Informed Opinions on Today’s Topics : The Players or the Owners: What a Choice!

There’s no joy in Mudville these days.

That’s because the best baseball players in the world won’t be playing ball when opening day arrives in less than two weeks. Instead, over-the-hill veterans and raw minor leaguers will take the field in early April. Even President Clinton won’t throw out the first ball.

Naturally, both sides in the eight-month dispute blame the other for the unproductive negotiations and poisoned atmosphere.

The players contend that the owners haven’t budged from demanding a new system that would take away many of the freedoms and much of the earning power the players have worked so hard to attain.

The owners, meanwhile, argue that the players fail to recognize the urgency of the game’s worsening economic situation, especially for the small-market franchises, and must wake up in a hurry to keep the national pastime solvent in the future.

The debate goes on. Last year, it canceled a World Series. This year, it threatens to cancel a whole lot more.

In any case, one thing is certain: The biggest casualty is the fan. The fan is frustrated and furious, and there is no guarantee the fan will come back and embrace the game when--or if--the players and owners settle their differences.

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Who should be blamed for the baseball labor dispute?

Rich McKeon, baseball coach at Taft High, Woodland Hills

“I’ve been avoiding the specifics of the whole argument because I haven’t analyzed it like some people do. But I think, like a lot of people, I blame the players. They just can’t relate to what the rest of us have to deal with. When we’re making, as teachers and coaches, less than $50,000 a year, it’s hard to understand what their possible argument could be.”

Stuart Berkley, manager in the Encino Little League

“I blame the owners. I believe the owners are making a lot more money than they claim that they are making, and any salary problems of the past have been caused by the owners paying too much money out. I don’t think the players should have to give anything back because the owners have overspent. The fact that expansion teams are willing to pay that much money to get into baseball would indicate to me that it is a highly profitable business, and I would like to see the players get their share of the profits.”

Bob Lofrano, baseball coach, Pierce College

“I would say the players. Because you strike when you make $7 an hour. You don’t need to go on strike when the average salary is $1.2 million. They have great working conditions. Even with a salary cap, there are still going to be $5-million contracts, $6-million contracts, so I don’t see a reason or need that they had to strike in August and continue it to this time. I think the owners have the right to set the standards on what salaries they want to pay their employees.”

Janet Sherman, Cal State Northridge softball coach

“I think both sides are to blame. Both are making too much money, and both are spoiled. People would die to go out there to play for a living. I would love to play baseball for whatever pay. The players sometimes forget what it is that they’re doing for a living. They are playing a game that they love. They have great jobs. I side more with the owners. I know the owners are multimillionaires, but they are like any other corporation, and they have to run their business.”

Brian Budworth, 10, Woodland Hills Little League

“I think it’s the players. They get paid half the money the owners do, and it’s such a stupid thing. We’re all waiting for them to come back and play. They already get paid enough money and I don’t see why they need any more. But if the owners want to end the strike, they should just pay the players the money they want.”