Starting in 2013, BBWAA-given award recipients won't be given extra money

[Mattingly]

I figured that this was noteworthy (and threadworthy). Even though it's a full 6 seasons away, the contracts that players sign won't allow them to get extra money for winning these, as they'd often had. No more incentives to win something; you just go out, play hard, and if you win it, so be it.

Do the forumers here feel that players may be working just a little harder knowing that there's an extra $100,000 (or quite a bit more) awaiting them if they become the MVP or win a CYA? Please discuss. From espn.com, the players with such contract clauses would be outright banned from even receiving these awards, which could affect future contracts:

Starting in 2013, players banned for awards if they have bonus clauses (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3142555)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Baseball players no longer would receive bonuses for winning the Most Valuable Player, Cy Young or rookie awards bestowed by the Baseball Writers' Association of America under a rule passed Wednesday.

Starting in 2013, players with such bonus clauses in their contracts will be banned from receiving votes for any BBWAA awards. Hall of Fame voting is not affected, nor are manager of the year or non-BBWAA awards such as the World Series MVP or Gold Glove.

"When we first started giving out these awards it was just to honor somebody. You got a trophy, there was no monetary reward that went with it," BBWAA secretary-treasurer Jack O'Connell said. "I honestly don't think people vote with that in mind. But the attachment of a bonus to these awards creates a perception that we're trying to make these guys rich."

The vote was 41-21 on the rule, which was brought up by The Associated Press several years ago. The BBWAA appointed a committee to discuss the rule with the commissioner's office and the players' association.

"We've been on record for the past 20 years as being opposed to bonus clauses related these awards," O'Connell said. "The idea behind this was to toughen our stance against these clauses."

Many veterans have award clauses in their contracts, some for honors bestowed by The Sporting News and Baseball America, others for postseason awards given by Major League Baseball, such as World Series MVP. Some are small -- at least relative to the multi-million salaries -- but others are worth millions.

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez earned a $1.5 million bonus for winning the AL MVP in 2007, and Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling has a clause in his agreement for next year that would pay him $1 million if he receives even a single third-place vote for the Cy Young Award.

"The Schilling thing is disturbing because he doesn't even have to win," said O'Connell, noting that Schilling joked about a kickback to the voter if he collected the bonus. "That's something that none of us finds very funny."

Only a handful of players have contracts that cover 2013, when the rule would take effect. The lag time was designed to give agents and teams an opportunity to adapt to the ban.

David Schwartz, whose clients include Rudy Seanez and Josh Paul, said the rule would benefit the owners and hurt mid- or low-level players who perform better than expected.

"It seems like ownership put the writers up to this," Schwartz said. "It seems like the real beneficiaries here are owners who don't have to pay bonuses to players who've had good years. Players who have award-winning seasons ought to be rewarded for it."

[Ubiquitous]

Good for the BBWAA.

[Brooklyn]

They got this one right.

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

What about players who already have deals that run through 2013 that include these kinds of bonuses?

Example, Barry Zito:
+ he can earn award bonuses: $500K for Cy Young Award, $200K for 2nd place Cy Young finish, $150K for 3rd palce Cy Young finish, $100K for 4th place Cy finish, $50K for 5th place Cy finish; $750K for second Cy Young award and $1M for 3rd Cy Young award; $250K for MVP, $150K for 2nd place MVP finish, $100K for 3rd place MVP, $75K for 4th place MVP and $50K for 5th place MVP; $200K for WS MVP, $100K for LCS MVP; $100K for Gold Glove and $100K for All-Star selection-EDIT:Alfonso Soriano has the same thing going on.

[SamtheBravesFan]

I suppose that starts for contracts signed in 2013.

[Mattingly]

What about players who already have deals that run through 2013 that include these kinds of bonuses?

Example, Barry Zito:
From the 2nd paragraph of the article I'd posted, Barry Zito would be ineligible for the CYA votes in 2013 and that's all there is to it, so the 2013 and onward clause of his contract pertaining to any BBWAA awards would thus be null & void.
Starting in 2013, players with such bonus clauses in their contracts will be banned from receiving votes for any BBWAA awards. Hall of Fame voting is not affected, nor are manager of the year or non-BBWAA awards such as the World Series MVP or Gold Glove.

[Mattingly]

I suppose that starts for contracts signed in 2013.
I get the impression that it'll be for existing contracts also, but first takes effect in 2013.

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

I really doubt that that would be the case.

