European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 29, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 30 the stars and stripes sports saturday october 29,1994 baseball strikes out now that the baseball writers have handed out the hardware for the 1994 season the logical question seems to be Why Stop there As Long As they re rolling Why not go ahead and choose the winners for 1995, and beyond Why break the momentum now after All once they decided to Reward players and recognize achievements for a season that never ended what s to Stop them from doing the same for a season that May never begin. It s Only a Short leap of Faith from one to the other. And imagine the kind of arguments it would spark at this time next year As the owners who caved in and paid off All promised 1994 bonuses try to wriggle off the Hook for the same incentive clauses Many players already have in their 1995 contracts player let s see that s my fourth straight Yyoung. My agent says with the incentive clauses and such in my contract you owe me an extra $1 million. Owner but there was t a season not even on game you did t throw a single pitch the whole year player yeah Well 1994 was t exactly a real sea son either. But the baseball writers association of America gave me by Young no. 3 and you paid off then without a Peep. To the tune of $750,000, As i re call."-x.?vv-. Commentary Jim Litke owner "1 did t want to look bad. Besides we had almost two thirds of a season to go on player Don t talk fractions to me i got a contract with Nice round numbers in it. Look at the Small print. You la see by no. 4 bumps the Bonus to a Coo Mil. And forget the Check. This time i want it in unmarked $100 owner you la get i thief Over my dead body the Only thing i m going to see is you and your mis Erable agent in Don t get me wrong no one is saying had the 1994 season run its Normal course that Atlanta Greg Maddux would t have captured third straight by Young or that Chicago s Frank Thomas would t have been worthy of a second straight most valuable player award. Or that any of the other play ers similarly rewarded might not have been equally deserving. By the same Token because the season did not run its course no one baseball writers included should go ahead and pretend that they did. And i does no Good to argue As Thomas did i accepting the award thursday that hot Only is sep tember usually most productive month but the numbers he put up before the ballparks went dark aug. 12 were big enough to cover a whole season work. A a that ignores the very real possibility that for one reason or another Thomas could have gone into Theta Spiri of career and finished 0-for-september and october. Unlikely perhaps but possible. And just As possible but More Likely that someone say Cleveland s Albert Belle could have had the Best two months of career and left both Thomas and the White sox lurching in Wake. Even worse paying off for a Job before it s finished establishes a very bad precedent. No matter How Good the performance already Cap tured on film canisters nobody won an Oscar for a rho vie that was t finished. No unfinished Manu script no matter How promising or accomplished its author is awarded the Nobel prize. More to the Point imagine making such an argument in the War Kada world. Employee let s see that s 10 deals closed in the last two weeks 29 for the three week period and a week left to get no. 30. I m so hot i la not Only qualify for the october Bonus but there s no Way i Don t make the november quota by the Middle of the month. Pay me both right now or i m Boss what if you walk out of Here with the Check in your pocket and get hit by a car what if you walk but of Here tomorrow Cross the Street to work for my competitor what if you Needle me so much about this very matter that i fire you 29 sales and. For All its similarities baseball writers would do Well to remember that the game is nothing like real life. In real life you get paid Only after the Job is done. Anyone who doubts this should turn in a half finished Story and see if he gets More than half a pay Check. A. The associated press Aba owners will play Cis new York a even though then a will keep playing while the owners and players keep talking the two sides Are no closer to a new collective bargain ing agreement. That was clearly evident thursday when Aba commissioner David Stern and players Union head Charles Grant Ham announced a no strike no lockout agreement that clears the Way for the season to begin on time this Friday an continue uninterrupted through the play offs. This is not an Assurance or a Promise but a statement of Good Faith intention by two sides that however they May ban away at each other have always been Ca Pable of making Good Faith efforts Stern said. Grantham still sees the Cap As an artificial obstacle to a free Market while Stern still sees it As crucial tool for keeping the league financially healthy. But the new agreement gives them time until the end of the 1995 Aba finals to resolve their considerable differences and formulate a new labor Deal. The last collective bargaining agreement expired in june. On thursday both Stern and Grant Ham indicated interest in containing run away Rookie salaries but remained far apart on the salary Cap itself. We re hopeful that during these hard fought negotiations that easy David Here will understand at some Point that the salary Cap is unnecessary Grantham cracked. -.". Stern had dubbed himself easy David earlier this month when he declared the league open to negotiate an aspect of the expired bargaining agreement including the Cap. But the league is clearly committed to preserving the Cap adopted in 1983.owners want to close loopholes in Cap rules such As the opt out provisions that have allowed some players to re Signor More Money after one year and huge balloon payments tacked onto the end of Long term contracts Stern said he hoped to re Start negotiations with the Union in a matter of days.", a under the no strike no lockout agreement teams will have until nov. 8 to renegotiate or extend existing con tracts but unsigned rookies will face no signing deadlines. Both sides acknowledged that the acrimonious labor disputes in baseball and hockey have created a difficult Atmo sphere for Deal making. Baseball players went on strike aug.12, forcing the cancellation of the world series for the first time since 1904. No owners rejected a no strike no lockout offer from its players arid have delayed the season indefinitely. Aba commissioner David Stern left and Charles Grantham director of the Aba players association announce no lockout pledge in new York on thursday. Go panthers Heidelberg Lions is. Him a panthers kickoffatip.m.,sat.oct.29 Hanau High school sponsored by Hanau . Booster club sonics coach says he was happier in Cuba i 1-� Seattle a George Karl of the Seattle supersonics says he was happier coaching in the Continental basketball association than he is in the Aba. He is weary from battling for the Atten Tion of players with colossal salaries and even bigger egos. I m not going to deny that i Don t understand what they re thinking some times he said. Because of the huge Money that is being paid to players coaching is an unrewarding profession now because the game and its millionaire players Are being pulled in different directions he said. Karl 43, said he finds himself thinking Back to the five seasons he spent As Aba head coach with Albany and Mon Tana. He said it won t be Long before he walks away from the Aba. I m out of Here in a few years i bet Karl said. I m out of Here and coaching somewhere else College Back in Europe maybe the with 926 career victories As a head coach Atlanta coach Lenny Wilkens is 13 victories shy of passing red Auerbach and becoming the Aba s All time win ingest coach. Karl 264 coaching Vic tories and is counting the Days until he can leave the profession. I Don t know How Lenny s stayed in it this Long Karl said. Fired by Cleveland and Golden Staten the 1980s, Karl resurrected Aba head coaching career with the sonics leading them to a league Best 63 Vic tories last season. In-2v� years in Seattle he a glowing 145-61 record
