Baseball players won’t boycott All-Star game

Could this be the All-Star baseball game of replacement players? Not likely, but it will be interesting as the July 9 date approaches for the game in Milwaukee.

Boston Red Sox pitcher John Burkett reiterated this week that he will not go to the game if selected.

“I have my reasons, and I don’t want to go into that, but I thought it out,” said Burkett.

The reasons are obvious when Burkett went on to say, “I don’t want to go to Milwaukee and play in an All-Star game that would benefit him. It’s something I feel strongly about, and I’m willing to stand up and make that decision.”

“Him” is Bud Selig, the commissioner of Major League Baseball who ran the Brewers before becoming commissioner. He put his shares of the team in trust to take the MLB job, and his daughter now runs the club.

Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra said he would likely go if selected, but would consult first with those players who feel a boycott of the game is needed. Teammate and pitcher Derek Lowe said he would go and put no caveats on the decision.

The players on the whole detest and totally distrust Selig. They know, as reported here previously, that twice over the past year a new deal had been reached between the players and former MLB negotiator Paul Beeston, only to be shot down by Selig.

Most players believe that Selig would bust the players union given a chance and is more concerned with that than getting the owners under control and reaching an agreement.

There have been rumblings since spring training that players might boycott the All-Star game as a way to move negotiations along. Over the past two weeks, negotiations have moved a bit, with the owners submitting new figures on revenue sharing among the teams and the salary figure at which teams would have to contribute to that fund.

Still, the parties are a long way from agreement.

The players know boycotting the game would not help the public relations battle. They also know that if the negotiations aren’t well along come September, they will have to consider a strike before the playoffs.

Would a boycott by some players of the All-Star Game move the table talk along? Will there be sudden injuries to All-Star players as the game date approaches? Not likely. Many players have concluded that as much as they would like to stick it to Selig by staying away from Milwaukee, negative public reaction would offset any gain.

– . –

On a much sadder note, I mourn the loss of Cardinal and national sports broadcaster Jack Buck. His passing on Tuesday is the loss of a sports treasure. More importantly, his loss takes from us one of the most gentle, kind and considerate human beings I have ever met.

I will repeat a story told here before. My first year broadcasting in the majors was with the Mets and we shared a spring training site with the Cardinals. It was my first day at the field in Florida. I’m standing behind the batting cage and here comes Jack Buck.

My heart is pounding because I’m looking at one of my broadcast heroes and wondering if he’ll talk to me. Jack walks up and says, “Hello, Gary. My name is Jack Buck. Congratulations on the new job and if there is anything I can do to help, let me know.”

He meant and lived every word of that greeting. I found out he always introduced himself and never assumed anyone knew who he was. I just wrote “introduces” and “assumes” and “is” in that sentence.

A lot of people are going to miss you Jack and writing about you in the past tense really hurts.

Old Town native Gary Thorne is an ESPN and NBC sportscaster.