MLBPA officials "remained in baseball's version of a waiting
room Monday," according to Tom Haudricourt in this morning's
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, "as owners continued to try to get
their act together." MLBPA spokesperson Richard Weiss: "There
has been some concern on our side that there's a group on their
side that doesn't want a deal, that just wants to bargain to
impasse. I don't think there's any doubt on our side that [MLB
chief negotiator] Randy [Levine] wants a deal, but there seems to
be some reluctance on the part of the others." That ownership
"reluctance" hinges on two issues: service time and the second
tax-free year at the end of the deal. As Haudricourt reports,
"Some owners don't want to give the players either, some are
split on the issues and others want concessions in return."
Levine agreed to give the union the option for a second tax-free
year in 2001 in exchange for the players giving back some playoff
money. Haudricourt writes, "If Levine is told to renegotiate
that issue, it could create friction between him and owners as
well as hard feelings on the union side. ... Whatever the
situation, it's up to the owners to jump start the talks and move
toward a deal" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 8/20). The
WASHINGTON POST also notes the emergence of the second tax-free
year as an ownership "objection." While one management source
said a lot of teams are "concerned" about that issue, another
said the hard-line owners are using 2001 as a "stalking horse"
for their real opposition to service time. One exec argued that
the arrangement would lead to "another war," as both sides
arguing that their system is the "norm" after the deal expires.
Mark Maske reports, "Those close to the deliberations say that
both [MLBPA Exec Dir] Donald Fehr and Levine are getting anxious"
(WASHINGTON POST, 8/20).
IMMODEST PROPOSAL? USA TODAY's Hal Bodley, who reports that
a no-tax 2001 "is more troublesome to most owners than the
service time," proposes a trade-off of a sixth year with a tax
for the 75 days service time (USA TODAY, 8/20). But in L.A.,
Ross Newhan notes that would be offering in trade an item "that
is part of another trade-off." One attorney familiar with the
talks: "The owners may have a lot of gall, but I can't believe
they'd ask Randy Levine to go back to the table and re-open an
already compromised trade-off. It would be bad-faith
negotiating, and I don't think Randy would do it. He'd quit
first." Newhan notes that acting MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and
the owners' labor policy committee were aware of the trade of the
tax-free Year 6 for the playoff money, which led to agreements
"on virtually all other issues, aside from service time."
Changing that would "destroy the potential settlement" (L.A.
TIMES, 8/20). WAYNE'S TAKE: Marlins Owner Wayne Huizenga,
who said he may consider selling his team in '97 if attendance
doesn't improve, disputed reports he is at the forefront of the
hard-liners. Huizenga, who did acknowledge "strong feelings"
about service time, denied talking to anyone about the deal,
including Selig, and even said he has yet to be briefed on the
situation by Marlins President Don Smiley (Gordon Edes, Ft.
Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 8/18).
TIMETABLE: White Sox Player Rep Ron Karkovice said Fehr
told his team that there is a 50-50 chance of a deal within a
week (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/20).
