lohud.com

Sponsored by:

The LoHud Yankees Blog

A Yankees Blog by Journal News beat writer Peter Abraham

No justice, no peace in Fort Myers

March
19

Remember when Boston GM Theo Epstein said how his team was together on going to Japan and wouldn’t complain about it? Yeah, not so much.

Boston’s players are all up in arms over their coaches not getting paid extra and may boycott today’s game in Fort Myers. Thanks for coming to down to Florida to see us play!

So let’s review. The Yankees are charitable men of honor who help their fellow man in a time of need. The Sox are a greedy disgrace to the game.

UPDATE, 1:30 p.m.: Oh, thank goodness. The situation has been settled.

UPDATE, 3:12 p.m.: Yankees player rep Mike Mussina said that when the Yankees went to Japan, they were given a pool of money to distribute how they see fit. The players voted to give equal shares to the coaches and support staff who were making the trip.

Now whether the Red Sox forgot to include the coaches or not, I have no idea. But obviously something got fouled up.

Meanwhile, thanks to all the Red Sox fans who had somebody write me nasty e-mails on their behalf. Good stuff.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 19th, 2008 at 11:37 am by Peter Abraham.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Print This Post Print This Post | Email This Post Email This Post

320 Responses to “No justice, no peace in Fort Myers”

  1. Yankee Fan in Boston

    I remember when the Yankees made this trip, and some people got sick, others said it was a HUGE energy drain. Aside from the Matsui love-in that occured, it was pretty brutal for the players, and the Yankees paid the price early that season.

    If you ask me, this is probably just scapegoating to get out of the trip, and sacrifice the short term for long term success and health. Starting 0-2 and not having to go to Japan is probably a lot better for the Red Sox, considering the start to their schedule this season.

  2. Say it ain't so

    Hehehehe.

  3. Bronx Liaison

    “Mike Lowell has 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.”

    Sox fans are really up in arms about this one.. too bad it’s a complete contradiction of their GM’s recent knock on Mussina.

  4. Patrick

    I can respect the fact that the Sox players are standing up for their coaches but it makes Theo’s comments earlier this spring that much more absurd. A few yankees complained a little about the trip but the red sox want to boycott it altogether!? This is too funny…

    Even though the players are trying to help out their coaches this is a pretty selfish move, it’s spit in the face of Japan, Japanese fans, teams, and MLB.

  5. Trevor

    Hear hear!

  6. raymagnetic â„¢

    I’m curious, were the Yankees coaches paid anything extra to go over there in ‘04?

  7. Drew

    Nothing like a hypocrite.

  8. Mike

    Im a HUGE Yankee fan . .But i have to give props to the Sox.. Baseball is like any other money hungry coporation. . They want . and want . .but never want to dish out !! . . So GOOD for the Sox and there coaches !

    Don’t mess with a Union !

  9. Chris - Bleeds Pinstripes

    I don’t know if that is a fair conclusion.

    The team isn’t made up of only the players. The coaches are part of it as well.

    If the coaches were promised the appearance fee (which is what I have heard the Sox contend), and MLB is now backing out of it, the players should stand with their coaches.

  10. Kate

    They’re greedy because they want their coaches to be paid the money they were promised?

    I know we’re all about Red Sox hate around here but what’s wrong with that? If the coaches were promised they’d be paid for the trip, it’s admirable that the players are standing up for them.

  11. Rishi

    (my own copy/paste):
    Everything I’ve read says the coaches/managers (mostly Francona who told them all) assumed they were getting the bonus/stipend (not MLB) – otherwise how do you think the As knew the deal and not the Sox. So when they As coaches said they weren’t getting anything, Francona looked into it.

    I agree it’s not fair for the rich to get richer and not all to get the bonus, but they can’t say they didn’t already know about it.

  12. Bob

    Did the players ever consider voting to give up about $4,000 apiece and give it to the coaches? Having $40,000 each to spend is totally ridiculous, even in pricey Japan. Let’s keep in mind that the players aren’t paying airfare or hotel bills, ground transportation, etc. That’s just nightclub money.

  13. Rishi

    (my own copy/paste):

    from Boston.com

    “Manager Terry Francona and his players were extremely irked after learning the team’s coaches were not going to get the $40,000 stipend they assumed they’d be getting for making the trip to Japan (players will also receive a payment). Francona had informed the coaches they’d be getting the stipend.

    However, the Sox manager was told by members of the Oakland coaching staff that they were not being paid. Francona had thought it was unusual that one team’s staff would be paid and the other not. So he checked into it and found he and his coaches were getting nothing.”

  14. Ryan

    If the players feel so strongly about this, would it be so hard to take it out of their own pockets? Most of them wouldn’t even notice.

  15. Dave

    Um the Red Sox are greedy because they want their entire staff (coaching and training) compensated for this trip? Are they suppose to work for free now? I surely hope PA was trying to rile up some Yankee fans with this entry. Next time use the “/sarcasm” tag after you submit a post like this.

  16. Simon

    Sorry I must have missed something here. Why is it that “The Sox are a greedy disgrace to the game” again?

    I’m sure if it were the other way round and the Yankees were standing up for their coaches they would be applauded for it no?

  17. Aaron

    I know that it was sarcasm…but that was a pretty crappy post Pete.

    If this was the Yankees people would be lauding them for sticking up for their underpaid coaches.

  18. Fernando Alejandro (Respect Jeter's Gangster)

    Don’t the coaches make pretty good money for hitting groundballs to players? I mean seriously, I assume the Sox are covering all the expenses of the coaches including meals, hotels and plane tickets, so what they’re really saying is that they want more money than they’re paid because they have honored the baseball loving world with their presence in Japan.

  19. Fran

    I don’t see the Oakland A’s threatening not to get on the plane. It was Francona’s fault that he “assumed” the coaches pay. Let the players or the Red Sox organization supplement the coaches if they feel that strongly about it.

  20. SJ44

    What Patrick said.

    I commend the players for standing up for their coaches.

    These guys don’t get paid a lot of money. Especially, in comparison with coaches in other sports.

    40K is a lot of coin for those guys and getting hosed out of the money isn’t right.

    Maybe now Theo will shut up and worry about his own team instead of taking shots at Yankee players.

    Its pretty clear, the Red Sox were not all on the same page about going to Japan. Contrary to Theo’s comments when he ripped Mussina.

    Then again, this is a guy who once said (after getting ripped for not trading for Bobby Abreu in 2006), “We can’t be a uber team like the Yankees and spend money at will”.

    He then spent over 100 million on a Japanese pitcher and over 90 million to sign Julio Lugo and JD Drew.

    Memo to Theo. Worry about your own team and don’t keep saying things that turn out to be untrue. That has a way of undermining your credibility.

  21. LCâ„¢

    Don’t they get paid enough already? Jesus….

  22. raymagnetic â„¢

    “Um the Red Sox are greedy because they want their entire staff (coaching and training) compensated for this trip? Are they suppose to work for free now?”

    No, they’re still getting their regular salaries from the team.

    I still want to know however if the Yankees coaches were paid extra in 2004.

  23. pat

    I traveled for business for the past week and I didn’t get a stipend. Guess I should have spoken to Mike Lowell before I went.

  24. Dave

    To raymagnetic

    Yes, they were paid in 2004.

    But that isn’t the point. Last October all of this was agreed to, that the coaches would get paid as well. This wouldn’t be an issue if MLB didn’t back out of what they agreed back when they were begging the Sox to do this. A lot of you are missing out on the entire story here.

  25. longtime

    By my calculation each Red Sox player would have to give up $1500.00 to pay for their coaches. Give it up you greedy millionares.

  26. chaossolver

    no offense here, but they are in Japan for less than a week, 40000 is someone make in a year… I mean seriously, just for the players, they can frigging split that in half and still have plenty money left over. no offense red sox, thought they played for this game for the game, if they want to forfeit the first two games of the season, be that way; give the A’s a better chance of winning the AL West.
    If the yanks were faced with this situation, the management would probably pay up first and take it up with MLB later, not to risk compromising actual regular season games.

  27. raymagnetic â„¢

    “I know that it was sarcasm…but that was a pretty crappy post Pete.

    If this was the Yankees people would be lauding them for sticking up for their underpaid coaches.”

    So you know that Pete was just joking, yet you’re ripping him for making a joke? You don’t get a lot from watching old footage of Richard Pryor do you?

  28. Simon

    http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?articleid=1081414&srvc=redsox&position=1

  29. SJ44

    Coaches don’t make a lot of money. Many make between 150-200K per year. Not a lot of money in today’s sports world.

    Rookies make 400K. The guys who are in charge of developing them make half that money. Not a lot, that’s for sure.

    The most Leo Mazzone ever made in a season with the Braves was 250K.

    Most only have one year deals. Its why the Yankees giving Kevin Long a 3 yr deal was like gold to him.

    Some coaches in the game make more. The majority do not.

    Historically, the Red Sox are not known for paying their coaches a lot of money. The 40k, promising as part of the deal for the team to commit to going to Japan, is means a lot to those guys.

    Its a standup thing for the players to do here. Its not like MLB and the Red Sox don’t profit from this trip. Giving the coaches the money they were promised is the right thing to do.

  30. raymagnetic â„¢

    “To raymagnetic

    Yes, they were paid in 2004.

    But that isn’t the point. Last October all of this was agreed to, that the coaches would get paid as well. This wouldn’t be an issue if MLB didn’t back out of what they agreed back when they were begging the Sox to do this.”

    Do you have proof that MLB promised the Red Sox that everyone would be getting extra money for the trip including the coaches? From what I read it was something that Francona assumed but the A’s coaches never made that same assumption. Were the two teams given different information?

  31. Rich

    why would the players pay the coached when it was already promised by mlb so that everyone can make a forced trip to japan which nobody (besides mlb) wants ot make in the first place. i occasionally travel (not even out of country) and i always get a stipend in additon to my salary. i wouldnt travel if i didnt. pete is either being sarcastic or is a fool (or a sucker if he doesnt get either paid or reimbursed for his travel for the local rag he works for)what does this have to do with theo epstein anyway? the boycott is for the promised pay, not for not wanting to go.

  32. Rishi

    Per the article on mlb.com, “Francona said it was his understanding that the managers and coaching staffs of the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays received stipends for their season-opening trip to Tokyo in 2004.”

    Still – we don’t know that for a fact,it’s just another one of his “understandings”.

    By the way, wouldn’t it have made more sense for the managers/coaches to receive the bump than the players (esp the multiple star players) – $40K is an at-bat/game for them, depending.

    I do find it interesting that Theo has not commented on this or Ortiz’ “I don’t want to go, but the boss tells me I have to so I will and won’t complain about it” story…kinda sounds like complaining to me.

  33. Dave

    Some quotes

    “They were told they were going to be (paid). For a coach, in some cases, this is two-fifths of their salary for the year. It’s a big deal. I don’t agree that coaches are second-class citizens. That has never sat well with me, ever, and continues to boggle my mind.”

