The MLBUA filed suit yesterday in U.S. District Court
in Philadelphia for the "right to withdraw the mass
resignations" of umpires effective September 2, according to
USA TODAY's Rod Beaton, who reports that no hearing date
"has been set" for the 14-page complaint. The suit alleges
that MLB "planned to withhold" termination pay from some
umpires and that MLB was offering incentives to individual
umpires to join a group of dissidents "looking to oust"
MLBUA General Counsel Richie Phillips. Beaton notes that 26
of the 66 umpires have "agreed to stay on the job" (USA
TODAY, 7/27). ESPN's Karl Ravech reported that in their
suit, the umpires said that MLB "has offered up $2 million
in future pay if they join a group to get rid of Richie
Phillips" ("Baseball Tonight," 7/26). In N.Y., Murray Chass
writes the lawsuit alleges the commissioner's office has
"improperly usurped the authority" of the NL and AL offices
and has created "political turmoil" within MLB. Chass adds
that the MLBUA asked the court to declare that the umpires
have until September 2 "to decide whether to actually
abandon their positions" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/27). Fox Sports
News' Keith Olbermann reported that the same Philadelphia
judge who "restrained [umpires] from striking" after the
Roberto Alomar spitting incident in '95 will rule in the
case (FSN, 7/26). In DC, Richard Justice reports that the
MLBUA "accused" MLB of "wrongfully agreeing" to give AL
umpire Larry Barnett $150,000 more than the $400,000 the
league was "required" to give him in "termination pay"
(WASHINGTON POST, 7/27). The AP's Ronald Blum cites an MLB
exec who says several NL umpires had called to say they were
"considering reversing course and staying on" (AP, 7/27).
FAIR OR FOUL? FSN's Keith Olbermann, on the umpires'
suit: "Any similarity to the schoolyard bully picking the
fight and then going crying to the teacher's aide is purely
coincidental" (FSN, 7/26). On "Good Morning America," Mike
Lupica said of the umpires: "Richie Phillips has overplayed
his hand." Lupica, on the umpires: "You're out. Get out"
(GMA, 7/27). NL umpire Bruce Froemming, on the union:
"We're partially divided right now, but as far as what
happened in Philadelphia today, I am as confused as anybody"
(ESPN, 7/26). AL umpire Tim Tschida, who rescinded his
resignation: "I don't know if we can count on intervention
from the commissioner or anybody else, and if they decide to
take a hard-line stance, I'm not ready to quit." More
Tschida, who will earn $140,000 this year: "As a group, I
think we're morally on the right side of the issues. But
I'm not sure if we can win in this manner. ... I don't have
a problem with the union. I have a problem with some of the
tactics, and the stance" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 7/27).
