BASEBALL ‘94: GOING, GOING . . . GONE : Ending Leaves Many Questions, Unpleasant Answers

Some questions and answers on the termination of the baseball season:

Question: Why cancel the season now?

Answer: Acting commissioner Bud Selig determined that there was no time left to play a meaningful number of games before the season’s scheduled end.

Q: Why couldn’t the players have finished the season and then gone on strike?

A: The players, having been stalled in negotiations for a year and a half, believed that the owners were planning to arbitrarily impose a salary cap after the World Series. In the absence of negotiations, a strike was the only tool at their disposal and they figured that a strike in November, when there are no games, was pointless. So they went on strike in August, hoping to force negotiations.

Q: Why did the players wait until August to strike? Why couldn’t they have done that in April?

A: The players believed that by threatening postseason play and the $140 million in broadcasting revenue, owners would drop their demand for a salary cap.

Q: What happens to the World Series?

A: The playoffs and World Series are canceled. There will be no American League, National League or World Series champions listed in the record books for 1994.

Q: Why not just delay the World Series until a settlement is reached?

A: Cold weather would interfere with the games and the owners will not play postseason games at neutral sites, such as warm-weather cities and those with domed ballparks.

Q: What will happen to tickets for remaining games?

A: Individual seats for the Dodgers and Angels can be returned for refunds to the places where they were bought. The Angels and Dodgers already have sent cards to their season ticket-holders, asking them if they want a refund for games missed or credit toward season tickets next season. Ticket-holders with questions should call the Dodger or Angel ticket office.

Q: What happens to the postseason awards?

A: The Baseball Writers Assn. of America will present its annual awards. At this season’s All-Star game, the baseball writers chose to vote on the awards even if the season were shortened by a strike. According to Jack Lang, president of the BBWAA, ballots will be mailed today and winners will be announced in mid-October. The BBWAA picks the most valuable player, the Cy Young Award winner, the rookie of the year and the manager of the year in each league.

Q: Will there be batting and pitching champions?

A: The players leading when the strike began will be recognized as the champions.

Tony Gwynn of San Diego is the National League batting champion with a .394 average, the highest since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941 and the best in the league since Bill Terry hit .401 in 1930.

Matt Williams of the San Francisco Giants won his first NL home run championship and led the majors with 43. He was on a pace for 61 when the strike started. Jeff Bagwell of the Houston Astros led the NL in runs batted in with 116.

In pitching, Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves led the NL and the majors with a 1.56 earned-run average. Maddux finished tied with Ken Hill of Montreal for the lead in victories with 16, led the majors with 10 complete games and tied for the NL lead with three shutouts.

In the American League, Ken Griffey Jr. of Seattle won his first home run title with 40. Paul O’Neill of the Yankees hit .359 for his first batting championship and Kirby Puckett of the Twins led the league in RBIs with 112.

The league leader in victories was the Yankees’ Jimmy Key with 17. Oakland’s Steve Ontiveros was the ERA champion at 2.65.

Q: Why do the owners want a salary cap?

A: Negotiator Richard Ravitch says a salary cap is needed because it will allow revenue sharing by the owners. He says large-market and small-market clubs can’t agree to share revenue unless there is a reduction in the revenue paid to players. It will also help ensure competitive balance by keeping big-market teams from signing all the best free agents, he says.

Q: Has the World Series ever been canceled before?

A: The World Series was not played in 1904, in part, because Manager John McGraw of the New York Giants said the National League champion was too good to play the AL champion Boston Pilgrims. The Series resumed the next year and had not been canceled since.

It was even played during World Wars I and II, although in 1918, President Wilson ordered the season halted early and the World Series started the first week of September.

During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that America needed baseball and that the games should be played.

Q: What happens to the 1995 season?

A: Although the rest of the 1994 season has been canceled, the strike continues. If no settlement is reached, the ’95 season may be delayed, or canceled as well.

The players, especially free agents, will be uncertain about where they will play next season, and all but the approximately 180 players who already are signed for 1995 will be wondering about their income once play resumes.

Owners figure to have difficulty selling season tickets.

Q: When will negotiations resume?

A: There is nothing scheduled. Union representative Donald Fehr said he expects to be traveling next week for regional player meetings and for a Sept. 22 Congressional hearing.

Q: Could the players start their own league?

A: Agent Dick Moss is trying to set up an eight-team league for next season, and some of them may be able to play there. Among proposed cities for such a league are Buffalo, N.Y.; New Orleans and St. Petersburg, Fla.

Q: What about bets that were placed with sports books in Las Vegas?

A: When Vegas oddsmakers placed the over-under line for regular-season victories, they also posted a disclaimer that teams have to play 160 games to be eligible. According to Vinny Magliulo, director of the race and sports book at Caesars Palace, because 160 games were not played, the money will be refunded.