As negotiator's representing MLB's players and owners
continue to try to reach agreement on a new labor deal, media
observers note that while they may be no closer than last spring
on the issues that divide them, the spirit of talks has
maintained a more civil tone. USA TODAY's Hal Bodley, who
reports the two sides are "miles apart," still believes they will
get a deal and cites the decision to avoid the media "glare" as
the key reason (USA TODAY, 2/12). NOT ALL IS WELL: Murray
Chass of the N.Y. TIMES reported over the weekend that MLBPA
officials were "clearly angered at what they strongly suspect was
a management attempt to portray their new proposal as regressive
by misinterpreting elements of it." Chass notes, as compared to
the union's March '95 proposal that called for a 25% tax on
payrolls above $50M to start in the second year of a five-year
deal, the union's new flat tax on player salaries would produce
more for revenue-sharing in the first three years. Still, Chass
reports, "the owners want a tax that would retard salaries." The
union also suspects management "deliberately leaked" a wrong
figure on the revenue level that would raise the tax in Years 4-6
(N.Y. TIMES, 2/10). Last night on NewSport, White Sox Vice Chair
Eddie Einhorn said of MLBPA Exec Dir Don Fehr: "I don't like his
attitude or that of the whole union. ... Their attitude is that
there is some God-given right for some people to like baseball
and he's finding that it's not true" (NewSport, 2/12). In
Denver, Tracy Ringolsby calls for more "progress" from the
players and notes that they still won't address the "primary
issue" -- salary restraint (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 2/11).
OFF-AGAIN, ON-AGAIN: NEWSDAY's Steve Zipay reports that
talks between MLB and Radio City Music Hall exec Arlan Kantarian
"are on again" (NEWSDAY, 2/13).
