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Date Posted: 16:14:43 05/17/02 Fri
Author: Seth
Subject: ARod's View About A Players Strike

This is from Thursday's Chicago Sun-Times.

Rodriguez: Strike could help game
May 16, 2002

BY TONI GINNETTI STAFF REPORTER

Baseball's richest player stands to lose the most if there is another work stoppage.
But Alex Rodriguez, the Texas Rangers' All-Star shortstop, is ready for the worst if it can make the game sound for the future.

"I think about the last 10 years and what the union has stood for and the landscape it created, and the next 10 years--not just for me--but all these young players,'' Rodriguez said Wednesday before the White Sox-Rangers game at Comiskey Park. "I'm definitely prepared for anything that might happen.''

The threat of another work stoppage came from union official Gene Orza in a New York Times report Wednesday. General discussions have been held among player representatives and union officials about setting a strike date. But the report was the first public acknowledgement that another walkout could be looming.
"It's hard to say what will happen,'' said pitcher Todd Van Poppel, the Rangers' assistant player rep. "They need to get to the [negotiating] table.

"There needs to be some changes in the game on both sides. Hopefully it won't come down to [a strike], but this is a business, and owners have to take care of themselves and players have to take care of themselves.''

If there are doubts about the players' resolve to walk out in the face of growing fan hostility toward baseball's labor problems, Rodriguez's stance might answer those questions.

"If it's going to make the game better for the owners and players, it could [help],'' said Rodriguez, who signed a 10-year, $252 million contract before last season, making him baseball's highest-paid player. "I'm a fan of the game, and if you have to stop play for five months to get it right, it could be [positive]. You have to look in the mirror and try to fix them now. I'm thinking about 30 years down the line, not just the next six months.''

There are fears another stoppage could be baseball's death knell, but Rodriguez disagrees.

"I think about management vs. big markets and small markets," he said. "I was in the 30th market [in Seattle]. We were one of the teams they wanted to move. Now they are second to the Yankees [in revenue]. The market hasn't changed, but management did. They built a new stadium. They have the No. 1 radio deal. They're printing money in the Northwest now because of great people managing things.

"Cleveland, Seattle and Atlanta used to be laughingstocks, and now they're successful. I want to see teams like the Marlins and Tampa Bay have a shot to win the World Series. The competitive balance needs to be improved.''

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