Pains Begin

If you called the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, you could order tickets for spring training games. If you clicked onto the Web site of the Montreal Expos, you could buy a red polo shirt, with team logo, for $87.56 in Canadian dollars.

The Twins and Expos, and to a lesser degree all major league baseball teams, operated in something of a parallel universe Wednesday, business as usual in an unusual environment. The decision to eliminate two teams before next season--probably the Twins and Expos--ignited a frantic scramble by Commissioner Bud Selig and his staff to negotiate the many deals necessary for the contraction plan to be implemented before the season begins. “I honestly believe that we can get this done by the end of November,” Selig said. “Now after November is over you may come to me and say, ‘What happened?’ But I think that is a realistic goal.”

Within 24 hours of the owners’ vote, however, the first obstacles surfaced, from the players’ union to the courts of Minnesota and to the U.S. Senate. As long as contraction remains an option without resolution, an uncomfortable state of limbo looms over the sport, mostly for teams faced with elimination but also for players filing for free agency and for clubs wondering whether players from contracted teams will be available.

Union representatives could meet with management lawyers as soon as today, starting talks on contraction and a new labor agreement to replace the one that expired Wednesday. The atmosphere should be tense after Donald Fehr, the union’s executive director, called Tuesday’s vote “most imprudent and unfortunate.”

Fehr believes contraction must be approved by the union. Selig and his lawyers did not discuss the issue with the union before Tuesday’s vote, angering Fehr. They believe the union need only approve whatever effects impact players, such as how players on contracted teams will be dispersed. Major league executives have discussed various scenarios for a dispersal draft, while the union could argue players signed to multiyear contracts should become free agents.

Even if management and the union agree on contraction and a new collective bargaining agreement, the elimination of teams is far from assured.

While major league teams are united in their desire to contract--the Twins and Expos cast the only “no” votes Tuesday, in part for the sake of appearance--a source said the buyout fee to Twins’ owner Carl Pohlad and Expos’ owner Jeffrey Loria has not been finalized.

Loria’s buyout is particularly critical. While Pohlad appears willing to cash out and fold his team, Loria wants to remain in baseball. He wants far more than the $92-million franchise value suggested by Forbes magazine, because he would buy the Florida Marlins and pay a premium to move into the larger Miami market. In turn, Marlin owner John Henry would buy the Angels from Disney, passing along Loria’s money and adding a premium to move into the larger Southern California market.

Disney is believed to have valued the Angels at $300 million two years ago, but is believed to be willing to settle for a little less now. While Disney wants to sell its money-losing Angels and Mighty Ducks, Anaheim Sports President Tony Tavares denied rumors sweeping ownership circles in baseball and hockey that he has been ordered to sell both teams by spring.

A labor agreement with the union and buyout agreements with affected owners would not immunize owners from legal action. In fact, within hours of Tuesday’s vote, Metrodome officials were granted a restraining order forcing the Twins to honor their lease to play in the stadium next year. A hearing is set today.

And, if owners proceed with contraction, Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch said Wednesday he would file suit, claiming owners are illegally trying to increase market share for the other 28.

“If you had 30 owners of banks get together in a room and agree to buy out two of the banks for purposes of increasing their market share ... you’d have an antitrust suit filed by somebody,” he said.

Also, U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., said he would introduce legislation today that would revoke major league baseball’s antitrust exemption, hoping to use it as leverage in preventing the elimination of the Twins.

Selig declined to identify teams targeted for contraction and said more than two were under consideration. The Expos are a safe target, with a stadium lease that expires Nov. 30 and no political obstacles. If Pohlad changes his willingness to fold his team, or if legal action persuades owners to preserve the Twins, the next choices are the Marlins and Tampa Bay. But neither team’s lease is up, and the attorney general of Florida has threatened to file suit should either team be contracted.

In terms of fan interest, and in terms of frustration for general managers waiting for a resolution to contraction, the most compelling aspect of contraction could be the dispersal of players.

The Dodgers, for instance, would be able to consider selecting veteran pitchers such as Brad Radke and Rick Reed of Minnesota in a dispersal draft.

Several options under consideration would allow Loria to take several Expo players with him to Florida and Henry to take several Marlin players to Anaheim, which would remove from the dispersal pool such prized players as Expos’ slugger Vladimir Guerrero. At the same time, Angel players could be put in such a pool to compensate for the players Henry might bring.

And agents, fearful that 50 major leaguers could become available through a dispersal draft, could urge free agents to sign as soon as possible, before that wave of players could hit the market.

There are other ramifications. If the Expos and Twins are contracted before next season, major league baseball is obligated to stock the teams’ respective minor league affiliates with players through the 2003 season.

Pat O’Conner, the chief operating officer and vice president of administration for the National Assn. of Professional Baseball Leagues, conceded, however, that if contraction occurs it could eventually force some minor league teams out of business and some short-season affiliates could be phased out as soon as next year.

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Staff Writer Lance Pugmire, the Associated Press and mlb.com contributed to this report.

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Attendance

Figures are an average from 2001 season

7,935

15,765

22,286

30,054

*

Revenue

Dollar amounts in millions from 2000 season

$48.8

$65.4

$52.6

$73.2