The Salt Lake Tribune BASEBALL Sunday, January24, 1999 L.A’s $105 MillionDeal For Brown Has Small-Market Teams Demanding Change BY RONALD BLUM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK — Peter Magowan seemedto be speakingfor half the major league owners. “The Dodgers misled everybodyin baseball,” the San Francisco Giants boss said. “I feel somewhatstabbed in the back by what they told us and what sincethe endofthe 232-daystrike that wiped outthe last two months of the 1994season, the World SeTies and thefirst three weeks of the '95 season. Many teamshaveraisedticket ball deal that doesn’t work well for a numberof teams,”said Stan Kasten, president of the Atlanta Braves and the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. In the last agreement, players agreed to a 35 percent luxury tax onthe teams with the five highest payrolls, a figure that drops to 34 percentthis year. But the amount given to players by baseball's big spenders has slowedonly slightly because the tax starts at such a high level — the midpoint between the fifth- and sixth-highest payrolls, 1 thought the tax would have no impact whatsoever and that has proven to be the case,” Kasten said. Anger among the low-revenue teams has been brewing foryears. With Brown’s contract, it burst into the open at its highest level hope the increased son ($197.53 per game). The Mets are adding 90 premium seats that likely to start the season with pay will sell for $150 and $100 per game. It's impacting the affordability of baseball to the fans,” San Diego Padres president Larry Lucchino said. “It’s impacting families. It's impacting the competitive balance that’s at the heart of baseball.”” Among the 12 teams with payrolls of $48 million or higher last year, eight made the playoffs and all but one had a winning record. The Baltimore Orioles, who spent a major league-high $74.2 million, were the exception, stumbling to a 79-83 record Amongthe 18 teams who spent less than $48 million, only three had winning records: San Francisco (89-74), St. Louis (83-79) and Bud Selig the problem has noth- ing to do with players. In his view, it’s all about the refusal of highrevenue teams to share more of $14 million, baseball would have to lose one or two seasons to get its players to even consider a similar provision. “We haven't seen anything so far that suggests we're going to,” Fehr said Thursday. “Baseball players have historically behaved in very different ways than basketball players.” The union and agents have players on the have-nots to push for change. The popularphrase of this offseason seemsto be “‘young and exciting.” It seemsto be a eu- Cincinnati, Florida, Kansas City, Minnesota, Montreal, Oakland and Pittsburgh all appear rolls of $20 million or lower and have little hope to compete. It's hard to envision scenarios in which the Chicago White Sox ed. And spring training is still a i month away. 000, one-year contract ddan, 3, Oakland SAN FRANCISCO (4) Resigned Mark Gardner, thp.toa $5 resigned Klis Burks. of, to 2 $10 ‘Trevor Wilson. hp. Anabeit, hoe toa $950.00, one signe cot Serais, «Chicago nor lege contract (500.0 teammate, RUMBLINGS AND GRUMBLINGS Could someone explain whythe Orioles ‘aretrying fo re-create the Mariners’ bull pen? T Ti cliff Slocum binedfor 12 bio Seattie teammatesin slightly more than one pen — Dennis Martinez, Mike Fetlers, Mik Maddux. Pete Smith, Willig Banks. Designo’ @d nonslugger — Ratoel Belliard, 1998-1999 Home “The symbolism of a $100 mil- Dennis Cook Ip, to $66 mit reyes contract signed Robin Ventura, 3b, oa $82ml: on, four-year contract: signed Rickey Henderson, of Oakland to tract. Signed Jin Poole. Ip, Cleveland, toa tract: sed Tom Proce, ¢, Las Angeles Mike Benjamin, 2 Boston, toa $14 millon, twp year contract signed Ed Sprague, 38, Oabland toa $1 millon one-year conract:sgned Pete Scourek.Ihp Boston oa milion, two-year contract ST — Signed Ene Davis, of, Baltimore, to an$8 “1 3, lp, Los Ange Taylor, whom Seattle signedlast week. Tay: lor's minor-league ERAS the last three seasons: 18.73, 14.33 and 9.59. Since hurting his ‘aimin @ barroomfightin 1993, he’s 3-45 with @ 40.85 ERA and 475 waiks in 409 innings. tuck & — Number of centuries (plus