A group of MLB umpires has approached Baltimore
attorney Ron Shapiro as an "alternative" to MLBUA General
Counsel Richie Phillips' "confrontational approach,"
according to USA TODAY's Hal Bodley, who writes that the
umpires are "fearful they'll lose their jobs forever if
their strategy isn't changed." Shapiro is "well-liked by
some umpires" and he was an "effective behind-the-scenes
negotiator" during the '94-95 players strike (USA TODAY,
7/20). Meanwhile, the AP's Ronald Blum reports that minor
league umpires "postponed a decision on a strike date"
yesterday "amid reports that some" AL umpires are "trying to
rescind their resignations" (AP, 7/20). In L.A., Ross
Newhan cites an MLB official as saying that between 10-20%
"of those who submitted resignations notified their league
offices that they want to rescind the resignation or are
considering it" (L.A. TIMES, 7/20). Meanwhile, in N.Y.,
Murray Chass writes that "several people" with "vast labor
experience, in and out of sports, readily acknowledged they
had no clue about the union's thinking. ... [MLB] officials
haven't determined a definite course of action, but they are
in no mood to negotiate with Phillips" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/20).
CHANCE FOR A DEAL? Phillips appeared on FSN's "The Last
Word" with Jim Rome last night and was asked what it would
take for MLB and his umpires to reach a compromise deal:
"It will take [MLB] seeing that the quality of umpiring that
they presently enjoy in the major leagues is really enormous
and they don't appreciate it" ("The Last Word," FSN, 7/19).
BUT HE'S NO FOOL: In Philadelphia, Rich Hofmann, on
Phillips: "[He] might be a lot of things, but a fool is not
one of them." Phillips: "If I'm driving this car off a
cliff, at least I've got a couple of parachutes. At least
I'm not waiting for baseball to push the car over the cliff
with no parachutes" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 7/20). But
ESPN.com's Bob Klapisch said that Phillips "must sense he's
already lost this war with [MLB Commissioner Bud] Selig or,
perhaps he doesn't." Klapisch adds that there's "no one
acting as the umpires' advocate" (ESPN.com, 7/19). In
Denver, Tracy Ringolsby writes that Phillips "wants to be
like" MLBPA Exec Dir Don Fehr. Ringolsby: "Phillips isn't
Fehr. And he never will be. Fehr has a trump card. His
constituents, the players, are the product that baseball
sells to fans. Phillips' constituents are supporting
characters in the cast, and he's willing to sacrifice every
one of them so his ego can be fed" (ROCKY MTN NEWS, 7/20).
NO PROBLEM? USA TODAY's Hal Bodley reports that MLB
"finally will have a free hand to create their umpiring
staff" if the umpires resign September 2. Bodley: "Suddenly,
MLB would have increased flexibility in dealing with its
umpires." While the umps would receive a severance package
of $15.5M, Bodley writes, "That's roughly what is spent for
umpires during one season. Replacements probably would
receive the minimum salary of $75,000, so it wouldn't take
long for MLB to recoup" its $15.5M cost (USA TODAY, 7/20).
