MLBPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr told the U.S. Senate
Judiciary Committee yesterday that MLB owners and the MLBPA
"tentatively" have agreed on proposed legislation that would
"limit" the owners' exemption from federal antitrust laws,
according to Mark Maske of the WASHINGTON POST. Fehr said
that negotiators from the two sides "have agreed to terms
that now must be approved by the owners." The proposal
would "replace" a bill co-sponsored by Judiciary Committee
Chair Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and ranking member Patrick Leahy
(D-VT) that "would repeal the owners' exemption as it
relates to labor relations, but leave it intact as it
relates to franchise movements, the minor leagues, and
broadcasting." The new proposal would give the players
"added leverage in labor negotiations because of the threat
of an antitrust lawsuit." Hatch, who said the "most
important impediment to passage of baseball antitrust reform
has been eliminated" by the owners' support of the
legislation, called the legislation a "top priority" and
"said a bill could come out of the committee level this
week" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/18). Leahy was "a bit more
skeptical of the progress report, especially when a
representative of the owners failed to show" at the hearing.
Leahy: "Four or five years ago, they were close to having a
commissioner. They're always close to something. It's like
'The check is in the mail.'" (AP/L.A. TIMES, 6/18).
COMMISSIONER LUND? Colleagues of former CBS President
Peter Lund "see a future for him" as MLB Commissioner,
according to Greg Spring of ELECTRONIC MEDIA. Spring writes
that Lund is a "big baseball fan ... and deals well with the
kinds of personalities that run the teams." Lund has "also
been rumored" to be headed to Fox. Also "mentioned" for the
MLB commissioner's post is departing FCC Chair Reed Hundt
(ELECTRONIC MEDIA, 6/16 issue).
