Sox May Refuse to Fly to Japan

[BoSox21]

The Sox are threatening to boycott their final spring training game and the trip to Japan unless the team's coaches, training staff and equipment staff are paid for the trip, as was apparently promised by MLB at one point

 

Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell confirmed to the Globe’s Jackie MacMullan that the team voted unanimously this morning not to make the scheduled trip to Japan or play its final spring training game against Toronto this afternoon unless the coaches, training staff, and equipment staff were going to be compensated for making the trip to Japan.

 

''When we voted to go to Japan, that was not a unanimous vote,'' said Lowell, "but we did what our team wanted us to do for Major League Baseball. They promised us the moon and the stars and then when we committed, they started pulling back. It's not just the coaches, it's the staff, the trainers, a lot of people are affected by this.

 

"I'm so super proud of this team, when we put it to a vote it was unanimous, we're all in agreement that we're not going to put up with this.''

 

Boston Globe's full article

[BoSox21]

personally, I think this is a classy move by the Sox to stick up for those members of the organization whose voice isn't necessarily heard as loudly as the players

[soxfan17881]

I hope that the A's follow suit. United front, you know.

[BSN07]

Ya I agree, MLB better pony up. They most likely will, I'm sure they have alot already invested in this Japan thing. If the Sox stay home, MLB looks like a bunch of knuckle draggers...

[BoSox21]

I hope that the A's follow suit. United front' date=' you know.[/quote']

 

good point, you'd almost think the As would have to follow suit to stick up for their own guys which would thus eliminate any possibility of the Sox forfeiting the two games

 

I suppose someone could say that the players should simply give their stipend to the staff since $40,000 means far less to them but that isn't really the point in this situation, its the principle of the matter that it should be up to MLB to provide the cash and not the players

[jacksonianmarch]

Hope MLB forces the sox to forfeit those two games.

 

That being said, it is a pretty classy move.

[BoSox21]

so today's game didn't start at 12:05pm as originally scheduled due to the dispute and the Sox instead were signing autographs at 12:30pm. But the update is that the game will go on at 1:10pm as a resolution has apparently been reached.

[BudLight]

It's a classy move by the players to stick up for their coaches who are not represented by the CBA. But the issue is much larger than that. Anyone who believes the Sox players would not have traveled to Japan for these four games is, IMO, crazy. These 4 games in Japan are about much more than just the games themselves. The negative financial impact that would have been brought upon the MLB and the Red Sox organization would have been great. Remember about a year ago when everyone was saying the price paid for Dice K would be returned many times over through partnership and advertising with Japanese companies. Well, failure to make this trip would significantly impact those monies.

[BoSox21]

It's a classy move by the players to stick up for their coaches who are not represented by the CBA. But the issue is much larger than that. Anyone who believes the Sox players would not have traveled to Japan for these four games is' date=' IMO, crazy. These 4 games in Japan are about much more than just the games themselves. The negative financial impact that would have been brought upon the MLB and the Red Sox organization would have been great. Remember about a year ago when everyone was saying the price paid for Dice K would be returned many times over through partnership and advertising with Japanese companies. Well, failure to make this trip would significantly impact those monies.[/quote']

 

I don't think either side really believes the games won't happen but the Red Sox are using the only real leverage they have to resolve an issue that they (rightfully) believe is unfair. There's no way MLB would let an issue like this torpedo something that is really important to their worldwide marketing campaign

[BudLight]

If the MLB hadn't blinked and reached a settlement today it would have put John Henry in a very tough situation.

[BoSox21]

If the MLB hadn't blinked and reached a settlement today it would have put John Henry in a very tough situation.

 

then I think Henry himself would've forked over the cash to pay his staff and the games would've gone on cause it would've been mission accomplished in terms of making MLB look as bad as possible.

 

because they're such a classy organization, the Sox would've made the trip anyway because there's a lot more to this trip than simply playing a few games. they're putting on baseball clinics, visiting a military base, etc.

[VA Sox Fan]

It's a classy move by the players to stick up for their coaches who are not represented by the CBA. But the issue is much larger than that. Anyone who believes the Sox players would not have traveled to Japan for these four games is' date=' IMO, crazy. [b']These 4 games in Japan are about much more than just the games themselves[/b]. The negative financial impact that would have been brought upon the MLB and the Red Sox organization would have been great. Remember about a year ago when everyone was saying the price paid for Dice K would be returned many times over through partnership and advertising with Japanese companies. Well, failure to make this trip would significantly impact those monies.