I would think that either: the team would re-structure the contract, making the bonuses apply to WHIP or ERA or something, or Zito, Soriano and others would be grandfathered in, with any new contracts now not being allowed to employ a clause such as this.

Imagine the uproar if Zito or Soriano were denied an award that they deserved because of this bonus in their contract that was perfectly legal at the time the contract was penned.

[Brooklyn]

I really doubt that that would be the case.

I would think that either: the team would re-structure the contract, making the bonuses apply to WHIP or ERA or something, or Zito, Soriano and others would be grandfathered in, with any new contracts now not being allowed to employ a clause such as this.

Imagine the uproar if Zito or Soriano were denied an award that they deserved because of this bonus in their contract that was perfectly legal at the time the contract was penned.

There might be an uproar, but the BBWAA is under no obligation to make exceptions. I'd specualte that the teams will restructure the contracts

[Ytown Tribe fan]

This is silly and only benefits the owners.

By their own admission, no BBWAA writer has ever voted for, or refused to vote for, a player for any award based on a clause in their contract. Schilling is an idiot for making an offhand, supposedly-humorous remark, but that really doesn't matter either.

What matters is that the BBWAA writers HAVE been directly affected in their voting patterns, by the owners. This is important because it shows that the BBWAA have taken a side in something they are supposed to be impartial about, as journalists. They have, in fact, sided with the owners in a monetary issue between the owners and the players.

[tigers527]

The BBWAA is a little to full of themselves.

Perhaps they can make this rule retro-active in regards to the 1999 Refael Palmeiro GG. Where Refael played a WHOOPING 28 games at first base? Yet won the award. Refael should have to refund any bonuses he got for that award.

The writers mess up enough of these awards, without having a set rule to omit players because of their contracts.

Imagine the day when the CYA goes to a guy that has 10 less wins and 3 points more ERA. Simply because of the more deserving players contract.

If I were a MLBPA rep...I would require that in 2013 all players in the union have an incentive clause in their contracts for all awards given. Put that in your pipe and smoke it BBWAA.

[Walt Zink]

I actually like this. You have guys that have career years in their walk year of a contract knowing there's a payday coming. I think if a player is a realistic MVP-caliber player, the contract alone will show that. Some people speak about what a disgrace this is, that the players, oh the poor players. Last I checked, I made 50Gs a year working behind a bar, working pretty damn hard. I suppose that I should force them to give me an extra week of pay for winning employee of the month, also.

Sorry, but when I read about A-Rod's ability to earn a possible THIRTY MILLION more for hitting milestone home runs? It just sterilized the game that much more to me. Should the players be paid fairly and all? Yes! These sort of "me-first" payments are disgusting, and I seriously doubt there's some collusion between the baseball-writers and owners. Guys that have to have it written in their contract that they earn more just to get some incentive to play harder are many times doing their respective team a disservice, and they're not a player I would want on my team.

[Ubiquitous]

The BBWAA is a little to full of themselves.

Perhaps they can make this rule retro-active in regards to the 1999 Refael Palmeiro GG. Where Refael played a WHOOPING 28 games at first base? Yet won the award. Refael should have to refund any bonuses he got for that award.
The BBWAA do not vote on the gold glove award


If I were a MLBPA rep...I would require that in 2013 all players in the union have an incentive clause in their contracts for all awards given. Put that in your pipe and smoke it BBWAA.


And how would that snub the writers? If anything that would snub the players since they would have negotiated a contract with owners in which they guaranteed themselves not to get the money.

[Brian McKenna]

Please explain the linkage here - how does the BBWAA dictate policy to MLB?

[tigers527]

And how would that snub the writers? If anything that would snub the players since they would have negotiated a contract with owners in which they guaranteed themselves not to get the money.
The writers would not have a single vote for a single award in 2013, if they followed their own rules. We both know the BBWAA is far to self important to let that happen.

Basically, if the union wants to make this an issue, they win. Just like everything else in MLB.

[Ubiquitous]

The writers would not have a single vote for a single award in 2013, if they followed their own rules. We both know the BBWAA is far to self important to let that happen.

Basically, if the union wants to make this an issue, they win. Just like everything else in MLB.


The BBWAA wasn't created to hand out awards. It is an association of baseball writers that look after their own interests. If they stop giving out awards the BBWAA doesn't vanish, membership doesn't dwindle. The BBWAA don't make money out of this. There is nothing for them to lose if the players union for whatever reason wishes to go to war over this.

