Acting Commissioner Bud Selig denied "the existence of a
budding movement" within MLB's ownership to hold a second vote on
a proposed labor deal, according to Tom Haudricourt of the
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. Selig: "I've heard the rumor, and I
don't know where it's coming from. I have not heard from one
club about holding another vote." Haudricourt notes there
"supposedly is unrest among owners," particularly in the NL, but
Selig "flatly" denied there would be another vote (MILWAUKEE
JOURNAL SENTINEL, 11/13). Selig and MLBPA Exec Dir Don Fehr were
to speak by phone yesterday, but had not as of last night (USA
TODAY, 11/13). Selig: "I'm trying to find solutions to end this
nightmare. Lots of people have been trying to brainstorm ideas
with me." The talks face a Friday deadline (Murray Chass, N.Y.
TIMES, 11/13).
E-BOW THE LETTER: ESPN's Keith Olbermann reported that MLBPA
Exec Dir Donald Fehr has sent a "strongly worded letter" to
players in which he accuses Selig of "consummate bad faith" amid
charges that Selig "never intended to reach an agreement." Fehr
writes that Selig told him management negotiator Randy Levine had
the authority to make a deal, but later denied he had ever given
Levine the full authority. Fehr writes that Selig "effectively
led the charge to torpedo the agreement he authorized his own
hand-picked negotiator to make" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 11/12).
OH, LORD, WON'T YOU BUY ME, A NEW CBA: In the conclusion of
HBO's "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel," Gumbel said the "Lords of
Baseball are the stuff of nightmares." Gumbel: "As if anyone
needed fresh evidence that some owners are the Jack Kevorkians of
modern sport, baseball's so-called leaders provided further proof
last week, rejecting their latest, last, best chance to restore
some stability. .... By now it is too late for anyone to appeal
to the owners' better sense, and we are long past believing that
they care what anyone thinks. ... At a time when baseball players
on the field have rarely been better, it's sad that the games'
owners off the field have never been worse" ("Real Sports With
Bryant Gumbel," HBO, 11/12). SI's "Scorecard" notes that
"judging from the grumbling of some owners, they're realizing
that Selig's quasi-commissionership ... has passed its expiration
date. One owner on Selig: "He's a spin doctor and when you keep
spinning and spinning, people tend not to believe you" (SI, 11/18
issue). In Boston, Michael Gee's column, entitled "Fans Don't
Feel Labor Pains," notes MLB fans "are not too different from the
electorate. They aren't going to react to labor peace and/or war
unless it directly involves what they get out of the game. ... If
baseball games stop, fans will get upset. Otherwise the lack of
a Basic Agreement has no effect on their lives whatsoever"
(BOSTON HERALD, 11/12).
NOVEMBER IN SCOTTSDALE: A meeting between union members and
MLB over a code-of-conduct stemming from the Roberto Alomar
incident is "likely to be postponed today" at the GM meetings in
Scottsdale (Sam Donnellon, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/12)....GM's
recommended raising the pitchers mound from 10 to 13 inches in an
effort to speed up the game. The proposal goes to the Playing
Rules Committee and to players for approval (Don Ketchum, ARIZONA
REPUBLIC, 11/12).
