Ping RSN!
I agree. It’s a tough way to start the season.
I didn’t like the idea of this Japan trip anyway. Who wants a season opener halfway around the world? That’s a heck of a road trip to kick off the season.
It took awhile to figure out what was going on since the original story was pretty poor. Basically noted by “Dave” in the comments.
“When the coaches and players all agreed to their contracts, playing in Japan wasn’t part of the deal. MLB is having them do extra work to make MLB more money, it’s perfectly reasonable for them to expect compensation. It’s MLB’s responsibility to pay both the players AND coaches for this, suggesting that the players should pay the coaches for them is ridiculous.”
Japan has been playing BB for a long time and American teams traveling to Japan to play a game is fine. Last week, both the Dodger and Padres were in China playing two games.
MLB is trying to expand its market and the players (employees) should not be paying for MLB marketing costs. The MLB if it wants coaches to go along should pay them.
It was last year’s Japan trip that made Jason Giambi so sick, and cost him half a season...
What? Oh... It was steroids?
Nevermind!!!
Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell confirmed to the Boston Globe's Jackie MacMullan that the team voted unanimously this morning not to make the scheduled trip to Japan or play its final exhibition game against the Blue Jays this afternoon unless the coaches, training staff, and equipment staff were going to be compensated for making the trip to Japan.
“For example, bullpen catcher Manny Martinez, who would be considered part of the coaching staff on this Japan trip, earns just $30,000 per year.”
Ok, how much should someone who sits there and catches balls earn?