eight year school-educated waiter to eam the $405 million Brown will get from the Dodgers over the next seven years, according fo the BueauofLabor Statistics. Its only five centufies for the averagetruck driver, three centufies for the average high schoolteacher, and 1.6 centuries for the average nuclear engineer, though. TRIVIALITY season together... You can tell that Marge Schott no longerruns the Reds because6r anJohnson, their new catcher. is a. guy wh has tought diversity-training seminars th winter. ational Leaguehas alway been considered a pitchers’ lecgue, but Never more thanin 1999. if Roger Clemen: winds up in Houston, which is stil possible six of the seven pitchers with the most winsi the ‘90s will reside in the NL — Brown, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson and John Smoltz. The only AL piich €2r in the top sevenif Clemens is deported David Cone(sixth)... Availabie tree agents nd their possible destinations: Cecil Field: er, Blue Jays; Tim Raines, Athletics, Carlos Baerga, Cardinals; Orel Hershiser, Mets (it they can trade starter); Shawon Dunstor Cardinais offs last year, when heav George Steinbrenner said he'd become such 0 big David Wells fan that he was “even starting to like that metallic band? ‘Our sources close to Metallica report that afer reading that quote, Metallica sent the Boss a case of CDs(none of which, we'd bel, contained a rendition of "New York New York” TRIVIA ANSWER Atlanta shorsiop Watt Weiss (23 caree: omers). ALL-UNEMPLOYED TEAM All these folks were still checking the help: meer" and Cardinals each spent more than $47 million. Increasingly, you get what you pay for. lion contract has brought it into focus, but it’s been building for a long time,” Lucchinosaid. Theplayers’ association, which negotiated the landmark agreement creating free agency in 1976, successfully withstood assaults during a 50-day strike in BASEBALL NOTEBOOK THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER THE NUMBERS 4 — Number of players the Yankees have added to their championship juggemaut since Scott Brosius started jumping up and downin October. Who's that lone addition? Setup manDanNautty. (You were expecting maybe Mike Piazza?) 3 — Number ofplayers the Mariners will have in campthis spring who were No. 4 ‘overall picks in the June draft. Ken Grittey Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadel phia, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa Bay and Torontocan contendfor a playoff spot That's half the major leagues eliminated or virtually eliminat- Toronto (88-74). And the Giants z mgrleaguecontract, signed John Marzano, ¢ 4 ino league contract ($40.00 IHONTO (3) — Signed Geronimo Ber, of, Detroit a rage cootact (9900 (00) resigned Dave Sued hp. ta signed Joey Cora 2, Cleve San02 500.000, aneyar contract Owners competitive imbalance will cause hopefor a salary capin baseballis a pipe dream. While NBA owners negotiated a salary maximum of BASEBALL FREE AGENT SIGNINGS AMERICAN LEAGUE NATIONAL LEAGUE, ANAHEIM 5) — Signed Mo Vaughn, 18, Boston to an $80 ARIZONA (7) — Signed Greg Swindel, np, Boston, toa $57 contract signed Greg Clbrunn, 1b, Atlanta. to 2 ar contract; resigned Jack McDowell chp, to 2 $500 000, oveyear contract; re-signed Randy Velarde 2, to an signed ToddStitemyre,rhp to £20000. one year contract resigned Craig Shipley. 5,1 mi gue contract (400,000); signed Tim Belcher, rhp, Kansas 2 $102 milion, twoyear contract, ALTINOR 9) — Signe Mike Timlin, rhp, Seattle, to a $16 2. ouryear contract, signed Albert Belle, of, Chicago White x 95 milion, fiverearcontrac: signed Delo DeShields f St Louis to $40 & ras to a $1225 milion, three-year contract resigned signed Otis Nitoa of, Minesota, to a ff of. 102 $14 millon. threeyear contrat signed Wil je ss toa $1 na, a0 $11 milo tract: signed aul cotract CHICAGO (4) — Resigned Heary Rodriguer, of, to an $8.9 smullionteo-year contract: re-signed Gary Gaeti, 38 toa $2 mil signed Benito Santiago. Toruato, toa 2 million, one-year contract ‘AUSTON 8) —Signed Jve Offerman, a, Kansas (iy, toa $26 CINCINNATI 4) — Signed Steve Avery. Ip. Boston, t $15 la four year contract: signed Mark Portal. hp, Pade one-year contract siged Mark Les, 3, Piadelphia. one-year contrat: signed Mark Guthrie hp. sillion, to $500,000, oneyear contract; signed Hal Morn, 1b, Kansas 2 mali, two-year contract signed Jeff Braruon, 3b Signed Roberto 2, Baltimore, to year contract; resigned Mark Whiten. of, toa vor year cuatract Signed Dean Palmer. 