Selig said: ''Contraction is definitely a very viable option to our problems, but believe me, no decisions have been made.''
Selig is most concerned about the Montreal Expos, who averaged just 7,648 fans a game, with by far the worst total attendance of the 30 teams at 619,451. The Expos will have revenue of just $20.5 million (B23.01m) as compared to the top money-maker, the New York Yankees at $210m (B235.74m). Total revenues for the industry are about $3.3 billion (B3.7bn) this year.
Selig also hasn't ruled out the option of moving teams, something that hasn't happened since the Washington Senators moved to Texas and became the Rangers in 1972. No proposals have been circulated by Selig to owners or the union regarding possible contraction.
Selig's legal staff has been studying the ramifications of contraction for the past few months. Ideally, this would be part of labor negotiations with the players union, but those talks have yet to start. One option would be to contract after the World Series and negotiate a settlement with the union over dispersal of players.
The current collective bargaining agreement with the players expires after the World Series. The inability to get public financing for new stadiums is the core problem for each of the franchises that might be contracted.