    Schilling recalled a phone call last October that involved Red Sox veteran players and Major League Baseball.

    “They (MLB) wanted this trip to happen so badly, a lot of promises were made and they’re falling by the wayside time and again,” said Schilling. “(The coaches being paid) is something we were adamant about at the time and we’ve reiterated it multiple times.”

    If this had happen to Pena, Long, Meacham, Thomson and Eiland… Yankee fans would be up in arms about it as well.

  34. Dave

    crap.. that first quote was from Tito..

  35. YanksSox

    Oakland A’s are now planning on taking similar measures as the Red Sox. It seems MLB will probably cave very soon.

  36. Aaron

    Wow so if your employer promises you a bonus for something and then decides not to give it to you after they promised that they would…one of your coworkers who makes more money then you should then pay you the money instead?

  37. donut

    I hate the Red Sox as much as the next guy, but I’m not sure this is a fair conclusion. It seems like they’re just sticking up for their coaches, which is a pretty cool thing to do.

  38. bigjf

    Couldn’t have said it any better, Pete. What a disgrace. I hope MLB forces threatens to make them forfeit the opening games against Oakland. That would get them on that plane pretty quick, I would think.

  39. SJ44

    Some of you are missing the point.

    The players aren’t in charge of paying the coaches. The team employs the coaches. Not the players.

    This is a deal that was agreed upon months ago. Now, the coaches are getting hosed. How is that fair.

    If you were promised to be paid a certain amount of money for a trip and then, 24 hours prior to your departure, are told you aren’t getting the money, is that fair?

    The Boston Red Sox and/or MLB (whomever agreed to the financial terms) are in charge of paying the coaches. That’s not the job of the players.

  40. Rishi

    Per Schilling – all agreements and discussions were held over the phone – so verbal agreement but nothing actually documented (in my business we send out meeting notes to make sure everyone remembers what we agreed to…I guess they forgot to do that)

  41. Ryan

    “Coaches don’t make a lot of money. Many make between 150-200K per year. Not a lot of money in today’s sports world.”

    Lets not put coaches in the poor house. I’m not saying what MLB did was right, but they’re still making more money than the majority of the American population.

  42. Simon

    This Herald story adds a bit more background to the story than the Yahoo link Pete provided:

    http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?articleid=1081414&srvc=redsox&position=1

    I’d also like to bring up the point as well that everyone here (justifiably) complains about Sox trolls appearing during Yankee/Sox games etc, but surely this post by Pete causes more aggravation due to its tone and “sarcasm”.

  43. Rishi

    “This is a deal that was agreed upon months ago. Now, the coaches are getting hosed. How is that fair.

    If you were promised to be paid a certain amount of money for a trip and then, 24 hours prior to your departure, are told you aren’t getting the money, is that fair?”

    – As an aside – I still don’t see where this occurred

  44. YanksSox

    “Lets not put coaches in the poor house. I’m not saying what MLB did was right, but they’re still making more money than the majority of the American population.”

    These points never make any sense. It doesn’t matter what you make its all proportional. These coaches were expecting this money. Some have probably spent it. Just because they make more than the average public means they should just forget about it and go.

  45. chaossolver

    think of the statement the red sox is making right now. Pete’s not so wrong calling them disgraces; by doing this, they really are damaging a part of the game and even the overall image of the American society or American sports itself. Take it from someone who actually comes from outside this society, this will only contribute to the notion of Americans being greedy; and the cancellation of this event will only harm the future of baseball.

  46. wsr

    i can understand sticking up for the coaches and staff, but in the grand scheme of things, its a week long business trip, where everything is getting paid for. why do any of the players/coaches/staff need a stipend? it’s not like they will have to pay for food, airfare, hotel, transportation, etc.

    It sounds like the confusion came in when Francona made an assumption that the coaches would be paid, then told everyone they would be. The As coaches hadn’t been paid, so i don’t know if the yankee/rays coaches had been, and it is unlikely that MLB had said the coaches would be paid. If the coaches voted to go based on the assumption made by Francona, that is their fault.

    In my world at least, if you make a commitment, you stick to it.

  47. James

    Whew! And I was worried about the A’s backing out. They got the same deal. Correct?

  48. Ed FL

    I dont see anyone criticizing MLB for backing out of the deal.
    MlB,a very greedy institution, is to blame for this mess not the Boston players. BTW, I’ve been a Yankee fan, not a troll, since I saw The Mick for the first time in 1963.

  49. Fernando Alejandro (Respect Jeter's Gangster)

    “Coaches don’t make a lot of money. Many make between 150-200K per year. Not a lot of money in today’s sports world.”

    Seriously SJ. Your going to make this argument on a blog where the majority of the visitors probably won’t make that much money in 4-5 years. I hear you on the they don’t make as much as others in the sports world, but I’m not ready to shed a tear for them just yet. They’re taking a week long trip to Japan. They’re not being asked to up and move there.

  50. Rishi

    So – does anyone know if their Toronto game actually started (12:05 start time)

  51. JoeT YANKEES

    This is CRAZY!! MLB should wait until they cancel this game, give them the 40K, and then fine each player 100

  52. gayle

    In this instance it all comes down to what was promised and by whom.

    Did MLB promise to pay the coaches??
    Did the Red Sox promise to pay the coaches??

    With everything that happens in this game in terms of agreements,MLB basic agreement etc there has to be something IN WRITING that states who will get paid and by whom.

    If in fact MLB agreed to pay the coaches then they need to stick by their promise and the Red Sox players are correct in standing up for them.

    If the Red Sox coaches and players ASSUMED that that the coaches were covered and it was not in the agreement then they needed to deal with this BEFORE the day they were supposed to get on a plane.

    And oh by the way who is going to pay for all the fans that came down to Ft Myers today to see a game. The players??? I dont think so and in the end they are the ones that get screwed the fans.

  53. Jake

    Peter, you are the man. Hilarious.

  54. Joba the Great

    ATTICA! ATTICA!

  55. Rishi

    Per gameday: “Delayed Start: Other” for the 12:05 game

  56. JimmyQuick

    I’m impressed that most of you are supporting the Red Sox players here, I was expecting so see a lot of idiocy, people agreeing with Pete, who is clearly joking here.

  57. GoSox

    Yeah, how terrible that the Red Sox are standing up for the coaches and support staff after MLB reneged on its agreement to pay the coaches and staff a $40k stipend for going on the Japan trip.

    How this is remotely like Mike Mussina crying about being tired and upset that he was on the trip, I don’t know.

    If you want to say that the Japan trip is a distraction and isn’t good for the Sox, I agree. To say that the Sox players are doing something wrong by standing up for their coaches is asinine.

  58. Aaron

    I agree that this sucks for the fans at the game…I would be RIPPED if I went to see a game just to have this happen.

  59. GoSox

    If Peter is joking, I apologize for the post above. I don’t see any sarcasm in his post at all.

  60. gayle

    Coverage of this issue on ESPN as they were supposed to cdover the game

    Again I say the issue is who was promised what by whom and not what was assumed by whom

  61. raymagnetic â„¢

    “Per Schilling – all agreements and discussions were held over the phone”

    Seriously, they made the deal to fly to Japan, and how much the coaches would be paid based on telephone conversations?

  62. Kevin CT

    Listening to WFAN. The RedSox just left the Dugout and went back into the Clubhouse. Wowie wow wow.

  63. Brandon (Proud supporter of "Alex being Alex" ) (I slay the Anti)

    if I were MLB don’t pay the Red Sox players until they play it’s that simple… this is not something that happened all of the sudden, this was agreed on months ago, what perks is it that MLB forgot reneged on ?

  64. * * THEE BOSTON BUGLE * *

    Hear ye – hear ye – hear ye ….. Theo Epstein is a hypocrire YE.

  65. JANE

    I can’t believe I’m saying this but I agree with the red sox on this. That said, I have to conclude that there are certainly a few “bad apples” in Boston.

  66. Brandon (Proud supporter of "Alex being Alex" ) (I slay the Anti)

    unfortunately right now the Beningo thinks this is a good thing that the coachs are suppose to be paid similar, our coachs didn’t last time we went to Japan. Evan Roberts atleast questioned why the Sox are waiting till last minute to do this I say MLB cut thier pay until they play.

  67. Fernando Alejandro (Respect Jeter's Gangster)

    I don’t disagree that they should get their money, especially if they were promised it. I certainly don’t disagree with the players standing up for their coaches. However, if they don’t get $40,000 for a week long trip to Japan I won’t feel too sorry for them.

  68. Steve (Cashman sucks)

    From reading the article, I think that Terry Francona assumed that his coaches were going to receive the 40K bonus because the Yanks and Rays coaches received it in 2004. According to the articles, there isnt anything that states that Major League baseball ever actually agreed to pay that 40K bonus. This is all just based on Terry Francona’s assumption. And even more telling is that the A’s never thought there coaches would be receiving this bonus. So this is all just created by the Boston arrogance and sense of entitlement.

  69. Y's Guy

    sox management really fumbled the ball on this. first off, they had to know about the agreement, certainly the coaches pointed this out. management should have gotten wind of it and coughed up the money to quell the problem before boycott talk made the papers.
    the players are not responsible for paying the players even though that seems an easy solution, the coaches have to be club employees. if they were promised the money, theo should have given it to them and taken it up with whomever in mlb gave the assurances. all this bad karma over what $300 grand?

  70. Dave

    To raymagnetic:

    I know that isn’t the standard practice when it comes to negotiating deals and I don’t know the exact day this took place in October but the Red Sox were kind of busy that month. Wouldn’t you agree?

  71. Steve

    Peter, you’re a hack, you really don’t see the difference between people whining about a trip into May, and players standing up for their coaching staff? Really?

    Just some cannon fodder for the mouth-breathing Nyyfans.com crowd. You should be ashamed.

    I’d imagine if a Red Sox player had compared the tragedy at VT to 9/11, as Jeter did, you’d be trashing them as well.

  72. JimmyQuick

    Billy Bean said he just found out last night that his coaches weren’t getting paid either and that the organization is also upset.

    So there goes the theory that only the Red Sox didn’t know.

  73. Ryan

    mlb backed out of allowing families to travel with the team and now backed out of paying coaches/trainers/ect. these guys make like 50K a year, it has NOTHING to do with the players. such a BULLS&%^ post. god to hell.

  74. DW

    I wonder when the spring training game will be officially forfeitted.

    It would be awesome if Oakland traveled to Japan and just did sightseeing for the time they were supposed to be there playing the games.

  75. Rishi

    Raymagnetic – I read that in comments from both Schilling and Francona…

    “”We had an agreement. We had an agreement in October,” Schilling said. “I was one of the five or six players on the phone call….”

  76. karebear

    I don’t have an issue with the players standing up for the coaches, it’s that they’re doing it by screwing the fans who may only have this one chance to see the team play. Doesn’t seem right to me… Punishments doesn’t equal the “crime,” in my estimation.

