[Kurn]

Here's what this whole thing sounds like to me.

Remember, MLB is and has always been about which group of inmates (owners or players) controls the asylum. Recent history shows that the players usually win.

1. The players NEVER wanted to make this trip. From their point of view, its too much travel, too much of a distraction, and too alien an environment to play games that count, but ultimately, enough got talked into it that they voted to go (not unanimously)

2. MLB then decided to throw the players a bone - the $40,000. For most, that's not much more than marginal additional work for their tax accountant, but you never turn down money.

3. At some point along the line, somebody told the coaching staff that they'd get the same money, and later it turned out they wouldn't. Miscommunication? An honest error? A change of heart? We may never know.

4. Now the players feel that MLB embarrassed them (apparently so does Francona). If this were purely financial, the players could just vote to contribute some amount for the coaching staff and everybody could be happy, but considering the history of MLB, it can't be that simple.

So what we're left with is yet the next chapter in the soap opera that is MLB. And don't think for a minute that MLB's position on the steroid issue has nothing to do with this. I'm sure fehr, et. al. think ownership has hung them out to dry on that issue, so you know the Union is at least tacitly behind the players on this.