By Tony Gwynn

Special to ESPN Insider

 

The baseball offseason 'tis the season for huge free-agent contracts ... or not. Some players want to get top dollar, regardless of where they play. I wasn't one of them, preferring the values of hometown loyalty -- which means that the Major League Baseball Players Association wasn't thrilled with me.

 

I'm not exactly sure how much the players union tries to influence its members today. But I can tell you what happened to me nearly 20 years ago.

 

 

 

Balking at a strong suggestion

When you sign a contract with a major-league team, it's sent to Major League Baseball for approval. It's also sent to the players' union.

 

Union officials will look at the deal, and if they don't think you're in the right financial neighborhood, they'll let you know about it. The union has no veto power whatsoever, but if union officials believe your salary is below market value, they'll strongly suggest that you push for more.

 

My first full year with the San Diego Padres was 1984. After winning the batting title, going to the World Series and finishing third in the MVP voting, Padres GM Jack McKeon offered me a six-year deal worth $4.6 million (which was below market value).

 

I didn't talk to lots of people about it, but from my viewpoint, it was a good deal for me. Plus, I grew up in California and went to college at San Diego State. I had an agent at the time, but it was basically my call, so I told Jack, "Hey, I'll sign it."

 

Gene Orza, the No. 2 official in the players union, called me at home -- as I recall, it was a Friday afternoon -- to chew me out for taking less money than I was worth. But I said, "Look, I'm married with a young son, and I want to buy a house and take care of my family. So in my mind this is a good deal."

 

 

 

Big picture for union vs. best situation for me

The money was guaranteed whether I played or not, so I was set for the next six years even if I got hurt. And since success wasn't guaranteed, I felt I should take the money.

 

Even if my numbers sucked after that, I would still be paid $4.6 million. I always wanted to be the best I could be, but I figured, "In case I suck, they still have to pay me."

 

Of course, Orza gave me the standard Players Association line: "I can't just worry about you, I have to worry about all 800 major-league players." He also pointed out that the contract skipped right over my first chance at free agency. I knew that, and I told him (in so many words), "Forget you, I'm signing the contract."

 

We went at it for a while. But I laugh about it now, because looking back I have no regrets. It was a good deal because I was able to buy my first house and provide for my family.

 

And from then on I never spoke with anyone from the union again when it came to contract matters. I did what I thought was in my best interest rather than what was in the best interest of players in my class (as Orza put it).

 

 

 

San Diego discount

Don't get the wrong impression, because that's the union's job. Still, people are incredulous when I tell this story -- I must have told it a hundred times -- because they just can't believe the union should be in a position to tell a player what he should or shouldn't do. But the union is just crunching numbers and doing its job.

 

I understand that the union wants to make sure players are getting paid what the market will bear. But at the time, I wanted to take care of my family -- so I was more interested in guaranteed money than in getting as much as I possibly could.

 

From the union's perspective, players are grouped in classes based on years of service, stats and prior salary. The guys in my class included Brett Butler, Willie McGee, Tim Raines and other contact hitters who didn't hit lots of home runs.

 

My deal made it tough for them to get what they were asking for, but two years later all those guys were making more than me (Raines won a batting title in '86 and McGee went to several World Series). Hence the phrase, "San Diego discount" -- that was me.

 

But for me, it boiled down to being comfortable. Yes, you want to make as much money as possible, but at the same time you should sign the deal if you think it's fair and best for you.

 

My first guaranteed deal took me from 1985-90, and I ended up going through four more negotiations in my 20-year career with the Padres. I only got to true free agency once in my career -- the year before I retired -- because I knew I would have to go through this hassle again if I filed. With my numbers and track record, I could sign a year ahead of free agency and save the trouble.

 

By the way, my highest single-season base salary came in 2000, my next-to-last year: $6.3 million.

 

 

 

Tony Gwynn, a career .338 hitter with the Padres, is the head baseball coach at San Diego State and an ESPN baseball analyst.

Lets hope Pudge does the same.

 

And Vlad Guerrero...

 

Yes, I can dream...

once more proves how screwed up the players' association is and how much power they truly wield.

It all boils down to how much you value the intangibles (i.e. being at home 82+ more days a year and spending more time with your family),

 

I think Pudge will GIVE the Marlins a good discount. He has made a lot of money, and this is not the first golden opportunity to get paid the big bucks. He has some fat checks coming from the Marlis for the next 3 years, so he is set big time for life.

Pudge already did it with the Rangers, but after what they did to get him to do it and how they just dumped him on his a** following that, I doubt he'd do it again.

Gwynn is the ultimate class act.

There are also guys that will do that because it was their childhood teams.

I know of a certain guy that turned down a lot more money from at least 5 teams to play for the team his father and godfather played most of their careers for, but because he doesn't kiss the media's a** they rarely acknowledge that

I know of a certain guy that turned down a lot more money from at least 5 teams to play for the team his father and godfather played most of their careers for

aw thats cute

 

dammit

 

where are the vomit emoticons?

you mean this:

Tony Gywnn is always a man I've respected and now he's one of my favorite baseball people ever. Good man and a good article.

Always liked Tony Gwynn. Refreshing.

 

Unions have their place, I have no problem with labor unions as a whole, but it's tough to feel sorry for an industry where the league average is over a million....