 

 

There are only 2 regular season games being played in Japan, 3 exhibition games

 

Appears the issue has been resolved.

[BudLight]

There are only 2 regular season games being played in Japan, 3 exhibition games

 

Appears the issue has been resolved.

 

 

I thought they were only playing one exhibition game on Saturday, one on Sunday and then two against the A's on 25 and 26 March

[VA Sox Fan]

I thought they were only playing one exhibition game on Saturday' date=' one on Sunday and then two against the A's on 25 and 26 March[/quote']

 

Correct, I meant 2 exhibition games v. Japanese teams and 2 v. the A's. 2 regular season games.

 

Nice new signature bb, you and Seano should have a lot in common, do you have a one of those 1/20/09 bumper stickers on your car too? The date folks can start whining about Obama or McCain?!!???

[VA Sox Fan]

Coaches and staff will be compensated

 

Posted by Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff March 19, 2008 01:36 PM

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Here's what we know about the deal to compensate players.

 

A major league source said moments ago that all staff associated with the trip will be compensated. Not sure whether it's $40,000 or even more because the receipts from the trip will be split at the end.

 

According to the source, in the past, the coaches' compensation has come from the players' portion of the pool. This time around the coaches were eliminated from that pool. Did someone not tell the players? That'll be the interesting question to Sox player reps after the game.

 

The source said that coaches, and managers as well as the training staff will all be compensated and the final amount is expected to exceed $40,000 per man.

 

The major league source was miffed that they are being portrayed as the ones who backed out of an agreement.

 

Efforts to reach the Players Association have been unsuccessful

[BoSox21]

it wouldn't have made much sense for the players to make such a public outcry and protest over this if they were actually the ones who cut out the coaches and staff

 

either way, its nice that it all worked out but there still seems to be that part of the story missing

[BudLight]

Correct, I meant 2 exhibition games v. Japanese teams and 2 v. the A's. 2 regular season games.

 

Nice new signature bb, you and Seano should have a lot in common, do you have a one of those 1/20/09 bumper stickers on your car too? The date folks can start whining about Obama or McCain?!!???

 

 

No bumper sticker, just the large "NY" logo on the tonneau cover of my pickup. I gotta agree with Sean though, McCain is my choice right now. It really bothers me that in 20 years time Obama could not convince or did not try to convince his pastor that his views were far from mainstream and at time downright racist, hateful and unpatriotic, yet he wants us to believe he does not condone the reverends statements. Have you also heard the Rev Al Sharpton is branching out his organization, opening an office in Chicago. Guess who is the President of that office, Wrights daughter. Nice company BO keeps

[Cocos Disciples]

Good for them, sticking up for the coaches like this. I am very glad it got resolved, as I can't wait to see the games!

[soxfan17881]

Classy though it was, it does kind of rub a guy the wrong way to root for someone's $40,000 bonus for taking a trip to Japan. That kind of dough would almost double my salary and I don't get to see Japan for my trouble.

 

The real point didn't seem to be purely $$$, at least as I took it from Lowell's comments. It was that the league office was reneging on one of the thing it promised at the onset.

[26 to 6]

Anyone have any idea if the exhibition games are going to be televised?

[soxfan17881]

Anyone have any idea if the exhibition games are going to be televised?

 

From what I can get from MLB.com and Redsox.com, the exhibition games are only on MLB.tv. The A's games are on ESPN 2.

[26 to 6]

Does anyone feel generous enough to lend out their mlb.tv password? I never bothered to get it because I have extra innings, but I've been looking forward to the 4 exhibition games all winter and now I cant even see them

[RedSoxRooter]

Does anyone feel generous enough to lend out their mlb.tv password? I never bothered to get it because I have extra innings' date=' but I've been looking forward to the 4 exhibition games all winter and now I cant even see them [/quote']

 

I'd give you mine, but you're a yankee fan and would probably download like 3 games from 1997 and a Knoblauch signed pair of undies and charge it to me. It's cheap enough, you should buy the monthly version.

 

If you do though, and want to cancel, remember to do it. They will charge you each month till the day you die if you forget.

[26 to 6]

i would have no reason 2 watch after the Japan exhibitions. I have extra innings. I wudnt download anything to anyones account anyway, that would not be very nice lol.

 

Thanks though. Its all good