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Leagues and Governing Bodies

DISGRUNTLED MLB UMPIRES THREATEN TO RESIGN ON SEPTEMBER 2

          Following "an emotional" four-hour meeting yesterday in
     Philadelphia, MLB umpires resigned effective September 2
     "and will not work the last 4 1/2 weeks of the season,"
     according to USA TODAY's Hal Bodley, who notes that 57 of
     the 68 MLB umpires attended the meeting.   MLB VP Sandy
     Alderson: "This is either a threat to be ignored or an offer
     to be accepted."  The umpires' CBA, which pays them between
     $75,000-$250,000, "ends" after the World Series.  MLBUA 
     General Counsel Richie Phillips said that they can "collect
     about" $15.5M in severance pay for resigning (USA TODAY,
     7/15). In N.Y., Martin & Waldstein report that many senior
     umpires "could get as much as" $400,000 in severance if MLB
     decides to go that route.  Alderson: "It might be our
     cheapest solution" (N.Y. POST, 7/15).  The 57 umpires have
     "signed contracts" with Umpires Inc., an organization
     incorporated by Phillips in the last few weeks that will
     "provide umpiring services."  Chass: "[MLB] presumably would
     have to negotiate a contract with Umpires Inc. to gain the
     services of the same umpires or hire non-union and amateur
     umpires, as they have during previous work stoppages" (N.Y.
     TIMES, 7/15).  ESPN's Linda Cohn: "Phillips says he has
     commitments from minor league umpires that they will not act
     as replacements" ("SportsCenter," 7/14).  ESPN's Sal
     Paolantonio interviewed Phillips, who said, "There's not a
     threat to resign.  They've resigned" ("SportsCenter, 7/14).
          THE RIGHT CALL? CBS SportsLine's Ian Browne: "In case
     you haven't noticed, umpiring is a declining art.  And
     really, how much worse can it get?" (CBS SportsLine, 7/15). 
     ESPN.com's Jim Caple writes to umpires, "You guys want some
     respect?  You want a better contract?  Fine. ... Lose some
     weight. ... Give people a reason to feel threatened by your
     resignations, not hopeful" (ESPN.com, 7/15).  In
     Philadelphia, Bill Conlin: "Umps are about to sign their own
     death warrants" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 7/15).  
          SELIG'S ROMAN NUMERAL: MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said
     last night on FSN's "The Last Word": "I don't see how it's
     conceivable for baseball to have a work stoppage in my
     commissionership or, frankly, even in the next generation. 
     We've had eight of them.  We have really pushed things to
     the limit."  When asked baseball could "possibly survive
     another work stoppage," Selig responded, "I think we
     probably could, but we're not going to test that."  Selig
     addressed MLB's payroll disparity problem and said that his
     Blue Ribbon Committee on Economics has "been meeting once a
     month" and that the MLBPA "was at the last meeting" and they
     "will be with us more often."  Selig: "I hope we'll have
     some plans and recommendations from them by the end of the
     year, or even before" ("The Last Word," FSN, 7/14).

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