Analyst Doesn’t Labor to Remain Optimistic

The turmoil surrounding baseball’s labor talks is nothing new to Harold Reynolds, who experienced the process as an All-Star second baseman for the Seattle Mariners during the 1980s and early ‘90s. Now Reynolds is seeing the negotiations from another perspective, chronicling them as an analyst for ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight.”

The sides appear to have hit a stumbling block on the issue of a payroll tax and the players’ union has scheduled a conference call today that could result in the announcement of a strike date.

Reynolds, who ended his career with the Angels in 1994, remains guardedly optimistic, if only because he believes owners and players realize the alternative to a resolution--another work stoppage--could be disastrous for the game.

“They’ve got to be successful or it’s going to get ugly,” he said.

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Question: What is it like to go through labor negotiations as a player?

Answer: The biggest frustration for a ballplayer is, everybody thinks you are greedy. It’s not all about money. That is a big part of it, but you’re also fighting for those players coming up behind you, pension plans and all that.

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Q: Many fans belong to labor unions and have gone on strike to fight for relatively small wage increases. Shouldn’t they be skeptical about a high-paid player wanting even more?

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A: My mother will never understand why a ballplayer making a million dollars would walk out on his job. It’s hard to explain, but the principles of the union have not changed. You are fighting for free agency, you’re fighting against being a pawn. You want to have a say and be part of the industry.

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Q: Has your view of baseball’s recurring labor problems changed, now that you are looking in from the outside?

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A: If you’re a player, you’re only going to hear your side. Now I have a better perspective on both sides. I think a lot of player salaries are not justified by the performances and that’s a big problem. But the biggest issue I have with the whole thing is that the commissioner’s position is not a neutral position. [Commissioner Bud Selig] is an owner who is trying to make this thing work.

Q: Where do fans figure into the equation?

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A: You hear fans yelling “We pay your salary, go out and hit the ball.” Now, the reality is, the fans don’t have a lot of say. It’s not like when they came through the turnstiles in the 1950s. It’s sorry to say, but even if they didn’t go to games, baseball would still sell its TV package and that’s a lot of revenue. At the same time, it’s a catch-22 situation. The game doesn’t work without the fans.

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Q: What happens to the relationship between baseball and its fans if the players go on strike?

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A: We’re in an era of so much entertainment. The fans have got video games. There’s the X Games. There are so many other things that can grab their attention. America’s pastime is having trouble keeping its grip.

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Q: Are these negotiations different from those in the past or are owners and players doing the same old dance?

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A: Totally different. I don’t think it’s blood and guts this time. They are sitting down, understanding they can’t have a work stoppage. I’m actually very optimistic. If you asked me a year ago, I’d have said no way. But both sides are really communicating. Will they set a strike date? They probably will, but they are communicating.

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Q: Each time a baseball strike is threatened, some people call for government intervention. Should President Bush, who once owned the Texas Rangers, get involved?

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A: It’s a no-win situation for him and I would not want to see him put in that position. He’d end up being thought of as the president who was an owner. We need someone who doesn’t have anything to gain from either side.

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Q: Can you imagine a resolution that could break the cycle of discord or is it the nature of baseball as big business to repeat this process every few years?

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A: The problem is, we wait until the last minute to deal with things. The deadline may be five years away but we need to make adjustments as we go along. We need a person in the commissioner’s seat who is like a CEO operating a business, taking inventory of how we’re doing, critiquing things and adjusting to make the game work for fans, players and owners.