  77. Russell NY

    No way they don’t make the trip. The coaches will get paid and this will get resolved.

    But HAHA! You hypocrites.

  78. SJ44

    This isn’t about comparing what baseball coaches make to truck drivers. Its about comparing what they earn in their own industry. That’s how you compare salaries.

    What they earn in their own industry is a joke. They are the lowest paid coaches in all of sport. How is that fair? MLB is a 6 billion dollar industry. They ain’t hurtin’.

    There are some college football coordinators making more money than coaching (and some managers) of most ML teams.

    For example, Jimbo Fisher, the offensive coordinator at Florida State University makes almost DOUBLE of what most bench coaches make in MLB.

    Sorry but, that’s messed up.

    MLB wanted this trip. They made promises to the players and coaches to make the trip happen. So, live up to the promises. Its not a lot to ask.

  79. jashell2000

    I don’t really care either way who was right or who was wrong in this situation. I do hope that they DO end up boycotting and not show for the game in Japan. Not sure how the rules work, but I believe they would forfeit the games (that count) and take the L. Which only helps the Yanks in the standings (which is what I care about).

    If that were the case it would be perfect if it was a tight race the entire season for the Sox to miss the playoffs by 1 or 2 games because of this debacle. That would just be perfect.

  80. Nic

    Pete,

    I usually agree with many of your opinions, but not here.

  81. Bronx Liaison

    Looks like we’ve got three Red Sox trolls posting under 100 different names.

    If Theo Epstein hadn’t made comments ripping Moose, this would not be half as insulting as it is. Players standing up for their coaches is admirable, threatening to boycott an ambassador trip to Japan A WEEK BEFORE it happens is not. What took so long for this action to take place? If someone has an answer I will keep quiet.

    And finally, to “Ed FL”… anyone who saw the Mick in 1963 has no idea what an online “troll” even means… therefore I deem you a Red Sox troll, exactly what you deny yourself to be..

  82. Bronx Born

    I hate to say it but you have to salute the sox players for standing up this. Promises should be kept.

  83. Corsi

    Hey, Peter, in case you weren’t aware, the Yankee coaching staff got paid when they went to Japan.

    Your view is completely warped. Get a clue.

  84. JT

    If the As knew that they weren’t getting paid, then the Red Sox should have knew also, and now they just need to deal with it. These coaches at least make 200k a year, and they want another 40k for 1 week of work. If anything, the Red Sox team should subsidize the coaches in place of MLB.

    And now your telling me that the only reason they were willing to go is because they were getting paid 40k. I don’t see the As complaining.

  85. JimmyQuick

    What took so long? THEY JUST FOUND OUT!!!!

    I’m a Yankee fan, but some of you idiots need to read the facts. This is nothing like Moose in 2004.

  86. YanksSox

    Just stated on NESN that the A’s have agreed to boycott also.

  87. Jeff NJ

    What did Bud make in 2007? I think I heard $14M.

  88. JR7769

    Boston trolls are uniting just like the players! Rodney King! Rodney King!

    If the Red Sox players find out this “stand” meant starting 0-2 in the standings, they’d drop this whole charade in a NY minute

  89. Clay Bellinger

    “For example, Jimbo Fisher, the offensive coordinator at Florida State University makes almost DOUBLE of what most bench coaches make in MLB.”

    He should make double, being a football coach seems to be alot harder then being a bench coach.

  90. Rich

    “ambassador trip to Japan ”

    dramatic arent we?

  91. Yanksgal07

    Who will stick up for the average fan …this might be there only vacation flying to Florida to see their team play..then told it’s cancelled. What about fans who might have planned vacations to Japan to see the teams play? What about the Japanese people who have purchased tickets at most likely a great expense on much smaller salaries?

    I think they should do the trip then take it up with MLB afterwards …get a lawsuit going on their return if they can prove they were told the coaches were going to be paid. How is it that Oakland knew they weren’t being paid but Boston didn’t? Was it just assumed they were being paid ..if so …they should have checked into all the details before hand so something like this didn’t occur. If the coaches were indeed promised payment ..then MLB should cough it up and do the right thing…BUT..settle it AFTER the trip . The teams should do the right thing and honor their obligations to the fans of the sport …let’s think about the average fan for a change.

    Boycotting the trip will give baseball a black eye in the foreign market. Not a good way to spread good relations between other countries and the sport…that’s for sure.

    Go Yankees 2008!!!

  92. gayle

    I am not making any judgements until I hear from all sides what was promised etc.

    I am now hearing from Varitek on ESPN that there is an issue with family travelling for all 19 games of the trip and they wanted a biogger plane and they were told that after the exhibition game in LA that family had to leave.

    Correct me if I am wrong here somebody who knows more about this than I but isnt the TEAM who makes the decision on who can travel on the plane etc not MLB.

    This is all very very weird to me and I cannot believe that this is all happening the day of their departure

  93. raymagnetic â„¢

    “To raymagnetic:

    I know that isn’t the standard practice when it comes to negotiating deals and I don’t know the exact day this took place in October but the Red Sox were kind of busy that month. Wouldn’t you agree?”

    No I actually don’t agree. They were too busy to negotiate a deal properly? No, I can’t see it.

  94. Corsi

    Bronx Liaison, it took so long because Francona found out LAST NIGHT that his coaches would not be paid. He was under the assumption the entire time that they would be compensated.

    He didn’t find out until he was speaking to someone from Oakland and the topic of compensation came up and he was made aware that the coaches would not be paid.

  95. Blargh

    Isn’t there usually paperwork when it comes to money matters?

  96. Scorpio

    All of this could have been resolved behind closed doors but of course, the Red Sox players want to make it bigger than it is.

    They DO NOT WANT TO GO TO JAPAN…anyway they can to get out of it and come out looking like they were helping the little peoples is just gravy. Repeat, THEY DO NOT WANT TO GO TO JAPAN. This is all just an act to get out of it.

    If they were so into going to Japan they would have just paid their coaches the stipend and then fight the MLB afterwards.

    I hope the MLB fines all them all for forfeiting their ST game against the Blue Jays.

    Moose must be laughing right now…haha.

  97. Justin Masterson

    Moose must be laughing right now…haha.
    ———-

    At his own 5.15 ERA and 1.47 WHIP

    HAHAHA

  98. stuart

    It is not the sox players fault it is management. the sox players are being honorable and looking out for the staff so the ydo not get screwed by john henry and his other greed y henchman..

    peter it is tu=he sux management not the players who are at fault.

    Yes I am a huge Yankee fan but the players are right…….

  99. Doreen

    It’s clear that none of us has all the facts on what was promised to whom and when, in terms of the bonus (40K). It is not the amount that matters, it is the principle of the thing. I agree with Gayle, however, that the Red Sox seriously should have had this clear well before today. If the Sox made a poor assumption, then they should compensate their coaches, and probably will rather than forego this good-will trip. I can’t imagine the Red Sox won’t be boarding that plane later today.

    Of course Pete was joking. I am rolling my eyes at anyone who doesn’t see the absolute drollness (drollity???) of his remarks. :)

    The biggest joke here, however, is Theo Epstein mouthing off about how none of his players were griping about this trip, and yet there is a quote from Ortiz saying he never wanted to go, but has no choice so why bother complaining. Again, it always comes down to hypocrisy, doesn’t it? No one would have cared if any of the Red Sox players weren’t all hepped up to travel halfway across the world to start their season, ESPECIALLY knowing the effect it had on the Yankees several years ago. But when you make a point of saying there are no bad apples in your bunch, well, you’re setting yourself up for a lot of bad press.

  100. Richard

    Just heard that if the Sox don’t go to Japan then the A’s will not go as well

  101. JR7769

    Someone needs to get some quotes from Mussina today..

    It will consist of Mussina laughing out loud for 20 seconds..

  102. Tom

    The bottom line is, MLB agreed to pay these coaches the money and now it’s reneging. It’s not the money — none of these guys are going poor, we can all agree — it’s the principal of the thing. The Sox are doing the right thing by backing up the coaching staff. I’d like to think the Yankees would do the same.

  103. JR7769

    RICHARD- why would the A’s go to Japan if they have no one to play? You think they would still go on a trip around the world to sign autographs and eat sushi..

    You are trying to judge the means by the ends..using the Red Sox actions to justify Oaklands is ridiculous

  104. Jed

    Oakland has voted unanimously and is doing the same thing, they too did not know their coaches and staff were not being paid.

  105. Y's Guy

    now that they’ve made thier point, the sox should come out and play for thier fans and settle the rest after.

  106. dana

    While it’s commendable of the Red Sox to stick up for their coaches & demand they get paid the $40,000 for making the trip to Japan, shouldn’t they have secured this fee for their coaching staff prior to agreeing to the trip. Funny, The Oakland A’s were aware of this, how come the Red Sox are so surprised. Maybe Golden Boy Theo should have done a little more homework. Now, he looks like a jackass.

  107. longtime

    What’s MLB waiting for ….. Maybe they expect George to pay the Red Sox coaches

  108. murphydog

    ESPN has some video coverage.

    http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3301370&categoryId=2521705&n8pe6c=1

    I assume that the FBI will be called since they do the enforcement for Selig when anyone stands up to him.

  109. Old Goat

    Just think about this whole thing for one minute. First off is the amount of this stipend. Why would coaches get anywhere from 25 to 50% extra for making a trip of about 1 week? I see this as more that Francona made an error and promised something that wasn’t his to promise.

    The only reason for paying the players the stipend is to get them to agree to going over there in the first place. Otherwise you would have the minor league players being called up to replace all those who are “injured” and aren’t going.

    The bad karma isn’t going to hurt baseball as much as it will give the Japanese fans cause to feel poorly toward the Red Sox. The Sox will lose face over there.

    Why stop at this point even. Heck, why aren’t they demanding that the towel boys and bat boys be given 40 grand and making the trip as well. Sorry, but while I can understand the players thinking of doing this, it is the club itself that screwed up, that and Francona. Remember what they say when you assume something.

  110. Corsi

    Are you Yankee fans serious? This has nothing to do with wanting or not wanting to go to Japan. If you had read recent quotes from the team, they are actually looking forward to representing baseball in Japan.

    This is a matter of principal. MLB agreed to pay these coaches and now they’re reneging on it. Plus the issue with family travel. There were things that were promised and now they’re taking them away. For the Red sox to ignore this things and continue to go on a trip that’s going to line the pockets of MLB first and foremost would be ludicrous.

    For you guys not to understand this says a lot about you. Take a step back and look at the whole story.

  111. dana

    “Just heard that if the Sox don’t go to Japan then the A’s will not go as well”

    Why would they? Who would they play?

  112. gayle

    I cant believe I am actually writing this BUT I agree with what Steve Phillips is saying about this whole thing.

    he says first that when the players negotiated this whole thing there is no one that deals with the coaches they are not in the union so the union does not negotiate for them.

    Second he says he cant b elieve that this issue was not known before today.

