The Baseball Strike

[sfaJack 0]

So, unbelievably, it's been 10 years since the 1994 strike. I know several people who pretty much ignore baseball now because of it, but I'm curious to know if those here feel the same way. Did the strike kill your love for baseball? Have you gotten over it, or did it never really bother you?

 

For me, I remember being extremely angry when it happened, simply because '94 was shaping up to be a good stretch run with the Expos/Braves in the East and the Astros/Reds race in the Central, for instance.

 

I got over that anger fairly quickly however, and was back on the horse watching again in the shortened '95 season. My love for the game just won out over baseball's petty bickering over money. Being only 15 at the time probably helped too since I still had childhood memories of the game (both watching and playing) pretty fresh in my mind.

 

Anyone else?

[bob_barron 0]

The 1994 strike really hurt- You just never thought it would go as far as it did and then you hear they're cancelling the World Series. I just didn't believe the owners and players would let that happen.

 

I remember dreading the 1995 season full of replacement players. I kind of lost interest in baseball but Cal Ripken and the Braves World Series run quickly brought me back.

 

How did they get them back anyway? Didn't just a judge just tell them to fuck off and go back to work thus solving nothing?

[starvenger 0]

So, unbelievably, it's been 10 years since the 1994 strike. I know several people who pretty much ignore baseball now because of it, but I'm curious to know if those here feel the same way. Did the strike kill your love for baseball? Have you gotten over it, or did it never really bother you?

Yeah, that would be me. I now go to the occasional baseball game to check out the architecture in the stadiums. I'm not joking about that, either.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

How did they get them back anyway? Didn't just a judge just tell them to fuck off and go back to work thus solving nothing?

 

Essentially. The players' Union filed a grievence claiming the owners were not bargaining in good faith. The judge agreed, and the Union agreed to return to the field under the old agreement, while a new agreement was worked upon. That agreement was reached in 1996.

 

The Strike itself, in my view, was caused by the owners. They wanted a hard salary cap, and of course players weren't buying it. The problem was if there was no new contract by the 1995 season, owners could declare an impasse and impose their new rules. So players had no choice but to Strike. They struck in early August hoping that would leave plenty of time to renew the season, but obviously it didn't work out that way.

 

And contrary to popular belief, most of the fans returned by 1996.

[Kaertos 0]

It hurt a lot, the strike. I love baseball. In fact, my wife says that a line in "For Love of the Game" applies to me pretty well. Paraphrased: "He loved two things in his life: his wife and baseball." In fact, I remember being at work at the Ground Round and hearing Selig cancel the World Series. I was sick to my stomach. I almost asked to gome home.

 

But it didn't kill my love of the game. It just made me a little more cynical and certainly more aware of the huge problems facing it. I think Bob Costas pretty muchnailed how I feel about baseball in his book "Foul Ball."

[CanadianChris 0]

How did they get them back anyway? Didn't just a judge just tell them to fuck off and go back to work thus solving nothing?

If by "them" you mean the owners, then yes. The players union filed an injunction that was upheld by the Court of Appeals, ending the strike.

[Alro 0]

The strike definately killed my interest. I can't remember the last full game I watched that wasn't a post-season game.

 

I remember my dad buying Reds season tickets in 1994 that got a lot of use until the strike started. My family used them, company employees used them and his customers used them. Once the strike started, the ticket office called him and said they would be giving him tickets to next season's games to compensate him for the tickets that couldn't be used that season. He said no you're not. You're giving me my money back. Nobody in my immediate family has been to a MLB game since.

[cabbageboy 0]

You will never hear me bemoan the strike in 1994. I mean we were looking at potentially a 3rd straight Canadian team winning the World Series. I think THAT would have been worse for the game than the strike, heh.

 

Speaking of the Expos, has anyone seen these bullshit ESPN shows about the 94 team? All this stuff about how great they were and how they would have cruised to the Series. What crap. Even if they did manage to beat the Braves in the NLCS (remember this was the first year of the wildcard), which to me is doubtful, the Yankees would have probably smacked them in the World Series.

 

Incidentally, that was Don Mattingly's best chance at a winner. I'd rather ESPN do a documentary about him missing out on the Series, since he's pretty much the only good Yankee to never win one.

 

As far as the strike goes, I didn't get too angry. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of replacement players, but once the real guys got back in 95 I watched it like business as usual.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Unfortunately, work will keep me away until the evening, but if anyone has any questions about the specific details of the Strike, I'll be happy to answer them tonight.

[CanadianChris 0]

Speaking of the Expos, has anyone seen these bullshit ESPN shows about the 94 team? All this stuff about how great they were and how they would have cruised to the Series. What crap. Even if they did manage to beat the Braves in the NLCS (remember this was the first year of the wildcard), which to me is doubtful, the Yankees would have probably smacked them in the World Series.

Doubtful. The Yankees didn't have much pitching, besides Jimmy Key. The playoff rotation of Key, Jim Abbott, Melido Perez and Terry Mulholland wasn't scaring anyone. The Expos had Ken Hill in his best year, a young Pedro, and Jeff Fassero and Kirk Rueter back when they could pitch, plus Wetteland and Rojas in the pen and the best outfield in baseball, bar none (Grissom, Alou, Walker).

 

And that's some pretty pitiful Canadian baiting. At least put some throught into it.