[tigers527]

The BBWAA wasn't created to hand out awards. It is an association of baseball writers that look after their own interests. If they stop giving out awards the BBWAA doesn't vanish, membership doesn't dwindle. The BBWAA don't make money out of this. There is nothing for them to lose if the players union for whatever reason wishes to go to war over this.
Actually...they would lose a little bit of that "self importance" I mentioned earlier. Sure nothing tangible. But the BBWAA does love to pat themselves on the back over their MAD BB KNOWLEDGE any chance they get. Handing out those awards is just one such circumstance, where all the BBWAA gets neck and should cramps from all that patting.

[Ubiquitous]

Actually...they would lose a little bit of that "self importance" I mentioned earlier. Sure nothing tangible. But the BBWAA does love to pat themselves on the back over their MAD BB KNOWLEDGE any chance they get. Handing out those awards is just one such circumstance, where all the BBWAA gets neck and should cramps from all that patting.

And very obviously with todays announcement the BBWAA is saying they care more about their integrity then this so called "self-importance" that you claim they hold so dear.

[tigers527]

And very obviously with todays announcement the BBWAA is saying they care more about their integrity then this so called "self-importance" that you claim they hold so dear.
Since the BBWAA had to make a rule saying they would not vote for the folks with incentives in their contracts...how much integrity can they claim to have?

Anyway....agree to disagree. I really don't care to much what goes into the choices the BBWAA make....at least not now. Maybe when I was about 12, I did.

[Ubiquitous]

Since the BBWAA had to make a rule saying they would not vote for the folks with incentives in their contracts...how much integrity can they claim to have?
Lots, they made the rule so that it wouldn't become an issue.
Instead of ignoring a potential problem, which MLB does all the time, they decided to nip it in the bud.

[tigers527]

Lots, they made the rule so that it wouldn't become an issue.
Instead of ignoring a potential problem, which MLB does all the time, they decided to nip it in the bud.
One question...off topic....please explain the 1987 and 1988 NL MVPs to me. The first person that can do that and make it make sense to me. Will probably share a padded cell with me. Its that kind of outcome that the BBWAA should be more concerned with.

BTW 1987 was Andre Dawson on a last place team with monster numbers. 1988 was Kirk Gibson on a first place team with pretty average numbers.

[Old Sweater]

I don't like the new rule. Guess it won't matter much to the players in the future that get some of the marketing money like A Rod.

[Brooklyn]

By their own admission, no BBWAA writer has ever voted for, or refused to vote for, a player for any award based on a clause in their contract.



Of course they are going to say that. If a BBWAA member were to be bribed, do you think they'd admit it? Them saying they've done nothing wrong is far from proof that they haven't

I'm not suggesting that there has ever been dishonorable voting. But why not take all temptation out of it? The writers don't make all that much money. And a writer can throw a third place vote to Schilling without seemingly affecting the result. Again, I'm not suggesting Schilling would pay him to do so, but why not just remove the temptation?

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Please explain the linkage here - how does the BBWAA dictate policy to MLB?

A very good question.

[skyking162]

Please explain the linkage here - how does the BBWAA dictate policy to MLB?

It doesn't. The BBWAA is a separate entity. Even though they do a horrible job of it, their awards (MVP, Cy Young, etc) become national stories each fall. MLB contracts started having clauses that referred to the BBWAA awards. (They could just as well refer to the Internet Baseball Awards or my dad's favorite player "award".) To prevent potential voter fraud, the BBWAA decided that they will not give any award to a player who's contract contains a related clause.

[placount]

the clauses will just move to different awards. like sporting news or whatever.

[Ubiquitous]

The BBWAA has reversed themselves or technically I guess they tabled the issue. So apparently the BBWAA has backed down on this.

[Ytown Tribe fan]

Yeah, nothing like a little bad press to force them to see how wrong they were.

Give this a little thought, people.

Suppose a singer is locked into a nice phat recording contract that makes him and his record company lots of money. He has a clause that states that if he wins a Grammy, he gets a bonus.

The Grammy voters come out and say they will never vote for an artist who has such a clause in his contract.

What would you think? Yeah -- that the recording companies coerced the voters into that action to save some bucks.

Same deal here. Yeah it's about money, but once again the owners are showing that they still have WAY, WAY more money than the players, and want to keep it that way.

[Brian McKenna]

The BBWAA has reversed themselves or technically I guess they tabled the issue. So apparently the BBWAA has backed down on this.

The problem is they made a stink out of an issue and took a vote. I'm not sure what steps they took to address the situation with MLB and the Players Association but it appears little. They should have approached those in the game and had formal discussions on the topic and then come to some negotiated resolution instead of a one-sided charge.