The Red Sox Might Not Make It To Japan After All

The Boston Red Sox are supposed to be hopping on a plane today for their big Japan trip to open up the regular season. (We love the idea of Red Sox Nation waking up at 2 a.m. for opening day. They'll do it too.) These series should be as entertaining as they always are; it's a shame Doug Mirabelli can't be there to see it. Of course, there's a chance everyone will miss it; the Boston Herald reports this morning that the team is considering boycotting the trip because of an issue of coaches' pay. (Via Sox And Dawgs.)

Apparently, coaches aren't receiving the $50,000 stipend that players and managers receive for the trip — as they claim they were originally promised — and players are showing their support by holding out.

According to multiple clubhouse sources, the Red Sox [team stats] will be holding a players-only meeting later this morning concerning the issue regarding the coaches potentially not being paid the $40,000 allocated the players. The sources indicated that the players will be issuing a mandate to Major League Baseball that if the coaches aren't paid, then the team will not be getting on the plane later today for Japan.

We would applaud the Red Sox players for sticking up for their staff, and then we realize that the cause they're fighting for is about 10 men being paid 50 grand for getting on a plane, and we think otherwise.

Sox Consider Japan Trip Boycott [Boston Herald]