Negotiators for MLB's players and owners will continue talks
today in New York following yesterday's two-hour session. MLB
chief negotiator Randy Levine: "We're meeting constructively and
trying to bridge some of the problems" (USA TODAY, 6/26). The
two sides are "attempting to agree on a luxury tax system for
1997, 1998 and 1999 that they both like" (AP/HOUSTON CHRONICLE,
6/26). ESPN's Peter Gammons said it "may be too optimistic" for
the MLBPA to hope for a deal on service time by the All-Star
break. Gammons: "The owners plan to ask the players to expand
the number of interleague games from 16 to 32 beginning in 1998.
They also want to drop the DH, which the players obviously don't
want to do. But for the first time in memory, the two sides
seems to trust one another" ("SportsCenter," 6/25).
THE SELIG FILES: USA TODAY's Hal Bodley profiles Bud Selig
and his dual roles as acting Commissioner and Brewers President.
In a sidebar, Bodley notes while Selig is privately "intrigued"
by the possibility of becoming full-time commissioner, he says,
"If I were a betting man, I'd say no." NBC Sports President Dick
Ebersol: "He'll hate me for saying this, but I wish the day
comes when he gives up ownership. And if he really wants to be
commissioner, I think he would be a damn good one" (USA TODAY,
6/26).
