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Rooting For Kevin Millar
By: Stephen Marshall
smarshall5@cfl.rr.com
March 12, 2005
What were you doing 11 years ago? If you knew me eleven
years ago you probably wouldn’t admit to it…What were you
doing when you were 23?? If you were like me you were young,
full of dumb ideas and willing to try some of those dumb ideas
out! They sounded good at the time but looking back we realize
perhaps we could have done better.
Let me tell you why I ask these questions. I was in a fantasy
baseball league a long time ago. It was a league that let us keep
minor league players and college players. I had Billy Wagner of
Ferrum college and Kevin Millar of the Lamar University Cardinals.
You tend to follow players and root for them as they move
around in their careers. Wagner had a devastating fastball and
had no problem climbing the ladder through the Astros farm
system. Millar was undrafted and was playing in the independent
Northern League. In 1994 baseball screwed up and it changed
the path of one of these guys forever. It went on strike.
When spring training started in 1995 replacement players were
invited to camp. Most of these “scabs” were your average low-to-
no talent guys that would have never made it in the big leagues.
Kevin Millar had a bit more talent than most of the guys that
showed up for the chance to play for $115,000 plus an additional
$5-$10k if they made the “big” team. Here is where my “stupid
idea” comes in. If you are someone who just wants to play pro
ball and is toiling in obscurity in the Northern league for a few
hundred bucks a week you may think spring training with a shot
at the major leagues is something to take the chance on.
Especially if scouts aren’t knocking down your door.
You show up and cross the line and play ball, wearing a MLB
uniform. You probably don’t think about the fact that you may
one day walk into a room full of MLB players and get greeted with
silence and stares of hatred, or get ignored, or perhaps Jeff
Conine shows up at your locker to voice his “displeasure” of
sharing the field with a “scab”. You are good enough to get
signed to a minor league deal and bust your butt trying to make
your way up the ladder, not thinking too much about being
blackballed by the MLB players association’s union. You are
happy to be playing ball. A kid’s game. And getting paid to do it!!
Right now all you union guys are screaming and getting ready to
send me death threats!! (smarshall5@cfl.rr.com) Slow down…I
once belonged in a union. My father was the president of his local
union for years for General Electric. They did have a strike while
he was there, and yes, I agree that having someone come in to
take your job when you are striking for better rights/ salary
makes you think of committing bodily harm!!! Maybe Millar was
not thinking about this when he made his decision. Perhaps he
was thinking $15,000 a year vs. $115,000…Playing in obscurity
vs. playing in the major league…
Let’s jump ahead 11 years. I am now mature, with a family, home
and good career. Kevin is now a full blown “idiot” for the world
champion Boston Red Sox (I love the way that sounds!!!) and is
one of the nicest guys in baseball. In this day and age of
steroids, salary disputes, out of control contract squabbles he is
more of what baseball needs. Unfortunately MLBPA still decides it
does not need him. After all these years he is still refused
membership in the players union. He says this does not bother
him.
.
Let me tell you why this bothers ME… In 2004 I wanted to
purchase an official Red Sox jersey with Millar’s name and number
15. I went to MLB.com and was ready to pony up the $149 or so
for my shirt and found out I couldn’t. I couldn’t even have one
customized!!! Because he is not a member of the MLBPA he can’t
take part in ANY merchandising that involves major league
baseball. There is a great world champion Red Sox shirt that has
all these tiny pennants with the players’ numbers…except the
number 15. A stupid uniform number that represents a player
that helped win the first world series since 1918. Oh, my…We can’
t have that!!! I bought EA sports MVP baseball 2005 and was
looking forward to playing as my beloved Sox…But no Kevin
Millar!!! Not allowed because he crossed that line 11 years ago.
My friend says he made his bed and now gets to sleep in it. I am
really not sure he was thinking about not being in a video game
when he crossed that line…
It has been long enough. There are more important grudges in
this world to pursue. I regularly talk to people from all the
nations we have fought wars with over the last sixty or so years
and there is no animosity. The Berlin wall is torn down and the
Russians are our allies (on and off). Now, I agree Pete Rose
should still be kept out of the Hall of Fame, but that is a whole
other argument!!! It is time for the MLBPA to swallow its arrogant
pride and extend membership to Millar (along with Kerry
Lightenberg, Brian Daubach, Cory Lidle among others). Even if
they don’t care, I do. I’m a paying fan…I deserve it. I should have
the right to purchase my Kevin Millar jersey and play my game
without having to deal with an old grudge. 11 years later I would
hope we all grow up.
A Published
Sports
Writer
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