Fehr Still Looking To Restart Negotiations

Another baseball strike is unlikely this season, union head Donald Fehr said Sunday as he began his tour of major league training camps.

“Anything is possible, but I wouldn’t bet on (a strike),” Fehr said. “We’re focusing on the negotiations. I want to try to get an agreement.”

Fehr, who lead the players union through a 232-day strike that ended without a new agreement, met with the Kansas City Royals for about 80 minutes Sunday and then left for as joint meeting with the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers.

It’s a relief in a way to have this phase of it over with, but it’s only a phase,” Fehr said. “We’ve now got to try to find a way to restart negotiations and get an agreement without coming to this impasse again. That’s the job npw.”

Fehr said he hoped to get back to the bargining table by the end of the three-week spring training.

“We’ve been ready ever since the 30th,” he said. “We’re ready any time, any day.”

He said he had been in contact with acting commis sioner Bud Selig on resuming talks. The owners’ ruling executive council is scheduled to meet Tuesday night and Wednesday in Milwaukee.

“Bud indicated to me Friday he thought it would be a while. He’s putting stuff together,” Fehr said. “But I’m hopeful we’ll get something put back together before the end of spring training or immediately thereafter.