Sunday, April 2, 1972

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

f

Baseball

strike

goes

011

By The Associated Press
NEW YORK - Representatives
of team owners and players met
fruitlessly yesterday for 90 min-
utes in an effort to end the first
general strike by major league
h baseball players in the sport's
102-year history.
The strike began at 12:01 a.m.
yesterday. Players are seeking in-
creased pension benefits under a

three-year contract which was
signed a year ago.
The walkout threatens the
opening of the 1972 mayor league
season, scheduled for Wednesday.
John Gaherin, representing the
owners, told a news canference
that no progress had been made
at a meeting with Marvin Miller,
executive director of the Major
League Baseball Players Associa-

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All power .


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...tot

he players
john papanek--

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ANOTHER STRIKE in the news.
Only this is no ordinary strike. It doesn't involve teach-
ers, auto workers, garbage men, subway conductors, airline
pilots or even students. It's one that even John V. Lindsay
couldn't handle. This one involves major league baseball players
-all of them, from all 24 clubs-and for the first time since
even your grandfather remembers, there may be no more
baseball in 1972.
The issue of course is money. Marvin Miller, executive
director of the Major League Players' Association and chief
thorn in the side of the baseball establishment has made the
cost of settlement perfectly clear: a 17 per cent increase in
the players' retirement fund to counteract rises. in the national
cost of living.
"It is a fact," says Miller, "that there is enough money in
the retirement func so that contributions of $11,000 per club per
year could take care of the 17 per cent increase."
But more than just the $11,000 per year, which is less
than the worst player in the majors makes, the owners'
refusal so far to submit to the players' demands seems to
hinge on an empty principle. Charles O. Finley, owner of
the Oakland A's is the grizzliest of all.
"I think Marvin the Great (Miller) and his followers were
very foolish," Finley was saying yesterday. "The players'
pension is the greatest of any in the United States. Specifically
so when you consider that the players don't contribute one
red cent to the program."
August A. Busch, Jr., beerboy and owner of the St. Louis
Cards added, "We're not going to give them another damn
cent." And Tiger GM Jim Campbell called the players "Damn
greedy."
Well, hearing the owners make such statements doesn't
surprise me at all, because when I think about the Great
American Capitalist Pigs, I put Finley and Fetzer and O'Mal-
ley and Busch right up there with Getty, Rockefeller and
C. Arnholt Smith.
The big pitch that the owners are making is that you and
me, Joe Fan, that is, will be footing the bill for this strike by
paying higher ticket prices. But, damn, that's presumptuous,
because I don't ever have to go to another baseball game and
neither does anyone else.
These owners who are audacious enough to complain of the
players' greed are the very same ones who year after year
play musical cities with their franchises to milk as much money
as they possibly can from the local yokels. I think that when
they talk about greed, they have the whole thing backwards.
Ask an old hard-core Brooklynite about Walter O'Malley, who
turned his back on millions of baseball's most loving fans and
moved his Dodgers to Los Angeles in search of the big dollar.
And then, not to be outdone, Horace Stoneham pulled out of
the Polo Grounds, leaving New York without a National League
club. .
If you haven't been touched by an owner's disdain for
his team's loyal fans, take time to consider the plights of
the players themselves. A common reaction is, "Christ,
these guys are making more money before they're 21 than
I'll make in two or three years." Or, "How can a guy
who's making $50,000 or $100,000 a year go on strike?"
It all comes down to one question: Shouldn't a player be
able to get out of the game what he puts into it? Most of us
feel that way about our jobs or whatever it is we occupy our-
selves with day after day. Well a baseball player gets money,
alright, but his sacrifices are enormous.
First, is the reserve clause. This little ditty makes a player
exclusive property of his team as long as he stays in baseball.
He can be bought, sold, traded or released, but he can't quit
his team and join another. Then there are plenty of other prob-
lems for the ballplayer. He must conform to the proper "image"
dictated by his club. He must dress certain ways, do certain
things, and obviously not do others.
He has to spend weeks on the road away from his family,
and play as hard as he can, day after day, night after night,
with or without injuries. Listen to a Mickey Mantle, Orlando
Cepeda, or Roberto Clemente to find out what playing in pain
is like. Then listen to the boos of a crowd of 50,000 when one
of them takes an infrequent day or night off.
And the one fact that calls attention to the players'
need for a substantial retirement pension is that no one
has ever been a ballplayer all his life. When a guy hits
35, he's through. If he's been lucky enough to make some
sound investments, or if he has a "name" he's okay. But
if he's been an average ballplayer, his $30,000 salary is
behind him, usually with little left. A decent pension is
the least he can ask for from a man he's helped to make
a millionaire.
The players deserve everything they can get out of base-
ball's owners. For every ghetto kid that baseball claims to have
"rescued," at least 100,000 fans have paid to see him play.
And I'd hasten to say that for every ballplayer who has left
the majors a rich man, there's one who's hit the skids.
And there's one thing that the players have in their favor:
Before anybody wins any gaines, every player is going to win
the strike.

