Alex Rodriguez offered to slash his record-setting salary if itwould help baseball, a novel approach to solving the sport'sproblems as it moved within a week of another strike.
"I would take a cut in pay 30 to 40 percent if it would makethe game better," the Texas shortstop said Friday at Yankee Stadiumbefore adding: "It's not a very realistic proposition."
Rodriguez's $252 million, 10-year contract is the richest insports, and many owners have pointed to it as a sign of baseball'simbalance between rich and poor.
Seven days before the threatened Aug. 30 strike date, the sidesavoided the key issues. Management said it expects a new proposalfrom the union today on the key economic elements of a labor deal.
Meanwhile, former commissioner Fay Vincent predicted baseballwon't be able to avoid its ninth work stoppage since 1972. Vincent,ousted 10 years ago by a group led by current commissioner BudSelig, praised his successor for what owners have achieved inbargaining. Still, he thinks Selig will be unable to stand up tohardline owners who want a new economic system.
"I think he has done a very good job in this negotiation ofgetting more from the union than I would have thought possible,"Vincent said. "He's in a position to declare victory, That's anenormous achievement.
"If he would just admit 30 percent is a victory and not 90percent, he would have a victory. All Selig has to say next week isthat, 'This is the best we're going to get. It's a victory.' But Idon't think he will do that."
Selig, who determined the owners' labor policy during strikes in1985 and 1994-95 and a lockout in 1990, said he was hopeful therewould be a deal but didn't go into specifics.
"Nobody on this Earth is more hopeful than I," Selig said. "Yes,I'm optimistic. I'm always an optimist, in everything in life. Youhave to be, especially when you have a job like I have. And theseare different from past labor negotiations. So, I'm hopeful. Buttime will tell."
The sides spent Friday discussing issues such as drug testing,the amateur draft, player discipline, scheduling, licensing, medicalcare, and regulations on uniforms, according to Rob Manfred, theowners' chief labor lawyer. While they are not far apart on revenuesharing, they remain divided on the luxury tax, designed to causehigh-payroll teams to spend less on players.
"We're at the point in time where we really need to get at thecore issues and see if we can get them resolved," Manfred said. "Thepace on those issues needs to improve," he said, adding, "I thinkall the issues that we have out there are resolvable." Asked whatneeds to spark talks on the key issues, union head Donald Fehrresponded: "Rob knows what he has to do."
Around the majors
Astros pitcher Oswalt suspended for five games
Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt was suspended for five gamesfor throwing a pitch that hit Chicago's Alex Gonzalez on Aug. 12.
Bob Watson, baseball's vice president in charge of discipline,said Oswalt intentionally threw at Gonzalez after Oswalt had beengiven a warning by umpires.
"I didn't really think anything would happen," Oswalt said. "Theway I look at it, I pitch inside all the time. They had a warningout and I accidentally hit a guy."
Oswalt, who also was fined, was to start serving the suspensionSaturday.
The players' association said Oswalt appealed the suspension, sothe penalty will be delayed until after a hearing before Bob DuPuy,baseball's chief operating officer.
Wilpon completes buyout of former Mets partner
Fred Wilpon completed his buyout of New York Mets co-ownerNelson Doubleday, ending their acrimonious partnership after 16years.
Wilpon sued Doubleday in July, trying to force a buyout at theprice set by an appraiser. Doubleday countered with accusations ofmisconduct between commissioner Bud Selig and the appraiser. Thesides settled last week.
Canseco, brother reject plea offer in bar fight
Jose Canseco and his twin brother Ozzie Canseco turned down aplea agreement and will stand trial on felony charges related to abar fight last year. The former AL MVP and his brother each areaccused of aggravated battery for fighting with two California menat a Miami Beach nightclub on Oct. 31. Jose Canseco reacteddefiantly when told in court he could spend up to 31 years in prisonif convicted and given the maximum sentence.
"I would rather spend 31 years in prison than to lie andcompromise myself," he told Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge LeonardE. Glick, who scheduled the trial for Nov. 4.
Baseball to offer Internet streaming of game
Major League Baseball will offer video coverage of an entire gameon the Internet for the first time Monday, showing the TexasRangers' game against the New York Yankees. The game will beavailable at www.mlb.com for free, baseball said, but the Internetcoverage can't be accessed in the home television markets of theteams.
Around the horn
* St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matt Morris strained his lefthamstring running the bases Friday night and was removed from thegame against Philadelphia after six innings. Morris ran full speedto first trying unsuccessfully to beat out an infield grounder.
* The Texas Rangers activated pitcher Chan Ho Park from the 15-day disabled list and started him against the New York Yankees. Tomake room for Park, the Rangers optioned right-hander Rob Bell toTriple-A Oklahoma.
* Cleveland Indians catcher Einar Diaz, injured when he gotstepped on by Oakland's David Justice in a play at the plate, wasplaced on the 15-day disabled list. The club recalled catcher JoshBard from Triple-A Buffalo and transferred second baseman RickyGutierrez from the 15- to 60-day disabled list. Gutierrez is out forthe season.
* Colorado Rockies starter Shawn Chacon was optioned to Triple-AColorado Springs after losing his last five decisions and the clubrecalled left-hander Brian Fuentes.
* The Florida Marlins placed right-handed pitcher Josh Beckett onthe 15-day disabled list with a blister on his right middle finger,retroactive to Thursday. Right-handed pitcher Toby Borland has beenrecalled from Triple-A Calgary to replace Beckett.
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