Baseball Could Again Be Stopped In 1996
Owners are again running away from the bargaining table. If they don’t come back soon, there’s a good chance of another work stoppage in 1996.
About the only major decision made during a two-day executive council meeting in Milwaukee last week was to boot Chuck O’Connor as the teams’ chief labor lawyer.
According to council members, speaking on the condition they not be identified, no decision was made on who will succeed O’Connor. Hard-line owners want Robert Ballow to be the upfront negotiator.
Others prefer that Ballow, closely aligned with Chicago White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, remain in the background even if he is the primary lawyer the owners will be using.
As Ballow became more of a factor last month in management’s deliberations, union head Donald Fehr called him “the Tribune union-buster,” a reference to his hardline stances during labor talks at the Chicago Tribune and the New York Daily News.
Several people on the players’ side would regard a formal appointment of Ballow as a new declaration of war on the union, one that would cause players to immediately start preparing for another work stoppage next year.
If owners go back to a salary-cap proposal and appear to be preparing another attempt to declare impasse and impose a cap, the 1996 season clearly would be threatened.
This time, U.S. District Judge Sonia Sotomayor would have to approve any declaration of impasse. If the owners are allowed to impose a cap, three scenarios are likely to develop:
The union could play the entire season and then not play the postseason.
Owners could lock out the players at the start of spring training.
The union could start another signing freeze and strike at the start of spring training.
Any of those scenarios would lead to baseball’s third straight disrupted season and foil attempts for the sport to rebuild its revenue and fan base. Owners are expected to unveil a new ad campaign this week.
To avoid another work stoppage, many large-market clubs are in favor of making a deal in the next few months. That would ensure long-term peace and cause Fox to consider bidding for baseball when the reopener for The Baseball Network comes up this August.
xxxx Important baseball dates April 25 - Opening day; active rosters must be reduced to 28 players. April 28 - Exchange of salary arbitration figures. May 15 - Active rosters must be reduced to 25 players. July 11 - All-Star game, Arlington, Texas. July 30 - Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, Cooperstown, N.Y. Aug. 31 - Deadline for postseason rosters. Sept. 1 - Active rosters increased to 40 players. Oct. 3 - Divisional playoffs begin. Oct. 10 - League championships begin. Oct. 21 - World Series begins, city of National League champion.