Fehr Gives Club Owners The Take Sign Union Boss Says No Reason To Be Swinging Away At Realignment
Baseball owners are working on a plan that would radically realign the major leagues, but the players are not ready to obliterate the century-long existence of the National and American leagues.
Donald Fehr, head of the Players Association, expressed concern that the owners were moving too quickly with no compelling reason, that they seemed too eager to discard successful innovations and were making a mistake by developing such a plan without meaningful consultation with the players.
“We have questions about the wisdom of doing this, including the speed with which it is being done,” Fehr said.
The owners’ realignment committee has been considering a variety of new formats, but the one that seems to be on the fast track would create two new leagues for 1998, one with 14 teams, the other with 16. Teams in the existing leagues would divide virtually in half in forming the two new leagues, with geographical rivals such as the Yankees and the Mets playing in the same divisions.
The committee last week voted 12-2 in support of radical realignment but is not ready to present the plan to the full ownership. Bud Selig, the acting commissioner, said Wednesday that much work remains to be done. Selig said the matter is on the agenda for an executive council meeting today in Minneapolis, but only for discussion. He also said there has been significant discussions with the players union about the plan.
Speaking directly to the proposed radical format, Fehr said: “I note that we haven’t even had a full one-season trial of interleague play yet. I note that we just switched two years ago to three-division play plus wild-card teams. It has been very successful. Given that, I’m not sure why we would want to abandon it.”
xxxx PROPOSED REALIGNMENT American League East Boston, New York Yankees, Baltimore, Toronto, Philadelphia, New York Mets, Montreal. American League Central Florida, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh. National League Central Chicago White Sox, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Texas, Chicago Cubs, Houston, St. Louis. National League West San Diego, Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, Colorado, Arizona.