With a deadline of midnight tonight for reaching a labor
agreement or having the latest proposal fall apart, Acting
Commissioner Bud Selig said last night that there was "nothing to
report," according to Tom Haudricourt of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL
SENTINEL. Selig: "I've been busy on the phone all day, but at
this point the less said, the better." If a deal is not reached,
MLB will play the '97 season under the current system. MLBPA
Exec Dir Don Fehr: "The answer is they don't want a deal. ...
they never wanted a deal. You can make an argument that this is
what they wanted all along" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 11/14).
Selig did not contact the union yesterday and Fehr told the L.A.
TIMES' Ross Newhan: "[Selig] delayed in every way before taking a
vote. He led the repudiation of his own negotiator. He pulled
what was nothing more than a PR stunt by walking in [to the union
offices] and asking for a renegotiation, then immediately flew
back to Milwaukee. Why should I expect him to call?" (L.A. TIMES,
11/14). USA TODAY's Hal Bodley notes Selig "is expected" to ask
Fehr to extend tonight's deadline. Fehr said he "can't imagine
why" he would agree to a extension, adding "I have no reason to
believe anything is changing" (USA TODAY, 11/14). In New York,
Murray Chass notes the letter Fehr sent to his membership stating
Selig's rejection of the proposal "raises serious questions as to
whether he or his allies will ever be wiling to bargain in good
faith with you." Management negotiator Randy Levine also plans
to resign as of the Friday deadline "barring an agreement" (N.Y.
TIMES, 11/14). An N.Y. TIMES editorial, called "Baseball's
Discontents," credits Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner for
voting for the proposed deal last week: "We do not always agree
with Mr. Steinbrenner, but in this case he was right" (N.Y.
TIMES, 11/14).
SNIFFING OUT THE BIG SPENDERS: MLB payrolls were released
yesterday and the 28 teams spent $937,905,284 last season. Top
four: Yankees, $61,511,870; Orioles, $55,127,855; Braves,
$53,422,000; Indians, $47,615,507. Bottom four: Tigers,
$17,955,500; Expos, $17,264,500; Pirates, $16,994,180; Brewers,
$11,701,000. Braves President Stan Kasten: "Did we not see every
single playoff series won by the team with the higher payroll?
This is just what we feared" (Peter Schmuck, Baltimore SUN,
11/14). The increase in payroll from '95 was 1.1% and payroll
should "easily" surpass $1B in '97 (Hal Bodley, USA TODAY,
11/14).