    Third he says he will of course get resolved

  113. dan

    “Maybe now Theo will shut up and worry about his own team instead of taking shots at Yankee players.”

    Maybe you should pass this on to hank?

  114. Dave

    Some of you are so biased it’s not even funny had this been The Yankees you would all be pumping your chest and screaming TEAM CHEMSTRIY and how MLB is once again shafting the Yankees.

  115. E-ROC

    They have to feed their kids, so give them the 40K.

  116. Andrea - anti-anti

    I understand being upset about it, but read the contract before you sign it.

  117. derek

    Justin Masterson March 19th, 2008 at 12:36 pm

    Moose must be laughing right now…haha.
    ———-

    At his own 5.15 ERA and 1.47 WHIP

    HAHAHA

    Justin Masterson win 250 games that I don’t know about?.. Because he can’t lick Mussina’s boot as a major leaguer… HAHAHA

  118. Omar


    shouldn’t they have secured this fee for their coaching staff prior to agreeing to the trip.

    IT WAS PROMISED BY MLB BUT WAS TAKE BACK. THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT.

  119. Steve

    “I understand being upset about it, but read the contract before you sign it.”

    It was in the contract, they took it out. What’s so hard to understand?

  120. mel

    I can see the POV from all sides, but this is a major PR black eye for MLB.

    It’s a noble gesture by the players, but a little late inthe game to be doing this.

    Henry & Co. need to give the coaches a stipend to make them feel appreciated & valued. It doesn’t have the be the full $40K. 5-10 coaches @ $10K’s not a lot of money to the Red Sox, who will be gaining tons of exposure. Of course now, they’ll have to work hard to get back any goodwill they had. How disappointed must the fans in Japan feel when they heard that the World Champions refuse to board a plane?

    Otherwise, take the B players. They’ll really appreciate the $40K stipend.

  121. wsr

    tom, the bottom line is actually that we don’t know what was promised. if MLB promised to pay, then they should, if the didn’t, and it was an assumption, then they shouldn’t have to.

  122. dana

    “Moose must be laughing right now…haha.
    ———-
    At his own 5.15 ERA and 1.47 WHIP

    HAHAHA”

    I bet he’s laughing loudest at Schilling on the DL for the remainder of his career & Beckett having a gut to rival Roseanne Barr. HAHAHA!!

  123. Rishi

    Promised in a phone conversation? b/c if it was agreed to in writing they can’t take it back…

  124. raymagnetic â„¢

    “At his own 5.15 ERA and 1.47 WHIP

    HAHAHA”

    You post under the name Justin Masterson, who is currently a AA Red Sox pitcher to laugh at Moose who is a 250 game winning MLB pitcher. You’re a joke.

  125. Stacey

    “Some of you are so biased it’s not even funny had this been The Yankees you would all be pumping your chest and screaming TEAM CHEMSTRIY and how MLB is once again shafting the Yankees.”

    Well Dave this is a YANKEES blog. So yeah, we’re biased.

  126. mel

    dana,

    I agree. Oakland should go and take the two forfeits. They’d get 2 wins they might not otherwise have.

  127. Corsi

    mel: “It’s a noble gesture by the players, but a little late inthe game to be doing this.”

    THEY JUST FOUND OUT!!

  128. Scorpio

    Justin Masterson

    ROTFLM…It’s still not as funny as Schilling banking $8M for doing nothing, now that’s funny. hey, Schill, maybe you should pay the coaches out of that free money you got.

    Chill, no need to be so sensitive. It’s all good and just baseball.

  129. Blargh

    If it’s just a phone conversation, then it means nothing
    Unless the feds got logs of said conversation… ;)

  130. Y's Guy

    huge black eye for theo
    someone had to get on top of this and settle it before today.
    its like .002% of personel costs.
    this is gonna hang over them all season and beyond if they fall behind and fail to defend thier title.

  131. Dave

    So you would harp along party lines even if they make you look like a complete retard? Awesome.

  132. gayle

    Omar we dont actually know what was promised and by whom and untill we do I think it is hard to throw anyone under the bus OTHER than not playing this game today what does that have to do with anything they could have made theirpoint byt saying they wouldnot go on the bus or on the plane why give the fans that came to the game today, they have nothing to do with the Japan trip nor do the Blue Jays for that matter

  133. Brandon (Proud supporter of "Alex being Alex" ) (I slay the Anti)

    we need to hear both sides before we make an opinion on this, I think the Red Sox have a big point if what they said is true, but MLB may have a point too that we haven’t heard, so who knows.

  134. Doreen

    Corsi -

    The point is, this is something important enough that it should NOT HAVE BEEN JUST FOUND OUT! This is something you iron out way back when you make all your agreements. You don’t leave these things to chance and interpretation. And you get everything in writing.

  135. murphydog

    It’s that “Boston Tea Party” spirit all over again. Boston sounds dead right on this.

  136. mel

    Who’s Justin Masterson?

    And what was the point of not playing today’s game? Was that meant to “grab” MLB’s attention. Like threatening to not get on a plane wasn’t a serious enough threat?

  137. jk

    Selig spent the coaches money on the Mitchell report.

    Beckett used the bad back excuse to get out of the trip. Now the rest of the team cries foul over money. They need to give a guy making 30k/year an extra 40k for one week of enjoying first class company paid travel? Give me a break.

    Hey Theo, how do those bad apples taste?

  138. jashell2000

    Justin,
    Thanks for the update/comedy act on Moose’s regression last year. Is his career 3.70 era, 1.19 WHIP and 250 wins funny too? Not sure what your point in bringing up these stats mean…

  139. Theo

    Glad to see the majority of Yankee fans not making gratuitous swipes at the Sox, but to the idiots who suggest this is greed by the players or liken this to the Theo/Mussina thing, well I already said it. I always have tended to side with the players on labor issues because the owners/MLB seem ever-so-willing to engage in poor faithed negotiations. This is an example of what they deal with on the other side of the negotiating table. Regardless of what players make, the owners make more and their willingness to lie and cheat in such situations is legendary. A major, major PR blunder.

  140. Doreen

    Gayle is absolutely right about today’s game. The people who came to that game and the circumstances of that game have nothing to do with the Japan trip. It is a slap in the face not to MLB, but to the fans who travelled to Florida specifically to see today’s game.

  141. Bootis

    My God people, you look so foolish, blindly hating on the Red Sox without giving thought to what is truly going on. If it was the Yankees, no doubt you would all suddenly have an inkling of rational thought. This isn’t greed, this isn’t players wanting more of trying to get out of a trip. This is MLB renegging on a negotiated promise to provide a stipend of $40k to all coaches and trainers, some of whom that is nearly half their salary.
    Hate the Red Sox for whatever and as many reasons as you want, but if you’re actually siding with MLB on this particular fiasco, well it really kind of makes Yankee fans seem a bit dense doesn’t it…

  142. Brent

    Why is it so easy to call them greedy disgraces? The coaches were promised one thing and then those promises weren’t kept. The Red Sox have a legitimate complaint.

    Forget about the rivalry for a second and actually read what’s going on here.

  143. raymagnetic â„¢

    “If you had read recent quotes from the team, they are actually looking forward to representing baseball in Japan.”

    Are they really looking forward to going to Japan?

    “Look,” Ortiz acknowledged, “from Day 1 I have said I don’t want to go to Japan, but I’m an employee. My boss wants me to go, so I am going.

    “All the bitching and complaining I could do is not going to make any difference. So why do it? It’s not worth it.”

    I wonder if Boy Wonder is going to start griping about his players complaining about going to Japan.

    http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2008/03/19/check_that_baggage/

  144. Hank Frankenstein

    OH MY GOD I HAVE TO PAY $11M TO MIKE BLEEPING MUSSINA THIS YEAR. F#^$

  145. JimmyQuick

    The A’s are supporting the boycott.

    The BLue Jays are supporting it.

    Billy Bean has said they also thought the staff was being paid and only found out last night, like Tito.

    They were promised the same compensation structure that the Yankees got in 2004 and they were promised family travel, both of which MLB went back on.

    Period.

  146. Theo

    Boycotting today’s game is all about leverage and they would have had much less if they didn’t draw the line in the sand now rather than at 5:00. Looks like the players are coming out now to warm up…point made in that case.

  147. Rishi

    Red Sox back on the field – details forthcoming

  148. frankiedue

    No matter who is right or wrong in this matter, one thing is for certain. This is bad for baseball. This should have been sorted out behind closed doors. How does this look to the fans in Japan? And that is why, the red sox are a disgrace and so is Bud Selig.

  149. mel

    Corsi,

    What did they just find out? That it wasn’t written into the contract? Tito heard from the Oakland coaches and then went to investigate. That’s a front office issue.

    My point is, if they found out, oh maybe as far back as Theo made his Moose comments, something could’ve been negotiated.

    Red Sox ownership needs to step up and be MAGNANIMOUS by taking care of their own coaches if the MLB was not contractually obligated to do it. Don’t forget the trainer, ball boys, equipment manager, clubhouse manager, and the clubouse attendants.

  150. JJ

    Jeez sombody please pay the damn coaches. Between all these rich people someone can cough up the scratch.

  151. Bill Porter

    What Pete, slow day in Florida? You don’t have to poke the weasel like that; it’s already agitated.

  152. Blargh

    Get the paperwork out and let the courts handle it

  153. Scorpio

    Moose is on the downside of his career, a great pitching career to boot, there’s no need to defend a career like that.

    That’s why I don’t bother to respond to Red Sox trolls who try to be funny with no ammo.

  154. wildrider009

    The Red Sox are a “greedy disgrace to the game”?? That’s a little harsh, don’t you think Pete? The players are trying to get more money for the coaches, not for themselves. Some might call it admirable that the players are looking out for the coaches who make far less money than they do. Clearly, the whole Red Sox clubhouse is a tight group. Do you really think a-Rod or Jeter would care if Joe Kerrigan wasn’t paid $40k to go to Japan?? I seriously doubt it.

  155. LibertyBelle

    What a mess for MLB, but it’s kind of hard to not side with the A’s and Red Sox on this one. SJ has it right- it’s not the players job to pay their coaches. Sure, they’re rich, but so is MLB.

    (Players on the field- we have baseball! First pitch, 1:10)

    I also happen to think that the comments here are pretty balanced. Funny how people read what they want to.

  156. whozat

    1) The A’s coaches knew they weren’t getting the bonus. Tito told his coaches they were. That sounds to me like someone didn’t bother to read the deal. This isn’t something that was promised and is now being withdrawn, or the A’s coaches would be similarly pissed. If the players felt this strongly about the coaches getting the dollars, this should have been part of the original negotiations.

    2) Pete’s post is sarcastic. Pretty much all of Pete’s humor is sarcastic. He is so obviously not being serious here that anyone who’s getting all mad about him “calling out the Sox” is either new to this blog, has a chip on his shoulder, or an idiot.

