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ESPN.com

Red Sox vote not to board plane for Japan, play final spring game

ESPN.com news services

Updated: March 19, 2008, 12:00 PM ET

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FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Boston Red Sox are threatening to boycott their season-opening games in Japan unless their coaches and other staff are paid for making the trip.
Mike Lowell has told The Boston Globe the team voted unanimously not to take the field for their final spring training game or to board the plane later Wednesday for Japan.

Manager Terry Francona and his players were upset after learning staff members are not going to get a $40,000 stipend. The Boston Herald reported players insisted part of their agreement to make the trip included the fee -- for them and the coaches.

"I did not have an off day yesterday. I had the phone glued to my ear because I was promised some answers and I haven't even received a phone call," Francona said Wednesday. "So I'm a little bit stuck. What I want to do this morning is get excited to play a baseball game and what I ended up doing is apologizing to the coaches and being humiliated."

The World Series champions are scheduled to begin their season against Oakland on March 25 and 26.

The Red Sox clubhouse was closed to reporters because of the dispute and the team had not taken the field for batting practice before its last scheduled spring training game in Florida against Toronto.

"We had an agreement," Curt Schilling, one of a handful of Red Sox players who talked with Major League Baseball on ground rules for the trip, told ESPN's Claire Smith.

"Some of the promises have already been taken away, now this," Schilling said. "As far as the players are concerned, [withholding the coaches' bonuses] can't happen."

''When we voted to go to Japan, that was not a unanimous vote,'' Lowell told the Globe, "but we did what our team wanted us to do for Major League Baseball. They promised us the moon and the stars, and then when we committed, they started pulling back. It's not just the coaches, it's the staff, the trainers, a lot of people are affected by this.

"I'm so super proud of this team," Lowell said, according to the Globe. "When we put it to a vote it was unanimous, we're all in agreement that we're not going to put up with this.''

That the players would consider such action "is really appreciated, to say the least," Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan told Smith. "It means as much as the money itself.

"While we're very fortunate, a lot of people don't realize what we do. It's nice to get recognition from the players."

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The Sox/Jays game is on ESPN today and watching them trying to fill is entertaining. I admire the Red Sox for doing this, although the timing is a little off.

I don't like the Red Sox, but good for them for sticking up for the (relatively) little people. I'm sure the trainers are making a fair amount of dough, but there's no way they should be paying for a trip they didn't decide to take on their own.

Well, even so.....like the players couldn't kick in some money themselves to help the cause. They have the 2nd highest payroll in the league....$40,000 just fell out of Manny's baggy pockets.

I understand why they're sticking up for the little guy but....meh, you know what, I still can't stand them.

Well I think the issue is that MLB promised that the coaches and staff WOULD get paid, and then reneg'ed on thier promise after the Sox agreed to make the trip.

I'm not sure how that's possible. Even when I travel for work I know my expenses will be covered. How can MLB think that the trainers and other people affiliated with the team have to pay their own way? MLB is dumb.

Again, even with that being said.....I still think it's the Red Sox fault

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"We had an agreement," Curt Schilling, one of a handful of Red Sox players who talked with Major League Baseball on ground rules for the trip, told ESPN's Claire Smith.

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Wow, there's a shocker. He's talking to the media

The Sox are on the field, its looking like they might be playing this afternoon. I'd guess an agreement has been met.

First the Yankees doing something really cool for Virginia Tech, now this? I'll be glad when the season starts so I can go back to hating both of them.

Amen.

Exactly !....IF there was an agreement , it should be honored ....

I hate the Red Sox a little less today.

Good for the Sox players. If the MLB agreed to certain conditions to get these teams to go to Japan and play baseball, they should be held accountable.

Bah, no one is held accountable for anything anymore, it's the American way.

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I hate the Red Sox a little less today.

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Ya but tomorrow is a new day.....

Whoa! The Red Sox are men of principle. Especially Curt Schilling and Mike Lowell. I suppose those strong principles will lead the Red Sox players into a full boycott of MLB for not imposing any sort of salary cap and making the game equitable for fans of all other teams.

Like Jason Varitek said today... this had absolutely nothing to do with money. It was the fact that the MLB agreed to pay the coaches, then backed out. I agree with the Red Sox 100%.