[Dr. Tom 0]

I gave up my Orioles season tickets (I had a 29-game plan) because of the strike. Those were the tickets that got me two seats to the 1993 All-Star Game, and almost certainly would've gotten me playoff seats a couple years later. My feeling at the time was that, if the owners and the players wanted to bicker over money, I was not going to add my money to the mix.

 

I still watch baseball, still follow it, and started playing fantasy baseball in the years after the strike. However, I don't go to games nearly as often as I used to.

[cabbageboy 0]

I wasn't even trying to do Canadian baiting. I'm just saying that the Expos winning it all wasn't remotely a forgone conclusion. I personally don't think they would have even gotten past the Braves in the NLCS, but it's all speculative.

[Highland 0]

Even if the Expos had won the WS in '94 Montreal itself is a shitty sports city that won't support your team unless you're winning and have a Habs logo on your jersey.

They'd still be up for sale today.

[cabbageboy 0]

I took a look at the final standings in 94 before the strike. Here's how it would have ended up:

 

Montreal would have squashed the Dodgers in the first round, since the NL West was horrid back then (Dodgers were only 2 above .500).

 

Braves would have likely beaten either the Reds or Astros in 4 games or so.

 

Thus, it would have been Expos vs. Braves in the NLCS.

 

In the AL:

 

Yankees squashing the Rangers or some jobber from a truly pathetic AL West (Rangers were 10 under and in 1st!!!).

 

Actually that might not be accurate. The Indians and White Sox would have both gotten in out of the Central and couldn't play each other, so let's say the Sox get the crappy Rangers and Yankees get the Indians. Indians were about a year away, so let's say it was NY vs. Chicago in the ALCS.

 

Who knows what would have happened? Maybe it would have been one of those oddball Series like Indians/Marlins.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

There was a thread a week ago discussing the '94 Playoffs. The Expos and White Sox most likely would have beaten their mediocre West opponents, in my view. NY beat Cleveland nine out of nine in the regular season, so they'd likely advance. Reds/Braves is completely up in the air. Slight edge to Cincy for having home field.

[LooseCannon25 0]

I remember the 94 season very weel, and in my own opinion the Montreal Expos were by far the best team in MLB. They had a great lineup, great pitching, a great manager, very good defense, and clutch hitting. What else could you ask for?

[Guest Staravenger]

Can someone give me a little info on the replacement players problem for 1995? A website link or somethin...

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Luck. The Expos were 2-4 against the Reds. I'm not saying they were worse, but in a short series, its easy for a good team to upset a very good team.

 

An odd note. The Expos were 12-0 against the Padres that season.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Can someone give me a little info on the replacement players problem for 1995? A website link or somethin...

Anything specific? Why it didn't succeed?

[Guest Staravenger]

Nothing specific... OK I lied. Why it was done, maybe a roster list, and how long before it failed (probably 2 minutes).

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Well, in March of 1995, the Strike was ongoing, with no end in strike. The owners decided to try using replacement players in order to keep a product on the field. The idea had its obvious flaws, the main one being the quality of talent. Other problems included the issues with advertisers and sponsers, who would have possible problems with their own unions for supporting the owners, and would not wish to continue with a subpar product.

 

Training camps opened in Florida with the replacement players, and they proceeded with spring training. Peter Angelos and the Orioles did not participate. The teams planned to commence the regular season with replacement players. The plan didn't fail as much as it was usurped by the conclusion of the strike.

 

To this day, when you play an MLBPA liscenced video game, you'll notice a handful of players missing, such as Shane Spencer, Todd Pratt, and Damian Miller. These are some of the replacement players, and as replacement players, they are barred from joining the players' union.

[the max 0]

Kevin Millar was a replacement player too, I think.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Yes he was.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

And Brendan Donnally of Anahiem.

[Guest Staravenger]

Thanks for the info. That sucks though, since I actually liked Shane Spencer during his Yankee stint and always got annoyed when he wasn't on the roster, but someone who wasn't even on the team was (in games). I wonder how good the Yankees would've been with replacements.

[Bored 0]

Ohter replacement players:

 

Rick Reed

Lou Merloni

Kerry Ligtenberg

Brian Daubach

Jeff Tam

 

Anyone remember Mike Busch? He was the first replacement player to make into the Majors in 1995. He played for the Dodgers and Brett Butler threw a fit over it. Busch of course was given a standing ovation in his first at bat.

[cabbageboy 0]

Here's why I am skeptical of the Expos. They just sorta reeked of a team like the 2000 White Sox or the 2001 Mariners. As in one of those teams who wins a bunch in the regular season just to fall flat in the postseason.

 

I tend to doubt that the Reds would have had a chance against the Braves in a series, but maybe I just recall the Reds getting owned by the Braves in the 95 NLCS.

[JJMc 0]

Ohter replacement players:

 

Rick Reed

Wasn't Rick Reed in the union prior to this? I thought I remembered hearing that he crossed the picket line and is now barred from the union.

[Fökai 0]

Is there a specific reason why Rick Reed, Brian Daubach and Kerry Lightenberg (among others) are included in an MLBPA-licensed video game roster? Did the player's union recently relent on allowing the ex-replacement players to be captured for this forum of media?

[Bored 0]

I think it was two years ago when replacement players did finally show up MLBPA liscensed games so I would assume the union finally allowed those players to join.