  157. mel

    raymagnetic,

    When I read that quote earlier, I thought “that sure sounds like bitching and complaining to me.”

  158. S.o.S.27

    Yet another black eye for MLB.
    Who wants to bet if they cancel the game and have it here, that Beckett pitches game 1.

    Thanks Pete for posting something that would bring all the red sox to our site. Here i thought they moved on to another blog. Season must be near.

    HELLO YANKEE FANS.

  159. Bryan

    the Red Sox are a disgrace to the game

  160. Y's Guy

    thats what i mean, theo let this go to a players boycott over scratch? what was he thinking?

  161. jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge

    gayle

    If I am correct the team decides who travels and who doesn’t. Normally the Yankees do not allow family to travel on the charter.

    I just find the whole thing hystrical a few weeks back Theo is like everyone is on board for this, talked about Mike being a bad apple. now we hear Ortiz say he doesn’t want to go v-tek complaining about he size of the plane.

  162. Dave

    I await Peter’s apology because I am prepared to boycott this blog. =P

    First pitch @ 1:10.

    Good to have baseball.

  163. Bryan

    John Henry can just liquidate some assets from his hedge fund to pay the coaches… I mean who isn’t taking their money out of his hedge fund nowadays.. what is another $1-2 million

  164. mac

    found a good red sox outlook, if anyone is interested.

    http://mlbfleecefactor.com/2008/03/18/the-2008-boston-red-sox-dynasty/

    personally, i think their staff is overrated.

  165. wsr

    if the sox coaches found out they wouldn’t be paid from the A’s coaches, then doesn’t it stand to reason that the A’s coaches knew they weren’t getting paid?

  166. mac

    ha…here’s a better link. i guess they have all team outlooks. here’s the al east, with a poll. red sox are running away with it.

    http://mlbfleecefactor.com/2008/03/19/al-east-team-outlooks-are-complete/

  167. mac

    bryan – i actually heard john henry lost a lot of dough on his funds over the last year.

  168. Sara

    ok, so this isn’t even a stipend we are talking about, this is an apperance fee we are talking about. an apperance fee. like anyone in Japan cares if they see the coaches or not. who do they think they are?

  169. Fran

    MLB will not let this trip be cancelled. They have too much invested in events, activites, etc. in Japan. I am sure that they will end up paying the 12 coaches (6 each team) the $40,000.

  170. mac

    wsr – good point. ha.

  171. Rishi

    If you listen to Alan Embree’s comments (from the AP), it sounds a little bit different…

    something about a pool of money and how it is divided, he thought coaches/managers were “taken care of” and that they need to go back to the drawing board and adjust how “it’s all split up”..

  172. JimmyQuick

    YOU IDIOTS!!! READ THE FACTS!!!!

    The A’s coaches and the A’s organization also thought they were getting paid.

  173. Tom

    Peter’s being satirical, right? I mean, no one’s that obtuse.

  174. murphydog

    Generally I agree that things like this should be put in writing, even if it is just an e-mail confirming terms or a one paragraph MOU. But there has to be a point at which you can take someone’s word for things. The alternative is to have lawyers and MOUs and paper trails involved in all future conversations from hereon out. And believe me, that’s not a good thing.

    I just have a hard time believing that The Sox and Athletics organizations got this wrong, especially since the past practice was that coaches got paid.

    Final point: I think that the coaches aren’t represented by MLBPA; they are apparently considered part of management like the skipper. If this isn’t resolved well, this may spark interest in coaches getting their own bargaining unit to ensure fair wages and fair treatment from ownership and MLB specifically as to the gross salary inequities in MLB at the coaching level.

  175. LibertyBelle

    A team is a team is a team, Sara.

  176. raymagnetic â„¢

    “raymagnetic,

    When I read that quote earlier, I thought “that sure sounds like bitching and complaining to me.”

    I agree but I bet a bunch of Socks fans don’t feel that way.

  177. gayle

    ALso Lowell was quotes in the Boston Globe saying they all didnt want to go but it is what their bosses said they needed to do.

    Again on the coaches complensation issue I will withold taking sides until I hear from BOTH sides on what was promised to whom

    BUT Theo coming out and saying everyone is on board and we wont complain like the Yankeesand having bad apples about anything looks awful bad right now

  178. Bryan

    Mac

    That is what I mean.. He kept losing money so many investors took their money out of his funds

  179. NYY

    Looks like today’s game is going to be played after all. Boston Globe reports so. Looks like they might have reached some sort of agreement on the coaches pay.

  180. gayle

    Murphy you are correct coaches are NOT part of players association their dealas are handled by management

  181. mjb

    You’re such a homer. The coaches should get what was promised. Get the whole story right before commenting on it, idiot.

  182. Andrea - anti-anti

    “Why is it so easy to call them greedy disgraces? The coaches were promised one thing and then those promises weren’t kept. The Red Sox have a legitimate complaint.”

    They were promised it by someone who didn’t have the right to promise it.

    I think it’s crappy that MLB wasn’t willing to put payment of coaches into the original agreement. It sucks, and I don’t like the MLB doing that, but these people should know what they’re agreeing to before they agree to it.

    I also think boycotting the trip is one thing, but boycotting today’s game is kind of just for the publicity. There are all those fans just sitting there waiting for a game. Why let them down?

  183. S.o.S.27

    2) Pete’s post is sarcastic. Pretty much all of Pete’s humor is sarcastic. He is so obviously not being serious here that anyone who’s getting all mad about him “calling out the Sox” is either new to this blog, has a chip on his shoulder, or an idiot.

    I would go with mostly C. Plus Peter is a Red Sox fan. Why would he trash his own team. He was joking people!! You can go home now.

    Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

  184. Yanksgal07

    IMO..this wouldn’t have been a problem for the Yankees…George would have paid the coaches and made sure his team did the right thing for the sake of the fans and good will toward our foreign neighbors. He would have taken the matter up with MLB after the trip.

    It’s a matter of principal? I agree to an extent ..but…once again ..what about the fans? If the stipends were promised ..sue MLB AFTER the trip.

    I don’t think any of us know the true story …it’s a matter of he said..she said. The only thing I do know is that when it is a matter of money it should ALWAYS be in writing. If that’s the case Boston has nothing to worry about and will win hands down. Unfortunately you don’t win court cases on just “assumptions”..that could be a whole different matter.
    If they truly just found out about this…shame on them because this should have all been documented long before the trip…in truth…it is their own fault for not following through on the “paperwork”.

    As far as Oakland …why would they go to Japan if they have no one to play ??

    Go Yankees 2008 !!!

  185. jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge

    I also find it hysterical that the first place the red sox fans run when they heard this news was to a Yankee blog. :lol:

  186. Lori

    Look, a deal is a deal, and if MLB made a deal, they need to stick by it. I’m actually glad to see the Sox stick together as a team and support their coaches. But, the story is still funny, and leaves a whole lot of egg on Theo’s face after he criticized Moose and the Yankees. As someone said early in the comments, Hey Theo, worry about your own team.

  187. Y's Guy

    im with the players but they could’ve just said they were going to boycott for like 10 minutes, which would have called sufficient attention to the subject to get it resolved without dissapointing everybody there to see them play.

  188. Y's Guy

    where does red sox management get the cajones to be so freakin cheap? teams have paid the stipend in the past, so regardless of whether it was promised or not, there should have been no question that they get it this time. if they wanted to lay the cost off onto mlb, thats fine, but dont be cheap and take it out on the coaches.

  189. S.o.S.27

    I also think boycotting the trip is one thing, but boycotting today’s game is kind of just for the publicity. There are all those fans just sitting there waiting for a game. Why let them down?

    IMO..this wouldn’t have been a problem for the Yankees…George would have paid the coaches and made sure his team did the right thing for the sake of the fans and good will toward our foreign neighbors. He would have taken the matter up with MLB after the trip.

    It’s a matter of principal? I agree to an extent ..but…once again ..what about the fans? If the stipends were promised ..sue MLB AFTER the trip.

    Just want to say good points Andrea and Yanksgal07.

  190. Elyse

    This entry is a bit ridiculous. Due to the stress it puts on the entire team to travel to Japan, they should all be given some type of bonus. MLB reaps the benefits of this trip, and so should pay the bonuses. But maybe Francona should have gotten his facts straight before committing to the game.

  191. mel

    Someone said that Jeter & co. wouldn’t have done anything if their coaches weren’t getting a stipend.

    I find that hard to believe. If the situation came up, they’d have a meeting and players would ante up and let the coaches split it. It might not reach the $40K, but it’s the principle (yes, that’s the correct spelling Boston fan dude).

  192. Brian from PA

    LMAO. I hope they do boycott the trip and it totally kills their business relationship with Japan and depletes their Japanese fanbase. NO CLASS. I mean i would be mad too if I thought i was getting money that i really wasn’t, but i would get it in writing!! a 40,000 dollar stipend is not the kind of thing you just verbalize and assume it’s gonna hold up. very irresponsible. the conspiracy theorist in me believes they planned this to have an excuse to get out of the trip at the last minute.

    watch ESPN side with the Red Sox on this one and somehow disparrage the Yankees.

  193. Andrew

    If it was reverse and the Yankees manager were not being paid you would be supporting yankees player’s decision to boycott. A promise is a promise and the MLB screwed up.
    Stop being an idiot Peter.

  194. Andrew

    Go eat another doghnut you Chunky Monkey!

  195. S.o.S.27

    Its just funny that all this comes out after one of the best days to be a Yankee. All but good things yesterday about us and today soap oppera in boston. The stars are alighned right this year.

    YANKEES 27 IN 08!!

  196. S.o.S.27

    Former Giants slugger Barry Bonds said on Tuesday night that he has no intention of retiring from baseball and he won’t reject signing a contract sometime during the season if the right job presents itself. “I’m not going to retire. I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he said by telephone from Los Angeles. “I’m working out, I’m training. If my phone rings, it rings, if it don’t, it don’t. I have a cell phone. I have a Blackberry. They work. If something comes up, I’m sure they’ll let me know. I’ll come back in July if I have to. It depends on the circumstances.”

    Can someone find out what phone service he has and disconnect for just 6 months. I would really appreciate it.

  197. jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge

    I emailed Pete to clear up whether or not the Yankee coaches were paid in 2004.

    Let me say one thing, how many people could say their compnay paid them a stipend to go on a business trip. People in my company travel to China, Vietnam etc for 2 weeks at a time, they do not get a stipend.

  198. JimmyQuick

    “Y’s Guy March 19th, 2008 at 1:09 pm

    where does red sox management get the cajones to be so freakin cheap?”

    Idiot, this has nothing to do with their management.

  199. Y's Guy

    jimmy quick,
    it has everything to do with the red sox management, they are the employer, they issue the checks, it is thier payroll, the coaches are thier employees. how is that have nothing to do with management?

  200. mel

    Andrew, I think “Chunky Monkey” is an actual trademarked name. I don’t think Ben or Jerry would want you calling a fellow northeasterner that.

