Did GMs cross line of collusion?
Did GMs cross line of collusion? Friday November 9, 2007 During general managers meetings this week in Orlando, the 30 MLB general managers each stood up and talked about their goals for the offseason. Theo Epstein of the Red Sox called it “beneficial,” the meeting representing something more efficient than calling every general manager individually. It might be something a heck of lot more costly down the line, however. The baseball player’s union says it smells more like collusion, which was a $270 million lesson back in the 1980s. The basic agreement between the players and management states that clubs shall not act in concert with other clubs, and players shall not act in concert with other players. A generation ago, owners enacted several measures with an aim to keep their labor costs down (i.e. players’ salaries), and arbitrators ruled in favor of the players in three separate instances from 1985, 1986 and 1987. Twenty
