung and the Boston and Toronto Blue Jays lineups were announced, but the game did not begin at its 12:07 p.m. scheduled start.

 

Baseball spokesman Rich Levin said the sport's lawyers were dealing with the situation.

 

"We're trying to work it out," he said.

 

Mike Lowell told The Boston Globe the team voted unanimously not to take the field for their final spring training game or to board the plane later Wednesday for Japan.

 

Manager Terry Francona and his players were upset after learning staff members are not going to get a $40,000 stipend. The Boston Herald reported players insisted part of their agreement to make the trip included the fee -- for them and the coaches.

 

"I did not have an off day yesterday. I had the phone glued to my ear because I was promised some answers and I haven't even received a phone call," Francona said Wednesday. "So I'm a little bit stuck. What I want to do this morning is get excited to play a baseball game and what I ended up doing is apologizing to the coaches and being humiliated."

[daa84]

Normally I'd have stuck this in the catch all thread but I figured someone would fail to notice it there and create a thread for it anyway. The Red Sox actually just made the breaking news on CNN.com.

after they b****ed about the yankees complaining about the trip, how hypocritical does this make them look?...although i guess they wouldnt be red sox nation without being hypocritical....i hate them

 

how about this? there are what 7 coaches? with 25 guys on the roster making 40,000 that comes out to a million dollars...how about just divide the million up 32 ways instead of 25...that way everyone gets 31 thousand.....its not like manny needs the extra 9 thousands bucks....

 

frankly they should be happy to get anything at all....its not like they arent gonna get the same salaries as all the other coaches in the league who wont make hte trip, or the same salary they get every other year they dont play overseas....in the espn article francona made it sound like they wont be recieving part of their yearly pay, which is wrong...they just wont be getting a bonus for going on this trip....id coach for free if i got to go to japan on the mlbs ticket

Edited March 19, 2008 by daa84

[Harry Chappas]

What is funny is the $40K is probably a good percentage of some of their annual salaries. Why should the bullpen coach get an extra $40K for going ot Japan?

[Texsox]

The players were not b****ing about playing, they just wanted their coaches and staff compensated. Seems a lot different then the Yankees situation.

[Texsox]

What is funny is the $40K is probably a good percentage of some of their annual salaries. Why should the bullpen coach get an extra $40K for going ot Japan?

 

Same with some players, a guy making the league minimum will really notice this. The player's union no doubt managed this clause for their union members. Most companies would offer management at least some of the same benefits that the people they manage are getting. Interesting the union members are striking to help management. How often does that happen?