AL umpires John Hirschbeck and Dave Phillips said that
MLBUA General Counsel Richie Phillips "should be replaced
because he's providing bad leadership," according to
Crasnick & Newman of BLOOMBERG NEWS. Hirschbeck: "I don't
believe we're receiving good leadership from Richie
Phillips. That's my opinion, and I don't care who knows it.
I think he should be replaced." Dave Phillips: "I think
this negotiating style is unbelievable. He [Richie
Phillips] ought to step down. It's sad we were put in this
position." Richie Phillips couldn't be reached for comment
(BLOOMBERG NEWS, 7/21). In N.Y., Murray Chass writes that
Dave Phillips said that Richie Phillips "did not spell out
at their meeting last week the peril that umpires faced if
they did sign letters of resignation." Dave Phillips said
that the MLBUA was told that the letters of resignation
"were not going to be sent to the league offices" and the
union wasn't told that the "resignations were irrevocable if
[MLB] chose to accept them." Dave Phillips: "Most people in
that room thought they were going to be signed but not
sent." But Richie Phillips "disputes that assertion,"
calling it "nonsense." AL umpire Tim Tschida said umps
"were aware" that resignations were going to be sent to MLB
and could be accepted at any time (N.Y. TIMES, 7/22). In
DC, Richard Justice reports that MLB Commissioner Bud Selig
could announce his plans today regarding the umpires and may
be "prepared to accept" their resignations (WASHINGTON POST,
7/22). In L.A., Ross Newhan cites sources that say "between
15 to 20 of the 66 union members have either rescinded their
resignations or not submitted one" (L.A. TIMES, 7/22).
FRIEND OR FOE? MLBUA President Jerry Crawford dismissed
speculation of Richie Phillips losing support: "There was a
vote taken back in February to retain Richie as our
attorney" (USA TODAY, 7/22). But on CNNSI.com, Frank Deford
hopes that some umpires "have the good sense to use instant
replay, soon, and change Richie's own bad call" (CNNSI.com,
7/21). Under the header, "Bad Call By The Umpires," a
BOSTON GLOBE editorial states the umpires "made a blatant
error" by resigning. Noting that umpires are "contractually
prevented from striking," the editorial states that lawyers
"think the majors would have a good chance of winning a suit
against the [MLBUA] for conducting an illegal strike."
Umpires "could be replaced permanently by nonstriking
employees and end up paying damages to their employer for
striking illegally" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/22).
READY TO STEP IN: The AP's Ronald Blum reports that
Triple A umpires "had decided they would work [MLB] games if
they were called up." Pat O'Conner, who is
VP/Administration for the NAPBL and its subsidiary, the
Professional Baseball Umpire Corp.: "Somebody's trying to
get them to change their minds" (AP, 7/22). In Syracuse,
Matt Michael wrote that Triple A umpire Mike Billings, the
minor league umpires' union president, said his group "would
rather negotiate than strike." Billings: "I have never
missed a game and I don't want to start now. ... We're going
to do what minor-league umpires think is best for minor-
league umpires. We have nothing to do with the [MLBUA].
It's a major-league issue" (SYRACUSE POST-STANDARD, 7/21).
