European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 07, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday january 7, 1995 r sports the stars and stripes Page 27 owners Hove better future control by Stan Isaacs this Voick from left Field agrees with most fans about the baseball strike a pox upon both the owners and the pm Ayers. And to quote a san pundit Beano Cook trying to choose Between the players and the owners is like deciding whether you liked the germans or the japanese in world War ii Here though is one vote however tepid for the owners. Because in terms of the future of baseball and the interest of the fans All Hail the fans the own ers occupy a position More in the Long term Best inter ests of baseball than do the players. The problem comes Down to Trust and the dreaded salary Cap. The players do not Trust the owners and arc wary of any owners proposals. With Good reason because the owners have lied to them have colluded against them and have continued to be deceitful to them and the Public on various occasions. If the owners came up with a Resolution supporting the Louisiana Purchase the players would turn a fishy Eye upon it wonder what was the catch Bacn when the owners make a legitimate Point their deceitful past works against them yet the players de serve no sympathy but Ause of their Bull headed unyielding position absolutely ruling out the concept of a salary Cap. This is at the heart of the impasse because they arc so Adamant about accepting what most of us live with nil the time a salary Cap is in Force any time one of us asks for a commentary raise and is told by the Boss that he or she can t afford it we live with it. We have to. We could go elsewhere of course but How Many of us arc so fortunate As to be Able to move to a better Job the caterwauling of the players their Union and their adherents in the Media make it sound As if a salary Cap is in american. Hah when Hombres arc Mak ing an average of $1.2 million and the median major league salary is a nothing to sneeze at $500,000 per season they  your typical working stiffs who would suffer deprivation from salary limitation. A thought a salary Cap first for the players Fol Lowed by some profit limitation for the owners. And then some dead aim on the corporate executives who make 50 or More times More than the lowest paid worker in a business. Let the Ball players be the trailblazers for a fairer Deal for All. The owners acknowledge a changed less lucrative baseball landscape Down the Road. Network television Money fell off for the first time in the current contract. Not Only arc teams books enriched by the whopping initiation fees paid by new franchises like the Colorado Rockies and Florida marlins but the phenomenal nov Elty driven crowds drawn by these teams inflate reve Nues for a time. And so do the new stadiums built at Public expense of course in Chicago Baltimore and Cleveland. These arc artificial boosts to baseball s econ omy that will not last. If leaner times Are ahead it is not outrageous for the owners to ask that player salaries which have increased by 20 percent annually Over the last five years and now cat up 58 percent of the clubs total Revenue be reduced via a salary Cap provision to 50 percent. Most of us grew up in an Era when Joe Dimaggio had to fight for a $100,000 salary when Sandy Ken fax and Don Drysdale had to threaten a two Man strike to get better terms. The financial pendulum swung far too much to the owners Side then. Now though it is the players who have the upper hand. The players Union has won every previous labor Battle and wants to keep the status quo not Only do the Star players make phenomenal salaries but mediocrities now pull Down million Dollar windfalls. It is galling to fans that Boos who have poor seasons actually demand and get raises because arbitrators work from ridiculous Scales based on what the top players get. Forgetting All the complicated aspects of the dispute the pay commanded by some mediocrities is an insult to the Basie concept of a fair Day s Dollar for a fair Day s work. If a Shoemaker makes a Good shoe he is entitled to fair and generous recompense. If he makes a poor shoe he is not decrying of extra Reward. The .200 hit ters getting big Bucks make a mockery of sanity in the baseball wage scale for the Sake of play Ball it s time the owners won  i Impi Jit it tired it widay port column lit. Fehr declares All players free agents by Ronald Blum new York a the players association on the offensive against the Sal Ary Cap declared to owners thursday that All unsigned players  agents. Union head Donald Fehr sent a letter to management lawyer Chuck o Conno saying the uniform player contracts offered dec. 23 arc defective because the contained new provisions. If successful the move would set free about 835 play ers free. In Washington White House chief of staff Leon Panetta said president Clinto will be briefed on the strike shortly and will try to bring whatever kind of influence he  lie s very concerned that this is an Issue that deeds to be resolved and re solved for the american people an those that arc interested in the sport Panetta said. Chr who spent wednesday in Washington updating labor Secretary Robert Reich said existing contracts require owners to offer players the same contract language specified in the expired collective  the Union could file either a grief incr or a lawsuit in an attempt to enforce its claim. In a second argument the Union claimed clubs no Inger can renew con tracts when players and clubs Haven t agreed to contracts by March 1, club shave had the right Tauloma Ticali renew contracts during fac following 10 Days. It is Only the 1994 contract which maybe renewed and further that it May be renewed Only on ther Sanic terms As i contains Chr s letter said. Since the contracts tendered on Pec 23 arc a Sci rally different from the 1.994 contracts of those players none of the players maybe  the basis of those lenders. Should any affected players choose not to agree to. Terms with their clubs by the re Newal a Jota they a Wail. Accordingly Jtj. Come  Al that time f the Union used   gain free Agency in 1975. For 100 years clubs had claimed their right to a one year renewal rolled Over indefinitely. Hut in the Andy mass Csmith Dave Mcnally grievance arbitrator Peter Seit ruled Jhc specific contract language gave clubs just single one year renewal.-. That decision Jed to an agreement on the free Agency salary arbitration Struc i Ayers Union chief Dan Fth talk with it porters following his demand for free Agency for All major league baseball players a file lure that began following the 1 976 season and remained in Price until owners implemented the salary Cap. The Only consistency i found among the owners said agent Dick won the free Agency Case As the Union s general counsel is that the owners of ways seem to follow the Advie. Of their lawyers and the advice of their lawyers leads to the most litigation the most in. Come for the lawyers. They Haven t Fig ured that out yet. It s incredible to me both sides filed unfair labor practice charges against each other with the National labor relations Board on Dee 26.a decision by the Norb on whether to Issue complaints is expected about l cd. 1. If the Agency finds for. The Union i could ask a Federal judge for a preliminary injunction against the Cap. O Connor who had t received a Cony of the letter by Early evening said no was t concerned. It sounds he said like it s simply another Way of saying it the Union i agrees. With tie clubs implementation of. The salary Cap and the related player con tract changes including the elimination of salary arbitration. That is not new to Jas. We knew that when we  we will probably use Jhc letter whence do get it As further evidence that the Union refuses to bargain collectively Over the subject of player compensation what we Call under labor Law a mandatory topic of  when clubs implemented they made six significant changes in the uniform player s contract the changes require players to submit to a club physical within 20 Days of signing  state players can be released for any reason or combination of reasons including economic considerations move up the offer Date from dec. 20to nov. 20 beginning next fall and the Start of the renewal period from March 1.to feb. 10 beginning in 1996 mandate that All contracts be approved by the commissioner remove the limitation that prevents clubs from suspending players without salary for More Thani 30 Days requires a player traded or sent it the minors to report within 48 hours in Stead of 72 hours. When a a acts implemented the salary Cap the Union imposed a moratorium consigning. Of the 1,069 players currently on 40-Man rosters just 234 have agreed to major league contracts for next season according to management figures. Umpires meet saturday now York a major league umpires locked out by the owners Jan. 1, will meet saturday in Dallas to discuss their contract negotiations. Management lawyer Robert Khz Almade the owners initial proposal wednesday during a meeting with Umpire Union head Richie Phillips.  t detail the .  met with less than full Crit he .si,-ism." snid a Eccl who plans to meet Atli Phillips again next wednesday or thursday