1994 Baseball strike

[u2me57]

I remember Rick Reed making the most of his scab oppurtunities. The Expos being really good, my Phillies being really bad. Being sad about no World Series. I remember going to Wal-Mart in late 1994 and most of 1995 and buying packs of mixed cards dirt cheap. And thinking that Jim Thome would have more career home runs if not for the strike. :-(

 

[BBCgalaxee]

More than likely, the strike probably cost (so far) Fred McGriff his hall of fame nod.

He finished with 493 homers and lost about 40 games due to the strike, which would have probably put him over the magic number of 500.

 

[u2me57]

Good point. Weren't some of the early games of 1995 lost too?

 

[BBCgalaxee]

Good point. Weren't some of the early games of 1995 lost too?

Yeah you're right! I forgot abut those.

 

[fordman]

Never knew this.


In 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004, certain players who were part of World Series-winning teams were not permitted to have their names or likenesses on commemorative merchandise because they had been declared replacement players for having participated in the 1995 spring training.

The players were Shane Spencer of the 1998, 1999 and 2000 New York Yankees, Damian Miller of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, Brendan Donnelly of the 2002 Anaheim Angels and Kevin Millar of the 2004 Boston Red Sox.

The names or likenesses of replacement players, since they are not permitted to join the MLBPA, are also in some cases not included in merchandise which derives its license from the MLBPA, such as video and tabletop games.

Many games nevertheless include them, with blank or fictional names and different appearances.

As a Union man, this is exactly what should've happened to them!

Minor league players today wouldnt think about being replacement players now as if there was a strike in the future, they know what their fate would be with the MLBPA!


Fordman

 

[HumbleBob]

White Sox were division leaders and Julio Franco had 20 HR, 98 RBI, .319 BA. Strike had him follow the $ to Japan where he played all of 1995. This is a major factor in him not getting 3000 hits (ended with 2586). I lived in Chicago at the time and probably went to 20 games that year (free tickets from work!)

 

[Will Style 13]

I remember starting a self imposed boycott of baseball cards and switched solely to basketball for about a year. Anyone else remember 1995 Topps Cyberstats where they computer generated the remainder of the season?

 

[gracecollector]

1994, year I graduated college.

Most my memories are Cubs related. I'll never forget Tuffy Rhodes 3-HR opening day in 1994, hitting the apartment building across the street with one blast. Ryne Sandberg also announced his retirement (the first time) in 1994. Oh, and I think 1994 was the year Jordan tried his hand at baseball, in the minors.

The strike soured me a little on baseball and collecting, but I didn't abandon it. It took Cal Ripken to get me fully excited about the sport again.

 

[rsmath]

I don't remember many bad effects about the 1994 strike and it's probably because I don't live in a MLB city/area (closest team is 450 miles away) and I was still able to attend Dukes triple-a minor league games.

as for collecting, it was not the strike that turned me off from collecting in the 1993-1994 timeframe (until I somehow found my way back into the hobby in 2000). It was the explosion of products that made it pretty expensive and desirable for me to collect - it quit being as simple as collecting 5 flagship sets in late spring/early summer and then adding the update releases in october/november.

 

[Jaypers]

I remember raiding every KMart I could find, looking for boxes of 1994 Sportsflics Rookie/Traded.

With no luck - they were all long gone. Frickin' A-Rod.

 

[joey12508]

I remember the yanks and montreal were on top. I was so bummed. what a waste.

 

[BBCgalaxee]

I wasn't collecting in 95 (you know, school, girls, parties) until I found some discounted 94 collectors choice series two packs in toys r us. Those got me back into it DURING the strike.

I liked those so I started buying 95 CC early in that year.

 

[allstars]

This was a very difficult time to be a baseball card dealer. Sales became scarce. I'm lucky to have survived the lull, almost had to get a real job...

 

[Dilferules]

It seems like every guy I know who is my age (35) did some baseball card collecting pre-strike and never bought another card after it. Of course since they would have turned 16 in 1994 that may have also had something to do with it.

 

[gpenko826]

As a Union man, this is exactly what should've happened to them!

Minor league players today wouldnt think about being replacement players now as if there was a strike in the future, they know what their fate would be with the MLBPA!


Fordman

Yeah! How dare those guys that were utterly neglected and forgotten about by the all caring players union try to make a living! Those jerks, taking advantage of an opportunity for bettering themselves... They had it so great in the minors, barely making a livable wage and being utterly pooped upon by the big leaguers, and then they go and stab the players in the back !

Ugh. Go screw, and take your no doubt corrupt union with you.

 

[fordman]

Yeah! How dare those guys that were utterly neglected and forgotten about by the all caring players union try to make a living! Those jerks, taking advantage of an opportunity for bettering themselves... They had it so great in the minors, barely making a livable wage and being utterly pooped upon by the big leaguers, and then they go and stab the players in the back !

Ugh. Go screw, and take your no doubt corrupt union with you.

It's called Solidarity! The MLBPA protected what was their's and rightfully so. If you want to have a Union vs non-Union chat in the General forum, I'd be glad to do so!

Fordman

 

[mrmopar]

I was bothered by the 81 strike more, but at least that season finished and the Dodgers won it all. I remember an abundance of cheap boxes at Kmart around that time and I enjoyed getting box after box of the Sportflic R/T issue, hoping for that Arod Artist Proof. I had just gotten back into collecting a year or two before after a 5 year break, so it didn't affect me at all from that standpoint.

 

[mrmopar]

The only one I remember specifically was Mike Busch, only because he was a Dodger that stuck around for a bit. This makes me think of Vince Evans, who I believe basically got his 2nd wind due to a strike and ended up a Raider.

Never knew this.


In 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004, certain players who were part of World Series-winning teams were not permitted to have their names or likenesses on commemorative merchandise because they had been declared replacement players for having participated in the 1995 spring training.

The players were Shane Spencer of the 1998, 1999 and 2000 New York Yankees, Damian Miller of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, Brendan Donnelly of the 2002 Anaheim Angels and Kevin Millar of the 2004 Boston Red Sox.

The names or likenesses of replacement players, since they are not permitted to join the MLBPA, are also in some cases not included in merchandise which derives its license from the MLBPA, such as video and tabletop games.

Many games nevertheless include them, with blank or fictional names and different appearances.

 

[BBCgalaxee]

Regarding the 94 rookie and traded issue.

When it took pre order, it was offered to the hobby.

Then the strike hit and no one pre ordered it so the product was cancelled.

But somehow pinnacle CONvinced retail to sell it and that's why it showed up in droves there.

Imagine collectors reactions when they saw a "cancelled" product on the shelves.

 

[Austin]

I felt bad for Don Mattingly. His first 12 years in the league, his Yankees never even made the playoffs.
Finally, in 1994, the Yankees had the best record in the AL and looked like World Series contenders.
Then the strike cancelled the postseason.
The next season, Mattingly's final one, the Yankees finally made the playoffs, but they weren't nearly as good as in 2004 and were eliminated in the Division Series.