    And what’s a “doghnut”? Is it tasty? Do Daschund’s doghnuts taste better because they’re dusted? Can I get them at my local Dunkin’ Donuts?

  201. S.o.S.27

    So i read today that the Yankees are interested in Harden. I would roll the dice on that deal if the A’s dont ask for a kings ransom. Maybe have him be our 8th inning guy. Sort of like what the Cubs are doing with Wood. Thoughts?

  202. JimmyQuick

    Wow man, read something, anything on this subject. You are totally and completely wrong.

  203. Brian from PA

    I’m not saying that the Red Sox have no right to be angry, i just think they’re acting very selfish. i don’t buy the notion that it’s an MLB screw up or “a promise is a promise” crap. MLB is not a business run on promises or hopes and dreams or any crap like that, i’m sorry. i’ve read two reports that there was nothing in writing about this stipend and therefore it was a mistake on the part of the team to not take the steps needed to make it official. irresponsible business.

  204. Rishi

    Jennifer – multiple articles have said they did get a stipend for 2004…
    but you are right, I spend months at a time in different countries and get around $40 a day for all expenses (including food)…

    I understand the points and see where the two sides are coming from, I think when you can’t get your point across without calling people “idiots” you’ve got problems. If you want to represent a “classy” organization (whichever one that is) at least post with some class.

    Oh – and that was not for you, Jennifer…

  205. Y's Guy

    fine, its mlb’s fault. its theo’s team, he had wo fix this before it turned into the p.r. disaster it did. he dropped the ball on this.

  206. gayle

    Jennifer never heard of getting a stipend to travel for work but an increase in PD’s absolutely.

    Especially in Japan where the cost of everything is so high usually when travelling to Japan and unfortunately now even Europe PD’s are doubled versus what you get here in North America.

  207. Rev Mont

    I hate the Red Sox, but they are doing the right thing here!

    Its nice to see these guys stand up for the trainers and coaches.

    I can only hope Jeter, inc. and Arod, inc. would do the same.

    Not to mention how much good press this will get in a blue-collar solidly democratic town like Bah-ston

  208. Rishi

    The Red Sox have confirmed that the dispute has been resolved…

  209. Yanksrule57

    I suspect when more comes out about this we will find the MLB offices dropped the ball on this one.
    I would like SJ44 to weigh in on this but from what I’ve been able to determine, despite MLB being a multi-billion dollar industry, MLB headquarters is kind of a mom and pop shop. Bud Selig doesn’t even spend most of his time there he works out of Milwaukee.

  210. Dan from Mass

    I heard George ponied up the money for all the coaches, and also gave a mil to a charity for blind dogs. Once again, Big Stein displays his class.

  211. raymagnetic â„¢

    “So i read today that the Yankees are interested in Harden. I would roll the dice on that deal if the A’s dont ask for a kings ransom”

    The article states they would want Kennedy/Horne AND maybe Marques. If I’m the Yankees I don’t touch Harden for that package. As I said earlier, Harden is an injury waiting to happen.

  212. Brian from PA

    lo and behold, ESPN is applauding the Red Sox for this magnanimous act of there’s. Can you imagine if the Yankees had done this? on ESPN they would’ve been chastised, they would have been saying crap like the Yankee players should be fined for delaying the game. and they have the audacity to, after doing a nice little piece on the Yanks VT visit, suggest that the Yankees were showboating and doing it to get good PR.

    Ridiculous.

  213. JimmyQuick

    Brian from PA, you couldn’t be more wrong.

    Listen, the As agreed with the Red Sox, the Blue Jays agreed and it looks like MLB has finally agreed.

    So you’re all wrong, the Red Sox did the right thing.

  214. A-Point

    So, just to get this straight, everyone should be boycotting and striking to make sure someone else in their organization gets to get an absurd amount of money to travel to a place where all their food and lodging will be provided.

    Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

  215. Dave S.

    ..yeah, I just don’t see this as a selfish move. I see this as the players trying to look out for their support network. Good for them to stand up for the guys that help them out every day.

    And it looks like it worked. 40k apiece for support is peanuts to MLB and its players, but for a bunch of guys who make a lot less money, it’s a pile of dough. I think this was rather a classy move by the Sox players.

  216. A-Point

    JimmyNotSoQuick, The A’s and the Blue Jays just jumped on thinking they had an out of this trip that only the management want them to do.

  217. JimmyQuick

    Since they were promised it, yes. Get a clue.

  218. S.o.S.27

    raymagnetic,
    I agree. That package is riduclous. Would you make that trade for Horne? I know he injury prone.But maybe being in the pen with less innings to throw. Might be what the doctor ordered. When healthy,he is dominant.

  219. NH Mike

    Bunch of crybabies. The team failed everyone involved because they didn’t iron this out beforehand. The players didn’t want to go on this trip and this is a convenient excuse.
    I wonder if this were the Yankees, would BS Bud be so quiet on this issue and would NESPN and the rest of the sports media be so accomodating?

  220. JimmyQuick

    Really, idiot, what trip are the Blue Jays making? Since you don’t even know what’s been going on, why are you responding?

  221. A-Point

    I see this as robbery. Wait till the day they are supposed to go, then they suddenly see the light and put a figurative gun to MLB’s head.

    Theft is theft. This isn’t classy. Unless of course you think that Jesse James was classy.

  222. jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge

    Brian are you serious about the last part? They said the Yankees were showboating?

  223. S.o.S.27

    A-Point
    March 19th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
    So, just to get this straight, everyone should be boycotting and striking to make sure someone else in their organization gets to get an absurd amount of money to travel to a place where all their food and lodging will be provided.

    Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

    And here i thought this game was for the fans.Its sad to think that in sports,its always about the money.

  224. Y's Guy

    i think everybody agrees the players did the right thing. the question here is why would the sox not just pay the stipend if the teams paid it in the past. if teams were compensated by an mlb pool for it in the past then the sox could hit up mlb for the money. if the teams shelled it out of thier own revenues in the past, then cough it up. the should have just told the coaches, ‘yes of course you will get the money’ and if mlb is supposed to cough it up, theo could have siked peter gammons on bud and shamed mlb into coughing it up. in any case, the sox, as the employer, should have given the money and disputed the source with mlb, not the coaches. if mlb chooses not to cough it up, then theo gets major props for stepping in and taking care of his people. that would have turned this into a relativly cheap p.r. win.

  225. A-Point

    JimmyNotSoQuick, please, stay off the drugs. WHile it won’t help you get more brains than you already lack, it won’t lose you more of those last few you have.

  226. Brandon (Proud supporter of "Alex being Alex" ) (I slay the Anti)

    my god can we stop w/ the Red Sox issue !!! half of us don’t even give a damn it’s not like they are poor.

    And why the hell if your a Red Sox fan you have to come to a Yankee Blog to dispute this, don’t you have your own blogs !

  227. jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge

    Wow if you don’t understand why the Jays and the A’s agreed with the soxs, you’ve obviously know nothing about the players association.

  228. Rishi

    You would think that since the Red Sox are actually playing a game right now, their fans might be interested in watching…

  229. what a joke

    JimmyQuick,

    Is that what all the girls call you?

    Quick, Jimmy, you’re missing the victory parade. You’re the guest of honor for winning a debate on a Yankee blog.

  230. jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge

    y’s guy are you saying the Yankees paid their coaches their coaches in 2004?

  231. Dave S.

    Who care how ESPN paints it? We’re Yankee fans, and we all know that what the Yanks did yesterday was the epitome of class. All you have to do is listen to the VA Tech stiudents, players and coaches talk about it to know how important it was for them. Who gives a rats but what ESPN has to say? I don’t.

    So that said, the Sox understood that their staff was going to get 40k to go to Japan, and when they found out they weren’t, they got angry and took a stand for them. It isn’t robbery. Come on, give them some credit for making a stand. If they really didn’t want to go to Japan they’d pretend like they had back spasms or something.

  232. S.o.S.27

    Brian are you serious about the last part? They said the Yankees were showboating?

    Jennifer,
    You have to admit Jeters flip to Cano(for a force out at second)had a tad of showboating in it.

  233. mel

    Francona up next. Announcers are already making excuses for the batters. “Your regular batting practice routine is off”.

  234. raymagnetic â„¢

    S.o.S,

    If I’m the Yankees I don’t look at Harden.. How many innings can you get from Harden realistically? He’s pitched about 200 combined innings in the past 3 seasons. To trade for him and make him a reliever wouldn’t make sense to me. Alan Horne could probably provide what Harden would in the bullpen for a fraction of the cost.

  235. Andrea - anti-anti

    I’m slow–thanks S.o.S.

  236. S.o.S.27

    my god can we stop w/ the Red Sox issue !!! half of us don’t even give a damn it’s not like they are poor.

    And why the hell if your a Red Sox fan you have to come to a Yankee Blog to dispute this, don’t you have your own blogs !

    Here!Here!! Brandon,can you please find them one to go to. Its starting to make me sick.

  237. mel

    SoS,

    That wasn’t showboating. This is showboating: http://youtube.com/watch?v=UPkoj4TCbDU

  238. S.o.S.27

    You would think that since the Red Sox are actually playing a game right now, their fans might be interested in watching…

    rishi-most cant name 3 players on the team.

  239. mel

    “Big miscommunication”

  240. Rishi

    S.o.S – good point…

    So Terry’s not telling us how they “resolved” the issue, though he is very proud of the organization…good, can we move on now?

  241. Andrea - anti-anti

    SOS: as far as the showboating goes, I think that maybe they wanted the fans to see SOMETHING exciting. They didn’t want to totally kill them, and you could tell they were kind of lax on some of the plays (except Shelley) and I saw Abreu swing at stuff he’d never normally swing at. But you’ve got to give them some classic Jeter, cause that’s what they’re there to see.

    However, I didn’t personally notice any showboating.

  242. rodg12

    What a joke. The Red Sox/A’s don’t know until a week before the trip that MLB didn’t deliver on their promises. Pathetic. This should have been sewn up in writing months ago. Great job by those FOs. Gotta love Boy Wonder and Billy Beane now, huh. Oh, and good job Red Sox for pissing off the Japanese fans and businessmen by threatening this boycott. Sure looks great. Good business strategy when they’re pumping all that money to you since the Dice-K signing.

  243. Y's Guy

    jen, i am reading from multiple sources that the yankees coaches were paid the stipend in the past. so no matter where the money is supposed to come from, if the coaches in the past got the stipend, there should be no question that they get it this time.
    like i said, maybe mlb promised it, but the red sox are the employer and if the coaches got the stipend in the past, the sox shouldnt be cheap and deny them the stipend this time. if it came out of mlb revenue from the trip, they need to take it up with mlb.
    i just cant believe theo let it get to a player’s bocott without resolving it. he should have realized the even if he had thought he could get away without paying it, once the players got wind, they were going to end up paying anyway so why take the egg on his face for the boycott?