3b, Kansas City, toa $36, HOUSTON 2) — Signed Ken Caminit 3b, San Deg, to.a95, rmulbon, two-year contract: resigned Thm Bogar.s, to 4 $1. contract ANGELES (4) — Sigoed Devon White, of, Anzona to a $124 milioo, threeyear contract goed Alan Mil rh, Balt LAND 3) —SigoedTay Plo New Yor Mets. toa ne yenr contract: ressgoed Mike Mafarlage 1 4 year contract signed Doag Jones rh, Cleveland (00, ooe year eutract 4) — Signed Joe Mess. rp, San Francoeo toa two-year contract siged To Lamp. St Low oe, two year coatract: sigue Buch Henry. Dp 000 oneyeaoetract re-agped Bl Sal hp, contrac ($850 00) AMPA BAY 3) — Signed Jose Cansec. of 0 one year contract: signed Bobby Wit hp, St Lows, toa sagur vatract ged Norm Charioe tp. Atha toa ficial effect.” phemism for “100-gameloser.” seats that sell for $16,000 a sea- We're midwaythrougha base- that remains whenweget to bargaining, that should have a bene- year built an extra 60 first-row Premium seats. The Yankeeslast filled the air. memories of what we went through four years ago remain reasonably vivid,” Fehrsaid. “If their money with their low-revenue partners. Fehr made clear the owners’ seven-year contract with Rupert Murdoch’s Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball is reeling from thefallout from a deal that has galva- ing likely won't begin until after the 2001 season, salary-cap talk “At least through today, the In addition, teams are adding Morethan a month after Kevin Brown agreed to a $105 million, next round of collective bargain- Union head Donald Fehr has other long war — justin case repeatedly told commissioner "98 to $50 this year. manding change. Competitive imbalance dominated hallway talk earlier this month at the owners’ meetingsin Carlsbad, Ca. Even though the 1994-95strike, which caused a 20 percent drop in attendance that hasn't entirely been erased. asking for a salary cap. Some agents have said players already are beginning to get ready for an- Prices in order to maintain high Payrolls — the top regular ticket at Yankee Stadium has gone from $25 in 1996, to $35 in '97 to $45 in they've done.” nized small-market teamsinto de- 1981, a two-daystrike in 1995, a 32-day lockout in 1990 and the B9 warnedteamsnot to even think of Schedule season SOLD out January 298>“Benver Nuggets Chicago Bulls February 5th February 15th Sacramento Kings February 18th Denver Nuggets February 20th Seattle Sonics February 22 ind LA. Clippers February 26th Dallas Mavericks March 3rd March5th March 7th March 9th March 11th March 13th Vancouver Grizzlies Dallas Mavericks LA. Lakers Cleveland Cavaliers Denver Nuggets Minnesota Timberwolves Season Discount Same Seats For Every Game Same Seats for the Playoffs Free HomeCourt Subscription Miami Heat Houston Rockets Golden State Warriors April9th Phoenix Suns April 11th Houston Rockets April 20th San Antonio Spurs April 12th April 17th Vancouver Grizzlies LA. Lakers April 23rd April 25th April 26th April 29th Portland Trailblazers Seattle Sonics Phoenix Suns Golden State Warriors May4th Call 355-DUNK In vidual Tic} Mon ay, March 23rd April 1st April 8th Gale mary1, 1999 Af 7:00 4m Priority to purchase tickets will be determined by a randomdrawfromthe wristbandsthat will be handed out. Wristbands are available at each Smith's Tix and the Delta Center beginning 9:00 am Monday, January 25th. Smiths Tix will stop handing out wristbands Sunday night, January 31st and the Delta Centerwill hand out wristbands up until 5:30 am Monday, February 1st. A random draw means that one numberwill be drawn andthat personwill be thefirst in line and theline will form numerically from that number. Each Smith's Tix and the Delta Center will conduct a random draw. Phones orders will be taken An Associate of Applied Science Degree Program in Computer Network Systems Technology is now being offered at ) ITT Technical Institute 263-3313 920 West LeVoy Drive Murray, UT 8412 r Tickets Call 355-DUNK or467-TIXX