Francona said he doesn't care about himself but that in some cases the $40,000 represents some two-fifths of a coach's salary. First base coach Luis Alicea said he appreciates the support of the players but felt the entire issue was "embarrassing." "We all like to feel as if we're part of the team. We help the players and we appreciate what they're trying to do. We thought this issue was resolved a long time ago. To have it come down to the final day is embarrassing. That's about all I can say about it."