1990 Major League Baseball lockout
Encyclopedia
The 1990
Major League Baseball
lockout
was the seventh work stoppage in baseball since 1972. Beginning in February, it lasted 32 days and as a result, virtually wiped out all of spring training
. Also because of the lockout, Opening Day was moved back a week to April 9. In addition to this, the season had to be extended by three days in order to accommodate the normal 162-game schedule.
and arbitration
. By the end of the 1989 season, salaries for top players were already nearing the $
3 million-a-year level. Desperate to stop the salary hike, the owners proposed an economic partnership in which revenue sharing
would play a major role.
of gate receipts and all revenue from local and network broadcasting would go toward paying player salaries. These salaries would be based on a pay-for-performance scale, in which players with less than six years of experience would be compensated based on a ranking against their peers. Perhaps most importantly, a salary cap would be placed on each club. In the process, there would be a stipulation put in place that teams reaching the said cap could make no more free agent signings or salary increases.
Owners claimed that under the plan, average player salaries would proceed to rise over 20% to $770,000 by the 1993
season. They cited rising attendance figures as well as solid television contracts with CBS and ESPN
.
, Major League Baseball Players Association
(MLBPA) Executive Director Donald Fehr
, feared that a salary cap would restrict the number of choices free agents could make. Also, Fehr argued that a pay-for-performance scale would eliminate multi-year contracts.
Fay Vincent
worked feverishly with both sides, and ultimately on March 19, a new Basic Agreement was reached. The minimum major league salary was raised from $68,000 to $100,000. Meanwhile, a six-man study committee on revenue sharing was established.
1990 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Oakland Athletics ; José Rijo, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP Dave Stewart*National League Championship Series co-MVPs: Rob Dibble and Randy Myers...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
lockout
Lockout (industry)
A lockout is a work stoppage in which an employer prevents employees from working. This is different from a strike, in which employees refuse to work.- Causes :...
was the seventh work stoppage in baseball since 1972. Beginning in February, it lasted 32 days and as a result, virtually wiped out all of spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. Also because of the lockout, Opening Day was moved back a week to April 9. In addition to this, the season had to be extended by three days in order to accommodate the normal 162-game schedule.
Background
The five-year Basic Agreement between the players and owners was set to expire on December 31, 1989. During the build up to the lockout, the two sides spent months trying to iron out long-standing disagreements over free agencyFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
and arbitration
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
. By the end of the 1989 season, salaries for top players were already nearing the $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
3 million-a-year level. Desperate to stop the salary hike, the owners proposed an economic partnership in which revenue sharing
Revenue sharing
Revenue sharing has multiple, related meanings depending on context.In business, revenue sharing refers to the sharing of profits and losses among different groups. One form shares between the general partner and limited partners in a limited partnership...
would play a major role.
The owners' plan
Therefore, the owners set forth a plan in which 48%Percentage
In mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100 . It is often denoted using the percent sign, “%”, or the abbreviation “pct”. For example, 45% is equal to 45/100, or 0.45.Percentages are used to express how large/small one quantity is, relative to another quantity...
of gate receipts and all revenue from local and network broadcasting would go toward paying player salaries. These salaries would be based on a pay-for-performance scale, in which players with less than six years of experience would be compensated based on a ranking against their peers. Perhaps most importantly, a salary cap would be placed on each club. In the process, there would be a stipulation put in place that teams reaching the said cap could make no more free agent signings or salary increases.
Owners claimed that under the plan, average player salaries would proceed to rise over 20% to $770,000 by the 1993
1993 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Toronto Blue Jays over Philadelphia Phillies ; Paul Molitor, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Dave Stewart*National League Championship Series MVP: Curt Schilling...
season. They cited rising attendance figures as well as solid television contracts with CBS and ESPN
ESPN Major League Baseball
ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. ESPN's MLB coverage debuted on April 9, 1990 with three Opening Day telecasts. ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.The title is derived from...
.
The MLBPA's response
Although revenue sharing of this type had worked considerably well in the National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, Major League Baseball Players Association
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association is the union of professional major-league baseball players.-History of MLBPA:The MLBPA was not the first attempt to unionize baseball players...
(MLBPA) Executive Director Donald Fehr
Donald Fehr
Donald M. Fehr is the executive director of the National Hockey League Players Association. He previously served as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association from 1986-2009....
, feared that a salary cap would restrict the number of choices free agents could make. Also, Fehr argued that a pay-for-performance scale would eliminate multi-year contracts.
Resolution
CommissionerCommissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
Fay Vincent
Fay Vincent
Francis Thomas "Fay" Vincent, Jr. is a former entertainment lawyer and sports executive who served as the eighth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from September 13, 1989 to September 7, 1992.-Early life and career:...
worked feverishly with both sides, and ultimately on March 19, a new Basic Agreement was reached. The minimum major league salary was raised from $68,000 to $100,000. Meanwhile, a six-man study committee on revenue sharing was established.
External links
- Google Search (timeline)
- Baseball History - 1990 to 1999