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Tony Clark heads a union that has spent its entire history opposing salary caps, but he told ESPN.com on Friday that he doesnt believe baseballs players union abandoned that principle when it agreed to a hard cap on international signings in the sports new collective bargaining agreement.This does not change the philosophy of this organization as it relates to caps, Clark, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association said Friday during a wide-ranging interview on the day the new labor deal was announced.So how did baseball emerge from these negotiations with a system in which all 30 teams will work with a strict total signing pool of about $5 million a year per club, a pool that teams are not permitted to exceed for any reason? It turns out that the disparity between the dollars being spent on foreign-born players versus American-born amateur players had a lot to do with it.Just five months ago, a 17-year-old Cuban pitcher, Adrian Morejon, signed a contract with the San Diego Padres that guaranteed him $11 million. Meanwhile, less than two weeks earlier, the top pick in the June draft of American players, 18-year-old outfielder Mickey Moniak, signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for a little more than half that amount, at $6.1 million.The year before, the Boston Red Sox handed out a $31.5 million signing bonus to 19-year-old Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada. To put that in perspective, under the new rules, the international signing pools for an entire division wont add up to $31.5 million.It is unlikely that a signing that high will happen again, Clark said, pausing before adding, Nor can it happen on the domestic side. Nor has it happened on the domestic side.Clark said the union found itself in a difficult position as negotiators for the owners pressed for an international draft. Players involved in the negotiations were staunchly opposed to an international draft. So the union was faced with challenges in trying to settle for an alternative system that worked for both sides and for countries around the world.Those challenges took into account geography, history, culture, politics and the disparity between the dollars that foreign-born players were signing for as opposed to those of amateur American-born players, he said. So the players wound up settling on a system they believed balanced as many of those factors as possible.We spent a lot of time with players going through this one, Clark said. And where we landed, we believe, protects all of those pieces.Clark discussed a number of other issues raised by the labor agreement that was agreed to Wednesday night. Among those issues:Draft-pick compensation: Although teams will no longer have to surrender a first-round draft pick if they sign a premium free agent who has rejected a qualifying offer, clubs signing those players still will lose at least one pick in the later rounds. Asked about reports that the owners offered to completely eliminate qualifying offers and draft-pick compensation, Clark said a proposal was made to do that, but the tradeoff that owners asked for in return was not a place we were willing to go.The luxury tax: Clark disagreed with agents who have criticized the Competitive Balance Tax (aka luxury tax) in the new agreement as the equivalent of a soft salary cap. In addition to the maximum 50 percent tax rate, which had already been levied on teams that exceed the tax threshold multiple times, this agreement adds an extra surtax as high as 45 percent on clubs that go over by more than $40 million. Agents also have said they believe the thresholds should have been higher, given the explosion of revenues in baseball over the past five years. However, Clark defended the new thresholds, saying they not only increase by larger margins than they did in the last labor deal, but they also go up annually, as opposed to one increase over the life of the previous agreement. The [tax] was put in place, he said, and was supposed to act as a drag on the highest end of the payroll structure. Thats what it was put in place to do. Thats what it is still designed to do.Unhappy agents: Asked about complaints by agents that they didnt feel included in the negotiating process, Clark said at first: I dont know who they are. He then maintained the union connected with a number of agents all along the bargaining cycle. He conceded there may be some who werent as much a part of the process as others, but the truth is, we spent a lot of time communicating with a number of those in the agent community, in an effort to appreciate the issues in a number of areas and applying that input to decisions that we looked to make.Roster size: Despite widespread reports that roster size would increase from 25 players per team to 26, along with reductions in the 40-man September rosters, Clark said so much time was needed to resolve the major economic issues that roster size had to be put on the back burner. However, the two sides have the freedom to address this point at a later date, and I anticipate continuing to have that dialogue moving forward, he said.Pace of play: Surprisingly, Clark said the two sides never discussed during the labor talks pitch clocks or other changes to speed up the pace of play. But that issue can also be negotiated in a different time and place, and I anticipate there being dialogue in the coming months.The schedule: The sides also never talked about shortening the season from 162 games, but they did agree to add four extra off days, to institute rules requiring earlier start times on getaway days for teams with long flights and to have all teams hire a chef and registered dietitian to improve clubhouse nutrition. These were a top priority for players in the negotiations. And Clark described those changes as important for players and important to the game.Negotiating amid outside noise: In his first go-round as the unions lead negotiator, Clark said he was aware of noise, criticism and stories suggesting that if negotiations ended in a lockout, it was a result of the unions slow pace. So you know that its always there, he said. You know there are always going to be concerns and misunderstandings and misrepresentations, and positions taken that may be different than the ones that are professed to be taken, at any one time along the process. And thats why you focus in on what you can control. ... But as long as you maintain a high level of integrity with respect to the foundational pieces, youre able to navigate those challenges -- and eventually land in a place that is a focus from start to finish, which is a fair and equitable deal. Moussa Sissako Paris Saint-Germain Jersey . