Comments on: Today in The Journal News

By: LibertyBelle

LibertyBelle — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:54:57 +0000

Nice pic, Pete- thanks!

By: jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge

jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:43:16 +0000

The screen in my elevator says “red soxs refuse to take field in dispute over coaches pay.

Um why not give you 40 grand to the coaches if you are so angry about it? Does Ortiz really need another 40 grand?

By: jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge

jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:22:23 +0000

Look at all these bad apples complaining, they haven’t even left yet.

By: jk

jk — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:02:28 +0000

The Yankees donate their time and money to Va. Tech while the Red Sox gripe for a few extra dollars. Who is the Evil Empire now??

By: wsr

wsr — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:52:32 +0000

it sounded like MLB didn’t guarantee that money, Francona just assumed, and told the rest of the coaching staff, without bothering to find out if his assumption is correct. if they already spent that money, then that’s their problem, most people know (hopefully) not to count their chickens before their hatched.

I don’t like selig, but this one seems to be on Francona for screwing up. if they boycott, they won’t get that 40,000 either. I’m of the mind that none of them should get the extra cash. This is part of their job. expenses relating to the trip should be covered, as they will, but why do they need extra for what amounts to a business trip? it continues to blow my mind how skewed many of these athletes perceptions of reality are. francona is saying that 40,000 is 2/5 of some of the coaches income? would you demand a 2/5 of your salary bonus for a week long business trip? its not like their paying for this trip out of pocket.

By: Rishi

Rishi — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:48:45 +0000

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.”

By: Rishi

Rishi — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:46:46 +0000

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.

By: YanksSox

YanksSox — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:38:10 +0000

Don’t you guys understand, this has nothing to do with guys like Manny and Ortiz who make millions of dollars (of course 40k is nothing to them) its about the coaches and trainers who were all guaranteed money for the trip. A trainer who makes maybe a couple hundred thousand this is a pretty big cut, that you thought you were going to get and maybe even spent. And you can say ‘Why don’t the players pay it, with all their money” Well thats not the point and kind of ridiculous, MLB guaranteed this money and they will eventually cave instead of taking this hit.

By: raymagnetic â„¢

raymagnetic â„¢ — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:35:43 +0000

“They probably would ask for right-hander Ian Kennedy, for starters, and perhaps pitchers Alan Horne and Jeff Marquez as well.-”

Three of the Yankees top 10 pitchers for an injury waiting to happen? I bet that Harden won’t pitch as many innings as Kennedy this year.

By: raymagnetic â„¢

raymagnetic â„¢ — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:33:17 +0000

“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/b.....t_baggage/