Who would have guessed that among the various collective-bargaining stalemates converging on this Labor Day, the one with the nastiest recent history would be solved first?
Baseball players and owners — those favorite whipping boys of fans and media — averted a potentially catastrophic strike, agreeing to a four-year deal that should dramatically slow the other-worldly escalation of salaries and lead to better competitive balance.
It remains ridiculous that a $3.5 billion industry came so close to virtual self-destruction, but at least America saw that polarized sides can come together with some serious give-and-take. Maybe there’s hope that in the coming week, the Snohomish School District and its teachers, as well as the Boeing Co. and its Machinists, also can hammer out new contracts.
The economics of baseball have been spinning out of control for years. Alex Rodriguez’s 10-year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers will always be remembered as the point at which baseball lost its collective mind. Players, to their credit, gave up ground in this negotiation, agreeing to owner demands for a luxury tax on teams that exceed certain payroll limits, and to revenue sharing that will move locally generated dollars from richer teams to poorer ones. Both plans are designed to slow salary growth.
But don’t worry, the players will be OK. This year’s average salary of $2 million will continue to grow, and next year’s minimum salary goes up from $200,000 to $300,000. Good ol’ A-Rod will still rake in more than $100,000 per game.
Don’t believe, though, that players and owners had the fans at heart when they struck this deal. Both sides were keenly aware that another work stoppage would have driven countless fans away from major league baseball.
"The fans are huge to our game," said Joe Girardi, the Chicago Cubs’ player representative. "If there’s no fans, there’s no games. The players understand what the fans are going through."
Excuse us while we roll our eyes.
After the strike that broke so many fans’ hearts by wiping out the 1994 World Series, players were willing to do it again and will be ready yet again when the new four-year deal nears its end. Owners have locked out players in the past, and would do so again. Players and owners care little that so many families have been priced out of major league ballparks — many of which, like Seattle’s Safeco Field, were paid for mostly by taxpayers.
For now, though, at least we’ll have a pennant race to enjoy. Now if only the Mariners could start hitting with runners in scoring position …
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