  244. Bryan

    You mean to tell me that Manny Ortez is not on the Red Sox??

  245. gayle

    red Sox owner and organization saved the day according to Francona. What a surprise they can now be called heros that saved the trip[ to Japan meanwhile if they had talked and dealt with this before today it would not h ave come to this.

    Of course when asked how it was resolved he said a lot of that is personal.

    Are you kidding me?Personal?When you go on national TV and say you are boycotting a game and trip, when you hold up a game albeit spring training for over an hour the idea that the resolution can become person and not told to the general public is absurd

  246. S.o.S.27

    mel,
    Nice to see how you conveniently forgot to tell me who i was about to see. Now im really sick. And yes hes MR.SHOWBOATER.

    Wow you guys almost did a Spur yesterday and blew a big lead. I cant wait for the playoffs to start.

    Who’s your final 4 teams and who wins it? I got both my favortie teams in it. Texas and N.C. to go along with Kansas and UCLA. Kansas winning it.

  247. Brandon (Proud supporter of "Alex being Alex" ) (I slay the Anti)

    S.O.S. I mean seriously now you see what Hank means when he saids have the most fans and the more popular brand, I mean when there is an issue w/ the Yankees you don’t see me looking for the Red Sox board w/ my issues, it really comes off as not getting my allowance and crying to the neighbors why I didn’t get it.

    I really don’t need to hear it. I mean is Yankee Universe now the unofficial psychiatric doctors for Red Sox nation, “yes Timmy what’s bugging you about your Soxs today, I want to hear all about it”

  248. Dave

    Look, I hate the Red Sox with a passion, but this doesn’t seem like they’re greedy massholes at all. They were clearly under the impression that their coaches were getting paid for going to Japan and MLB tried to screw them. This move was to make a statement of support for the guys who keep the club healthy day-to-day, guys who are critical to the Red Sox organization. It’s one thing if the players were demanding more money for THEMSELVES, which isn’t the case.

  249. jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge

    S.o.S.27

    I do not recall which play you are talking about. But, do you expect him to change the way he plays? If that is how he normally makes a play than I don’t see what the problem is.

  250. S.o.S.27

    Bryan
    March 19th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
    You mean to tell me that Manny Ortez is not on the Red Sox??

    No. But David Ramirez is.lol

    Andrea, I wasnt complaining about Jeter showboating or anyone else. I agree with you. That game was really for V.Tech. All fun.

  251. Mr. Stats

    Pete,

    I truly hope you were kidding with this post of yours.

    Did somebody tie you up and has commadered your laptop, because I can’t believe you would ever write what you wrote.

    Check your faxes Pete before you spout off!

    Didn’t they teach you that in writing/slack’in school?

  252. S.o.S.27

    I really don’t need to hear it. I mean is Yankee Universe now the unofficial psychiatric doctors for Red Sox nation, “yes Timmy what’s bugging you about your Soxs today, I want to hear all about it”

    I know its still early in the west coast. But that wins the FREEKIN COMEDY AWARD OF THE DAY. You are right on the money. I have never gone to a red sox site.

    brandon-tell me how you really feel.
    signed Dr.SoS

  253. Andrea - anti-anti

    SOS: gotcha. I think the mere fact that they were there is a great thing, so if they did a couple fancy flips, so what? That’s why people are excited to watch the Yankees.

  254. saucY

    i’m just getting caught up here, but i find it funny that we’re comparing salaries of MLB coaches to College Football Offensive Coordinators. When a few months ago, I was ripped for comparing Joe Torre’s 7 Million dollar salary to Phil Jackson’s 10….

  255. Buffalohead

    Murray Jr. will just says he was joking..his usual cop out when he whines like a little girl. Remember Igawa is better than Matsuzaka post anyone??????

  256. ?

    why dey be buggin bout payin them’s just won the ring? its all good baby!

  257. S.o.S.27

    Jennifer,
    No need to be in defense mode. We’re all one big happy family here and big Jeter fans. We agreed yesterday that it was a bit more casual than norm. He got the ground ball behind the bad and sort of tossed it high so Cano could catch up to it. A little non shelant(hope i spelled it right)Globe trotter like. Its all good.

    Any luck yesterday finding the lady’s email?

  258. Rishi

    If you care…:

    (this is from Boston.com, just keep the source in mind)

    Text size – + Coaches and staff will be compensated
    Link|Comments (0) 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.

  259. jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge

    No I didn’t have time to look last night. I’ll try tonight.

    I didn’t mean to come off defensive. :cry: sorry. We need to band together against all these people coming and trying to take over our blog.

  260. Tony

    And this surprised anyone. They are the biggest bunch of complainers in baseball. I did not hate on the beaneaters until after they won the 04 world series and all they did was whine and complain about the yankees this the yankees that…shut up enjoy the rings…dont be a sore winner.

  261. McHenry

    This isn’t even worth commenting on. If the fat man is being serious, I think he must have gotten too much sun down there in FL, or had 14 too many beers eating breakfast at Hooter’s this morning. Sticking up for coaches (most of whom are NOT wealthy) is an honorable, applaudable thing. The greedy money grubbing scumbag in this case is MLB.

  262. wsr

    wow, rishi,

    so the yankees coaches were basically compensated by the players, by giving some of their share, while the red sox players assumed that it was all for them, then are boycotting until the league pays the coaches?

    you would think boston.com would slant it the other way, if possible.

  263. Mike R. - Once you’ve seen one gyroball, you’ve seen ‘em all

    Something of this magnitude needs a name. This injustice must be recorded in the annals of history. How abut PayGate??

    Oh…and for all you Red Sox Trolls that have difficulty with sarcasm this is for you. /SARCASM

  264. raymagnetic â„¢

    “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.”

    Y’s guy, looks like you were right all along.

  265. Rishi

    That’s why I noted the source – i was surprised too…

    not that i want to hear from them – but you wonder if all the quacks from this morning saw that update…

  266. wsr

    rishi, i don’t think they’d care. you’d have whoeverquick saying that we’re idiots, and need to read something (so long as it supported his viewpoint, and completely disregard anything that may show the sox as anything less than a beacon of light in the dark underworld that is baseball)

  267. Y's Guy

    if i was a coach, no matter where the money is coming from, id be going to theo, who is my employer, to get the money i was promised. at this point theo should have taken care of his employees and then turned the focus onto mlb cutting the coaches out of the pool (with the sox standing up for thier employees) one call to bob ryan or peter gammons would start the theo as hero ball rolling.
    in any case, how does rs management not get a handle on this before it turns into a boycott?

  268. Yankee Jay

    I guess Selig just got the bill for the Mitchell investigation and needed to save some coin.

    Good for the Red Sox players, that is a noble thing to do sticking up for your coaches.

    Bad for Theo (the punk) Epstein…you look like a fool.

    I love Mussina’s response to Theo’s remarks -

    Told of the comments, Mussina said sarcastically, “Yeah, we used it as an excuse for winning the division.”

    HAH! Take that punk!

  269. S.o.S.27

    raymagnetic,
    Im a big fan of Horne and I guess im getting a bit antsy on getting someone in the pen not named Joba. I had Horne coming in by late June to help out. Hope he has a strong start.

    IMO Shilling should pay the coaches. Being he’s Pavanoing it this year.

  270. Rishi

    I can’t believe we’ve not heard anything from management about this – it’s almost like the inmates are running the asylum…

  271. Andrea - anti-anti

    SOS: nice use of Pavano as a verb.

  272. Brandon (Proud supporter of "Alex being Alex" ) (I slay the Anti)

    Rich Harden would be an interesting pick up but for what Beane is asking raymagnetic IDK, I’d wait for the price to drop, I’d go Marquez and Veras but no more than that.

  273. Around the Majors

    Agree totally to the Sox being a greedy disgrace to baseball.

    http://aroundthemajors.blogspot.com/

  274. rodg12

    Wow, what an overreaction by the Red Sox players. Just pathetic. Especially when it looks like all they needed to do was include the Coaches in their pool of money. Just wow.

  275. mel

    SoS,

    lol. You may hate him, but you’d appreciate him if he were on your beloved Spurs.

    I’m not heavy into NCAA, but I’m mad that Duke & UCLA are in the same region. ABUNC. Anybody but University of North Carolina.

    I pick UCLA to take it all.

  276. jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge

    I’m sure espn will still make them come off looking like hero’s meanwhile they didn’t read the fine print. :lol:

  277. NH Mike

    Maybe manny should help the staff with a side business selling gas grills. That might help for the money the didn’t want to share with them.

  278. JimmyQuick

    Yeah, because I’m sure it was the Red Sox players who decided to cut out the coaches and support staff.

    Jesus people, get a grip.

  279. rodg12

    Notice how all the trolls bounced after that boston.com story came out. Hilarious.

  280. S.o.S.27

    mel,
    Sometimes i wonder how we’re friends. You dont like Jordans tarheels? Like the Patriots? I guess being a Yankee erases all your flaws.lol

    This question is for anyone.
    I was thinking about this yesterday and couldnt think of what my reaction would be.

    What if you ran into Pavano in a fast food joint some store? What would you tell him?

    I ran into Mark Langston in a subs place in Anaheim after we won the 98 world series against his Padres. He had a hat and sunglasses waiting for the order and i ask if he was Mark. He was a cool guy, but wasnt happy to hear i was a Yankee. He did say that Yankee team was the best team he ever faced. Thats what made me think of this scenario.

  281. rodg12

    Jimmy – I don’t care if they did or didn’t. Still a HUGE overreaction. Also, how do you not have this all wrapped up, signed, sealed delivered weeks ago? Why do you just figure this out now?

  282. The J Train- Save The Drama For Yo Mama

    the players are getting a $10,000+ per diem, but they cant afford to pay the coaches? this is mind boggling.

  283. Yankee Jay

    This is not the Sux players being greedy – it’s the players using their power to stick up for their coaches.

    It’s something that John Henry and/or Theo should have done in private long before it came to this. Francona should not have spent his off day on the phone trying to get answers, that is Theo’s job…punk!

  284. Rich

    “Bad for Theo (the punk) Epstein…you look like a fool.

    I love Mussina’s response to Theo’s remarks -

    Told of the comments, Mussina said sarcastically, “Yeah, we used it as an excuse for winning the division.”

    HAH! Take that punk!”

    in other recent news, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, is murdered in Sarajevo !

  285. Brandon (Proud supporter of "Alex being Alex" ) (I slay the Anti)

    -Yeah, because I’m sure it was the Red Sox players who decided to cut out the coaches and support staff.

    Jesus people, get a grip.-

    MYOB and go to your own blog !

  286. Y's Guy

    coaching staff works for the g.m. and since they are not represented collectivly, its the G.M.’s place to stand up for his guys, who run the team the way he wants it run. especially since they just won the freakin world series!

    when the powers-that-be decide how to divvy up the japan money, the g.m. has to stand up for his guy’s share of the pie.
    shoulda been fixed last week…

  287. Alan

    Who said the economy is bad ? $40,000 to go to Japan for less than a week. No out of pocket paying for travel among other perks other than a little to sightsee.

