THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 29, 1995 TAG: 9503290550
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Looking back, you can see that Norfolk Tides outfielder Derek Lee understands a bit about lost opportunity. It helps explain part of his battle with the issue on everybody's mind in the New York Mets minor league camp - whether or not to play in replacement major league games.
Lee, from Reston, Va., declined to sign a pro contract the first four times he was drafted, citing his interest in continuing his education but especially the absence of what he considered appropriate bonus money.
In his fifth and final year of draft eligibility, Lee, who formerly was selected as high as the eighth round, was devastated when he slipped all the way to the 42nd round. He was thrown a $500 bone by the Chicago White Sox in 1988.
Then a senior at the University of South Florida, Lee had zero leverage and perhaps the label of a guy who didn't want to play. He declines to discuss the largest amount of money he previously turned down - ``Not a whole heck of a lot, but it was decent,'' he said - but it's clear the whole affair still rankles.
``It's something that's always motivated me,'' Lee said. ``If I can spend some quality time in the big leagues, you know, it would be the kid who was drafted in the 42nd round but he still made it.''
He could have a shot at some big-league money now, sort of. Lee, a 28-year-old with a .294 career minor league average, has played just 15 big league games, with the Minnesota Twins in 1993. A 6-foot-1, 200-pound lefthanded hitter, Lee batted .300 with 13 home runs and 75 RBIs for Triple-A Ottawa last season and signed over the winter with the Mets. He figured to compete for a major league outfield slot in training camp.
But when the strike continued, Lee, like the other 60 players brought to minor league camp early, was asked to play in replacement spring training games. The Mets have taken pains to stress that those games always feature minor leaguers and that players taking part this year should not be considered strike-breakers.
Still, Lee said no then. And despite the latest pot-sweetening by Mets' management to get minor leaguers to play regular-season replacement games - a carrot of at least $30,000 guaranteed, in addition to the $628.42 per day replacement minimum and various bonuses - Lee said he has said no again.
``If I say I didn't think about it, I'd be lying,'' Lee said. ``I've always backed the union 100 percent. I've always felt like I've worked too hard and been through too much. ... I feel like I'm too good of a baseball player to be considered a scab.
``I've always known that I was not going to be a replacement player. It's been tough. I've played devil's advocate, so to speak, I've weighed the pros and the cons, and I think in my situation the cons have always outweighed the pros.''
The promised money ``is good, it's very good,'' Lee said. It's just not an offer he can't refuse - because, he said, he has.
On April 6, when the Tides open in Charlotte, ``if the choice is between Charlotte or New York'' as a replacement, Lee said, ``I'll be in Charlotte.'' ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN
Staff
Derek Lee, taking a break from a Tides workout, could have a shot at
big-league money now, but ``I feel like I'm too good of a baseball
player to be considered a scab.''
by CNB