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. Sebastien Cibois Jersey . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. http://www.parissaintgermainfcstore.com/Women-Marquinhos-Paris-Saint-Germain-Jersey/ . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. Kylian Mbappe Jersey . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre. Thiago Silva Paris Saint-Germain Jersey . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. PITTSBURGH -- Jhoulys Chacin was determined to eat up innings for his team and its weary bullpen. Absorbing a sharply-hit line drive off his pitching forearm wasnt going to deter him. Chacin allowed one run on six hits over eight innings and the Colorado Rockies snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night. Chacin (10-5), who has won seven of his past nine decisions, stayed in the game after a ball off the bat of Starling Marte deflected off his right forearm in the fifth inning. "I didnt want to come out; I just wanted to keep pitching," said Chain, who lowered his road ERA to 1.78. "It hit me good, but just I moved my hand and it felt fine. "I really wanted to give the team seven or eight innings at least, so I was trying to do my job and help my bullpen, also. It was nice I was able to do that." Colorados Troy Tulowitzki had a solo homer and an RBI single, and Todd Helton had a two-run single 16 years to the day after making his major-league debut in the same city. The Rockies were coming off being outscored 40-13 by Atlanta in a four-game sweep at Turner Field. They won despite their lineup missing two of their best hitters for the second consecutive game -- Michael Cuddyer is away on a family emergency and Carlos Gonzalez did not enter the game until in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement after aggravating a sprained right middle finger on Wednesday night. After Fridays game, Gonzalez expressed doubt hed be ready to return to the lineup by Saturday but was encouraged it could happen Sunday. Neil Walker had two doubles for the Pirates (65-44), who came in with the best record in the majors. Pittsburgh has been outscored 17-2 in losing its past two after taking over the best record in the NL with four straight wins over the St. Louis Cardinals this week. The Pirates scored in the ninth with consecutive one-out doubles by Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez off temporary closer Rex Brothers. But Russell Martin flied out to deep centre and pinch-hitter Gaby Sanchez lined out to right to end it, earning Brothers his eighth save in nine opportunities. "The scoreboard dictated the situation and what I was throwing," Brothers said. "We had a three-run lead so I threw a lot of fastballs so they could put it in plaay.dddddddddddd." Pirates rookie Gerrit Cole (5-5) needed 102 pitches to make it through 5 1-3 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Cole dropped to 1-5 since winning his first four major league starts. "He came out of the chute good -- then at times it seemed that he couldnt put away the hitters because all the foul balls extended innings," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "He ran a lot of deeper counts that extended his pitch count. He didnt allow much damage to be done, though." Chacin is 7-2 with a 2.24 ERA since June 11 -- the same day as Coles debut. Chacin retired the final 14 he faced -- the last nine coming after Martes line drive deflected off his forearm to shortstop Tulowitzki, who threw to first to complete the putout. Chacin grimaced and shook his arm, but appeared to tell catcher Wilin Rosario, manager Walt Weiss and a member of the training staff that he was fine. Chacin retreated from the dugout into the tunnel after the inning ended but returned for the bottom of the sixth following a lengthy wait because his team sent eight men to the plate and scored three runs in the top half. "That thing hit him square, and I thought he might be done," Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. "And he goes out there and gives us three more innings. Really an impressive showing. "This year, we gave him the responsibility of being a top-of-the-rotation guy, and hes taken it and hes run with it." NOTES: Before the game, the Pirates swapped out a pair of relievers when they reinstated RHP Jared Hughes from the disabled list and optioned RHP Vic Black to Triple-A Indianapolis. ... The paid attendance of 37,487 was the 10th sellout at PNC Park this season ... This was the seasons first meeting between the teams; each has now played every NL team. ... Helton went 2-for-4 with a home run while batting fifth and playing left field for the Rockies in his first game in the majors Aug. 2, 1997, at Three Rivers Stadium. ... Hes 14 innings short of qualifying for the league leaders, but Saturday Pittsburgh starter LHP Francisco Liriano (11-4, 2.16) would rank second in the NL in ERA if he did. Rockies counterpart LHP Jorge De La Rosa (10-5, 3.21) allowed a season-high five runs in his most recent outing for Colorado. ' ' '