    SIGN ME UP !!!!!!

  288. mel

    SoS,

    Jordan was a great player, but his flaws were many. He was not, by some accounts, a great teammate. He fought with, punched, berated, and belittled teammates. I appreciated Jordan’s greatness, but I didn’t buy into the marketing machine hype of Jordan.

    BTW, it’s the hatred of the Red Sox that bonds us. Powerful stuff. lol.

  289. McHenry

    Why should the players pay out of their pockets, rodg12? Seriously. The players do not employ the coaches. The players do not pay the coaches. Not all of the players make millions of dollars and can just toss around $40,000.00 This is an MLB brainfart/oversight/case of cheapskatedness. If you found out a co-worker was cheaped out of a paycheck, how is it, regardless of how much you make, your responsibility to pay that money? The honorable thing to do is whatever you can to make the person who owes that money pay it. How is paying it yourself the right/honorable thing to do? The people who owe it or are obligated to pay it are then off the hook for their cheap oversight, ensuring they will try it again in another situation. If you take off your pinstripe colored glasses for a second, you’ll see that you.are.not.a.smart.person.

  290. Phil Hughes is Saved!

    So this crap is finally all settled? Good

  291. Brandon (Proud supporter of "Alex being Alex" ) (I slay the Anti)

    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.

    CAN WE PUT THIS CRAP TO REST ALREADY :evil:

  292. gayle

    mcHenry based on your post the Red Sox ownership should be paying the coaches then they are the ones that they are employed by. They are not employed by MLB.

    Out of curiosity do coaches/manager get voted shares from the playoffs/world series by the players??

  293. Yanksgal07

    “In this case, the Red Sox’s players, to a man, made sure their coaches got taken care of.” – from the Red Sox team page

    If I read above statements on this blog correctly….seems Yankee players had no problem taking care of their coaches ..out of their own pool. No boycott necessary …Yankees KNOW the rules in advance… :o )

    Go Yankees 2008 !!!

  294. rodg12

    That’s not at all what I said. When the Yankees made the trip in ‘04, the coaches were included in the money pool that was divided amongst the players (meaning they got the same share as the players – exactly what the BoSox were arguing for). That was the precedent that had been set. For whatever reason (probably the MLBPA (which I’m sure had support of the BoSox players), possibly MLB, possibly the BoSox FO), this was supposedly not happening this time. That’s all that needed to happen, the players include the coaches in their pool, just like what happened when the Yanks went. Therefore, the coaches get an equal stipend (again, exactly what they were asking for). What a bunch of misinformed people the BoSox players and coaches had to be to organize this boycott attempt. They needed to get their facts straight before flying into these histrionics. Just despicable that it came to that.

  295. THIS JUST IN .........

    In a further development, Boston players and coaches are upset about having to tip hotel and restaurant people in Japan.
    More later in the 6:00 PM sports report.

  296. JimmyQuick

    Yeah, it’s really surprising that an unnamed MLB source is trying to spin it to make MLB look good and do damage control.

    I have never seen so many of you put some much faith in MLB.

  297. McHenry

    Yes. The fact that these 40 men wear Red Sox uniforms made them too stupid and greedy to know the rules in advance. I think the fact that they were willing to draw the ire of fans and the media by boycotting indicates that someone else made a mistake, or explained things to people incorrectly. But they are the Red Sox, right? So that is why they are stupid, selfish, and greedy. Had this been the Cardinals, it would be different right? Hoser.

  298. Mr. & Mrs. Alka Seltzer

    Schilling, Beckett, and Colon threatened to go on a doughnut eating binge if the coaches and trainers were denied their $40,000.

  299. Y's Guy

    while i blame management for letting this happen, the mlbpa deserves a bronx cheer for snatching up the coache’s cut of the japan pie, especially since almost every coach was a member when they played.

  300. jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge

    HA!! Love Mike!! Why is it that the NY Yankee players knew they had to do something for the coaches, and the Red Soxs didn’t.

  301. Mehdi hopes the Red Sox season Tanks by the end of April

    Red Sox Fans: “Mommy, Mommy, this Yankee reporter said mean things about you at school”

    Red Sox: “Don’t worry I’ll write a nasty e-mail to him. It should sort things out.”

    Me : No it doesn’t, you’re still scum and you always will be.

  302. Mehdi hopes the Red Sox season Tanks by the end of April

    By the way when I say you, it doesn’t mean you Pete.

  303. Yanksgal07

    No McHenry ..If it had been the Yankees …THEY would have been crucified…as usual.

    Go Yankees 2008 !!!

  304. JimmyQuick

    The real comedy is all you homers thinking anyone that supports the Red Sox in this is a Red Sox fan. Morons.

  305. Scorpio

    So in the end, the Red Sox vigilantes don’t know how to do math…

    Pool of $$$/(# of players + coaches) = stipend

    Duh!

  306. Yankee Jay

    Rich

    Thanks for the insight…now bring something to the table yourself since you’re so cool.

  307. JimmyQuick

    “You don’t expect to see that, but I was kind of glad it happened and I was kind of impressed with those guys,” said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. “Not only are they a very talented team, they’ve got something special over there. That’s a team. They stuck their necks out for the coaching staff — those guys they admire and stand by — and that helps us all. There’s only two teams that can get away with that: Boston and New York. That’s good to see.”

  308. Bill Porter

    “. . . So let’s review. The Yankees are charitable men of honor who help their fellow man in a time of need. The Sox are a greedy disgrace to the game. . .

    . . . Meanwhile, thanks to all the Red Sox fans who had somebody write me nasty e-mails on their behalf. Good stuff”.

    Um Pete, I think you may have, to some extent, brought the E-mails on your self. Some folks clearly don’t appreciate your highly nuanced sense of humor.

  309. sharp shooter

    Beantown always knew it wasn’t about the money,they wanted out of that jacked up schedule.Hahaha!

  310. islesfan

    Yesterday the Yankees proved to be generous and kind.

    Today the Red Sox proved to be extortionists.

  311. sharp shooter

    Islesfan there are a few more choice adjectives that really
    describe them,you bet.i.e greedy self important whiners ingrates wannabees…you get my drift it goes on and on.

  312. PJ

    $40,000 for hitting a few ground balls…what a life…they certainly deserve every cent…

  313. Mason

    I hate it when stereotypes prove true.

    The only people representing what went on today as greedy are Abraham and Yankees fans. Everyone else saw it for what it was – the players standing by their coaches and trainers.

    How is it greedy on the players part to expect coaches and trainers getting equal compensation?

    Just another example of Yankees fans turning into whiners. Oh they knocked over our catcher! They suspended our players! They didn’t give our team enough coverage for doing a “charitable act”!

    It’s laughable.

  314. JimmyQuick

    You guys are literally idiots and I’m NOT a Red Sox fan.

    Don’t let the silly facts of the situation get in the way of your irrational homer hating.

  315. Kaboom

    The Red Sox were helping out the coaches and guys that don’t make any money.

    This blog is just stupid biased hatred by another New Yorker that can’t read English.

    Way to go helping those poor VT kids get over the school shooting by making them look inept. 11-0 wow. What class you have their NY. Way to make them feel better

  316. scorpio

    Kaboom and all Red Sox fans…

    If your players knew how to do math there would have been no issue, the MLB said the pool was to be divided among the team as they saw fit. RS divided the pool WITHOUT including their own coaches and staff. That’s why your Front Office is putting up the rest. It was never $40K to begin withbut since thatthe number floating around now, your own FO has to pony up the rest!

    Read your hometown paper for details: boston.com

    Wow, what a way to humiliate the MLB and show how much the RS player DO NOT want to go to JPN. And I luv how every putdown always comes back to “class”…shut up and play baseball. To say anything negative of the VTech visit shows how ridiculous you guys are.

    Note: If you don’t care for anti-RS sentiments don’t visit a Yankee blog.

  317. JimmyQuick

    “MLB said the pool was to be divided among the team as they saw fit. RS divided the pool WITHOUT including their own coaches and staff.”

    Yeah, no, they didn’t, that’s not even close to what actually happened. Again, don’t let the silly facts get in the way, that would be crazy.

  318. KarenJ

    Pete, let me fill you in on a little known internet secret: Subtle nuances of sarcasm aren’t necessarily recognized even by your own readers on the Internet.

    We can’t “hear” your “tone of voice”, we can’t see the expression on your face, all we know is what you write. And if your sarcasm is written in a “tone” very similar to your normal reporting style, who knew?

    I believe I’ve posted a similar sentiment to you a few months ago…

  319. scorpio

    Sure, facts. As per boston.com…I guess the PA forgot to including their beloved coaches. Good luck in Japan. G’night.

    Posted by Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff March 19, 2008 03:04 PM
    Major League Baseball seemed to take the hit about this coaches flap all morning long, but in the overall blame pie, was the Players’ Association mostly at fault for originally eliminating the coaches from the pool of receipts for the Japan trip?

    A major league official certainly thought so and was miffed at MLB being portrayed as the bad guy.

    Boston’s player rep Kevin Youkilis, who it a three-run homer to provide all of Boston’s runs through six innings today, took the high road and said no blame should be assigned for the misunderstanding.

  320. Stacey

    Wow – what a reaction. Pete, bet you weren’t expecting that, huh?

    As a Red Sox fan, I have just three quick thoughts:

    1.) How anyone could take a situation like this and make it into a selfish act on the part of the Sox players is beyond me. Those of you who did – shame on you.
    2.) That being said, I think that the Yankees’ visit to VA Tech this week was wonderful & classy & heart-warming.
    3.) Thank you to all of the Yankee fans here who recognized my team standing up for its less-influential coaches. Your fairness is not unappreciated.

Leave a Reply

Advertisement
About this blog
Thoughts and discussion on the 26-time World Champion Yankees.

LoHud's Yankees News Page

Subscribe
LoHud Yankees Podcast | Get iTunes

Get blog updates via email:

Twitter Updates
  • Jose Molina caught six innings and was 1 for 2 with a double and a walk in a rehab game for Triple-A Scranton l 9 hrs ago
  • And my boy Pete Caldera @pcaldera. Baseball and the music your grandparents loved. 20 hrs ago
  • #FFs @ jimbaumbach, @kendavidoff, @bloggingbombers, @tylerkepner, @mikevacc, @jorgearangure, @BenBadler, @YankeesWFAN, @ProFootballTalk 20 hrs ago
  • CC audio on the blog now 1 day ago
  • Props to Jack Nicholson, who is still in his seat. 1 day ago
  • More updates...
About the author
Peter AbrahamPeter Abraham is the Yankees beat writer for The Journal News and LoHud.com. E-mail me at pabraham@lohud.com

READ MORE ABOUT PETER

Advertise
Democracy


Ad
MLB Salaries
MLB SALARY DATABASE
Links
Other recent entries
Monthly Archives