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Sunday, December 10
 
Managers fear another work stoppage

Associated Press

DALLAS -- Baseball managers are bracing for the sport's ninth work stoppage since 1972.

"I'm just petrified," Florida Marlins manager John Boles said Sunday at the winter meetings. "I hope people can get this solved. It's devastating to me personally."

We've hurt the fans. It would be a shame if that happened again.
Tom Kelly, Twins manager

Baseball's labor contract expires next Oct. 31 and commissioner Bud Selig, citing payroll disparity and a lack of competitive balance, promised change when he testified last month before a Senate subcommittee.

Players, who averaged about $1.8 million in pay this season, don't want the significant salary restraint some owners are talking about.

Mark McGwire, perhaps baseball's biggest star, has said he would retire if there's another work stoppage.

"No doubt in my mind he meant it when he said it," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "He's real concerned. I'm sure he was sincere when he said it."

Even though the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement is 10½ months away, La Russa thinks a work stoppage is a real possibility.

"What I think, I don't like to think about it," he said. "When I start thinking about it, I get really concerned. I'm fearful of what might happen."

Cubs manager Don Baylor, a former player, predicted the union will have a tough time winning fans over to its viewpoint.

"PR-wise, I don't see people being sympathetic for the players," he said. "We need to find some kind of solution. Every time we have a labor disagreement, more people stay away from the sport and go someplace else."

In some cities, attendance still hasn't recovered from the 232-day strike in 1994-95 that canceled the World Series for the first time in 90 years. The average attendance this year was 30,099, the best since the strike but still 4.8 percent off the 1994 average of 31,612. The average dropped 20.1 percent in 1995 to 25,260 the following season.

"The last strike hurt Kansas City more than any other town," Royals manager Tony Muser said. "When I came here and talked baseball, started going out shaking hands and meeting people, a lot of people said they still didn't go to games because of the strike. Both sides need to get together and work out the economic equality in baseball."

While the Marlins won the World Series in 1997 -- in just their fifth season -- then-owner H. Wayne Huizenga ordered payroll cut and then sold the franchise. The Marlins haven't contended since and haven't drawn well.

"I remember vividly the last strike," Boles said. "It crushed us and ended our honeymoon. We lost a lot of fans. I'm hopeful and confident it will be worked out. I don't know if a majority of clubs can recover from that."

Baseball has had strikes in 1972, 1980, 1981, 1985 and 1994-95, and lockouts in 1973, 1976, and 1990.

"We've hurt the fans," Minnesota Twins manager Tom Kelly said. "It would be a shame if that happened again."

Atlanta manager Bobby Cox was one of the few optimists.

"I think they have the right guys in the commissioner's office to get a deal done," he said. "I don't see anyone stopping play."






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