I am beginning to feel like a writer with a deadline... trying to come up with something interesting to write about... this is very new to me and I hope all that are following this report will put up with the missed typo's and any other shanks...
I am somewhat new to the Net.. but not new to online services and BBS's and have just had an urge to post this spring training here on the Net...I am learning on the fly so there will sure to be errors...
This morning we had the meeting!!! Hirk...Herk... mispelled?! Robinson the GM of the Royals spoke to the entire camp this morning... basically it was the owners side of the strike...Put in a nutshell, they won't ask just any minor leaguer to put on a major league unifrom for spring games... but if they do ask you... and you don't abide, it is siding with the union. and a striking player in not needed. they cannot penalize you but they will send you hone until minor league camp starts...But he also re-assured the strike supporters that there were 34 signed replacements here and they would not be calling on very many players outside that group.
The word spread through camp like wildfire... the minor leaguers have heard the onwers side. now its the players side... there was wind of a players meeting in Tampa Monday Night. but being a replacement I never heard of it...I managed to procure a doc from the players union about this so-called meeting and it will most likely will be a rally for the minor leaguers to band together... that is fine with me... I was a minor leaguer four fifths of my professional career and the union ws not there to help me and they will continue to not help the minor leaguers...
This story is a perfect example of how greedy this union can be... In 1992 a player by the name of Benny Distefano was trying to talk the union into supporting a minor leaguer pension plan... nothing great, but something for the guy that spends 14 years in the minors and leaves with nothing but arthritis and a pair of cleats...
To get this plan up and running it would require each major leaguer to put, If I remember correctly 8,000 or so of their Licensing revenues into a fund the first year and a smaller amount after that. these guys get 80,000 a year just from the sales of hats caps and such... on top of their huge salaries... this would then allow the teams to offer a pension plan to the players that have a considerable amount of time in the minor leagues... from what I gathered... it would not be a huge amount of money to each player... but more of a lump sum or smaller amount over time to help with the transition or to fund school or whatever they deemed fit...
This is something that really hit me hard once being in the big leagues... these guys have a hard time remembering where they came from.. and some are very lucky to even be there!!! I was very fortunate to have the chance to pitch at the major league level... and it is an honor to have faced Will Clark, Daryl Strawberry, George Brett, and many other notable hitters... I will tell my son this in the future and hold my head up high... but it is not the money that makes this game what it is... it is the Game itself, the fans, and these great athletes that play it... replacement or not...
mallyman
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