WARNING! NOT a pre-season annual baseball thread!! (with apologies to you-know-who)
 

I don't mean to steal Chuckie's thunder and start up a baseball thread before he comes out of hiding to <s>walk</s> be carried down from the mountaintop and thrill us once more with his not insignificant presence and the annual off-topic baseball extravaganza...but...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...x.html?cnn=yes

Damn, I was all excited when I saw the "WARNING...baseball..."

I saw that today when ESPN was broadcasting the Boston/Tampa Bay pre-season game, because the start was apparently delayed for an hour because of this "dispute". Here's my question: all of the staff that was supposed to go, coaches, trainers, etc., do they normally go on regular-season road trips? And, if they do, doesn't the team usually pay for their travel? So, is this dispute over an <B>additional</B> $40,000 "appearance fee" per person? Or did these people assume baseball or the team was paying for the trip, and they just recently found out they were going to have to pay for it out of their own pocket?

If it's the latter, I agree with the "walkout". If it's the former, then staff are getting as spoiled as the players.

And, until what-his-name comes down from the mountain, I'll avoid saying "Go Cubbies!" in this thread. :D

I get sick of seeing the Red Sox in the news.

Edited for clarity

Thanks...no rap against their acccomplishments on the field, but off the field they have more manufactured drama than a season's worth of Survivor episodes.

I read it as per diem... walking around money... sushi's expensive ya know. Must be almost spring... the Cubs fans aren't suicidal yet.

Some are, I'm sure.

And in related spring training news today, Kerry Wood went down with back spasms. The good news is that it's minor; he's only expected to be out until November.

From what I have read, in previous years the coaches were paid the same compensation as the players and managers. Everybody thought this was the case this year and then it was discovered that the coaches from both teams would not be compensated like the players and managers. So the Red Sox decided to take a stand to defend the coaches from both the Athletics and the Red Sox. For once the players took a stand that was for the benefit of others.

MTD, Sr.

Yea I know, but I don't get it. You spend more time cooking it, and it's worth less?

I gathered it was something like that, but it wasn't clear was if it was $40,000 to cover the entire staff, or $40,000 for each staff member. It was clear, however, that the players were already getting theirs, but this issue had to do with the money for the coaches and staff, and the players were backing the staff. And, also to be fair, it sounds like the A's were having the same issues.

Either way, if my company was paying for me to go to Japan, I could probably afford to pay for my own sushi.

Hope springs eternal.

Shut up.

(Oh, btw - what's the "E" stand for? Ever-lovin'?)

<b> </b>

His title seems to be getting longer and longer, doesn't it? Who authorized that? I don't remember a vote. If there was one, I demand a recount. If there was one, I demand a re-vote.

Sorry. Your vote doesn't count - you voted too early.

But I feel a poll coming on...

I feel so, disenfranchised.