European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 7, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                August 1985 the stars and stripes Page 21 sports Gary Texas rangers raises his Glove under a Banner Hung by fans on the right Field Wall fans who apparently Arent very upset at the possibility of a strike 3 baseball is called out continued from Page i four members from the Baltimore orioles were in town for a three game series that was to begin tuesday the rest of the team had not shown up by tuesday of the two teams were to begin a three game series tuesday were waiting to decide whether were going to play tonight game or said a Blue jays the announcement followed a meeting called at the request of commissioner Peter who had pleaded with the play ers and owners to use the last ounce of everyone Energy to try to resolve the in the session was initially described As very informal but the two sides continued meeting for More than six at one a player representative said it had turned into a serious negotiating after months of negotiations and increasingly Hartline the two sides were just too far the 1981 the first mid season walkout Ever by pro athletes in the United ripped 50 Days and 712 games from the Middle of the the Issue that time was free Agency the ability of a player to sell his service to the highest it was a right the play ers won in in ruling striking Down baseballs Reserve clause that bound a player to one team unless he was traded or this the key again is a single Issue salary it started in and the owners say its has helped salaries snowball to this seasons average of a while pensions remained a primary con Cern of the players the following eight months of stemmed from the owners demand that changes be made in salary the owners wanted to extend the time of service needed to file for arbitration from two to three years while limiting any arbitrators award to double a players current Fehr offered monday to take less than a on third share of network television reve nue which would amount to million annually for six years and instead accept about million each year for the pension the resulting about million from a total to package of would be redirected to the teams that most need the players made the provided the owners agreed not to change salary arbitration the players set the 6 strike dead line on july the Day before the 56th All Star game in at the everyone expressed optimism that a settlement would be reach in the succeeding three but positions rhetoric grew louder and on with those three weeks reduced to less than 24 no formal negotiations were Fehr got together with Lee the owners chief for hours in the morning and presented specifics of a plan suggested this was not a constructive Macphail in it is an alarmingly destructive one and one that obviously cannot be accepted by the countered in this theres not much More we can by later in the it was Clear that Only a dramatic new program or change of Posi Tion could keep major league players on the theres a Fehr said As monday nights final games wound the strike is on As of the end of games tonight As a technical the strike does not begin until the starting time of games As a practical if we dont have an weve told the players that they should just be wherever they want to be and do whatever they want to this is the Way it has to Macphail conceded that one More meet ing was unlikely to avoid a i cant say that in optimistic at this he the strike came As congressional leaders and Ueberroth pressed the two sides to break their nine monthlong negotiators began meeting at tuesday morning in an Effort to break their the two sides had broke off talks briefly for lunch then held another Short round of fruitless Houston astros player representative Bob Knepper advised his teammates to stay Home tuesday until he called them concerning the talks umpires were instructed by the leagues to head to their regular in congressional leaders asked Ueberroth to use whatever Powers he could to Stop a strike and asked both sides to summon their Best pitch for a Compro Senate Republican Leader Robert Dole of Kansas said he and House speaker Thomas had wired saying it is incumbent upon you to exercise the considerable weight of your office and do everything possible to bring this matter to a successful president Reagan monday urged the players and owners to remember their obligation to the fans and avoid a Ueberroth request for another meeting came As the two sides on the issues of pension Money and salary Arbi owners and major league cities stand to lose millions of dollars in lost salary and Revenue because of the in the 1981 work clubs lost anywhere from million to million in tickc1 sales and Concession the players association based on the average each player would lose for every Day of a strike a total of daily for the nearly 700 players should the strike last Long enough to Force the remainder of the regular season to be the teams currently in first place would most Likely be declared Cham they include the Toronto Blue jays in the Al the California Angels in the Al the los Angeles dodgers in the no West and the new York mets in the no