BASEBALL'S BACK II: NO TAKERS FOR GENE ORZA FAN CLUB

     MLBPA General Counsel Gene Orza continues to receive
criticism for holding out the possibility that the players would
boycott the All-Star Game if the owners again renege on the
pension fund payment.  For his part, Orza claims he responded to
a hypothetical posed to him by a USA TODAY reporter.  But others
in baseball amnd the media made a point of the poor timing.
Rangers President Tom Schieffer, whose team hosts this year's
game: "It would be nice if Mr. Orza will let us play baseball for
a while.  We have plenty of time to get into an argument.  We're
going to play the All-Star Game.  I think he knows that" (DALLAS
MORNING NEWS, 4/28).  In New York, Bill Madden writes that Orza
"knows the owners have no intentions of creating another public
relations boondoggle for themselves by holding back the pension
payment.  He also knows the owners are privately in agreement
that failing to make the payment last year was just plain stupid"
(N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/30).  In L.A., Ross Newhan writes, "It would
seem to be an issue that could have waited beyond opening day"
(L.A. TIMES, 4/30).  N.Y. TIMES' William Rhoden called Orza's
comments "absolutely insane."  NEWSDAY columnist Mike Lupica, who
said he counts Orza as a friend, added that if any union
officials "talk about boycotts of the All Star game or strikes,
they ought to be fired" ("Sports Reporters," ESPN, 4/30).