This year is the 25th anniversary of the infamous 1994 strike...WHY was it even necessary?

Estil

Hard to believe but this year marks the 25th anniversary of the infamous 1994 strike. I was only 14 at the time and I was quite saddened that the 1994 World Series/postseason ended up getting canceled...mainly because it looked like my sports hero at the time Don Mattingly (he's from nearby Evansville, IN) would finally get to appear in the World Series (had he done that or stuck around one more year to make the 1996 one, he'd be in the HOF for sure; I think he quite literally came up one season short)...but it among other things (such as Tony Gwynn batting .400) were not to be.

What I just cannot comprehend is why the players chose to strike...what could've possibly been worth ruining the 1994 season and nearly the 1995 one (imagine if it ended up with replacement players and caused Ripken's streak to end before he could set Lou Gehrig's record?). Was it not enough the top players were easily making at least a few million a year, and the rest making a healthy six figures? I think the main breaking point was that they wouldn't accept a salary cap...was that really such a big deal and worth ruining the 1994 season and angering the fans for the next several years (luckily Ripken and to a letter extent McGwire/Sosa really helped baseball recover in that regard)?

Even after 25 years I just don't get it. It's one thing for a union to strike when the workers are living at or near paycheck to paycheck or something but didn't the players realize how lucky they were to make all that money and be on baseball cards and such?

BLUEJAYWAY

In one form or another it usually boils down to $$$$$$$.

Estil

Yeah I already covered that part but I meant more specifically.

perkdog

Baseball was in the crapper after ‘94. Steroids literally saved MLB, in ‘98 the great HR chase between McGwire and Sosa brought the interest back in a big way, Griffey JR was in the conversation as well. As far the Salary cap I personally think it would have been a good thing for MLB

galaxy27

i'll never forget how loaded the Expos were that season. best record and on pace to win 100+ when the strike hit, iirc. the city pretty much abandoned them after that and a decade or so later they were gone.

1951WheatiesPremium

As mentioned, it was a flagrant attempt to stop the growth of Canadian baseball.

keets

classic case of Workers vs. Management where the Management side of things holds too much power. sometimes, the work-force needs to strike just so the Management knows they are willing to do so.

Coinstartled

Sport was not only America's pastime a generation ago, it was America. As a kid the professional sports season started with the Tigers opening pitch and ended with the final out in the world series. Never watched basketball, football or hockey until I was 18 or older.

I do not begrudge the 30 and 40 million dollar salaries that the top players command, well other than most teams are subsidized by the tax dollars of the communities that blindly embrace them.

Their should be an appreciation though...at least a small appreciation that if not for the game of baseball, few players would be earning a working man's salary like the poor schmuck who tries to get to a game or two each season.

Of course the Deion Sanders or Bo Jackson will come along that can choose his sport, but few MLB's, though quality athletes, would have much of shot in the other arenas.

So piss on the fan with holdouts and strikes, and $9 hot dogs and gulag like netting around the $100 seats. Pull the no hit pitcher and enjoy the 4 hour World Series game.

if not for the IPhones and Galaxies, the seats would be empty. The game is finished.

Estil

@keets said:
classic case of Workers vs. Management where the Management side of things holds too much power. sometimes, the work-force needs to strike just so the Management knows they are willing to do so.

Well there was that whole collusion thing with the owners a few years prior where they try to discourage each other from signing free agents for big money (google/wiki it) so maybe that was all the more reason the players didn't exactly give the owners the benefit of the doubt on this one?