tion.
The two met alone at a secret
location in midtown New York to
discuss the dispute. Gaherin said
he and Miller would meet again
today. The time was not speci-
fied.
"There is a grave danger that
the strike could affect the open-
ing of the season," Gaherin said.
Millet, in an interview, said
Gaherin "listened, but he has no
authority of any kind."
The players are demanding a
17 per cent hike in pension bene-
f its.
Under terms of the present
pension plan, a player with only
four years in the major leagues
could draw $174.34 monthly at
age 45 or $618.04 at 65. A 20-year
veteran, at 65, would get $1,095.11
monthly. The 20-year veteran, if
he elects to take his pension at
45, would receive $582.36 each
month.
There were no announced plans
for a meeting of owners, but in
Atlanta, William Bartholomay,
president of the Braves, said he
expects a session to be called
Monday or Tuesday "and I'm cer-
tain the No. 1 item to be discus- '
sed will be whether or not to open
the season with the players avail-
able."
Rugger
By CHUCK DRUKIS
The Michigan rugby football
club outscored its opposition 143-
0 enroute t its second consecutive
triple sweep.
The Blue rolled up a 46-0 shel-
lacking of the Toronto Barbarians,
only to be oitdone by the Gold,
who crunched the Toronto "B's"
to the tune of 48-0. The Maize
completed a successful April
Fool's Day by turning back the
Ann Arbor Rugby Club 29-0.
The outcomes were never in
doubt. Toronto, playing their first
game of the spring season, was in
very poor condition. Michigan
was able to run at will once they
got any kind of opening.
"Despite the outcome of the
game, they (Toronto) were a good
natured bunch of guys," said rug-
by fan Linda Gentry.
John Bolke, making his . first
start for the Blue, scored three
times while Ron Smith tallied
twice. Richard Thompson con-
verted three kicks after the trys.
Others joining the point spree
were Hank Lukaski, Jeff Grill,
Chuck Holt, Chris Penoyer, and
Dick Moon.
The unfortunate aspect of the
Blue's victory is that they did not
receive the stiff opposition that
would have started to prepare
them for the upcoming tourna-
ments. With a victory wrapped up
before the close of the first half,
both teams seemed to let up.
The Gold outdid the Blue in
the scoring department with six
ruggers scoring once; two twice.
Rob Huizenga and Rory O'Con-
ner both rambled for two trys
while Gary Anderson connected
VOTE HRP

Available players would be
mostly minor leaguers, who don't
belong to the Major League Base-
ball Players Association.
"As long as we have players1
in our organization willing to per-
form, then every effort will be
.made to put a team on the field
April 6," said Bartholomay.
Hank Aaron, the Braves' slug-
ger, was optimistic that the strike
wouldn't last long.
II
dtaily
spor ts
NIGHT EDITOR:
BOB McGINN
"The main thing is to contin-
ue the negotiations; as long as
they are still talking, we have a
chance to settle this thing soon,"
said Aaron, who makes about
$200,000 a year. "Somebody has to}
keep a cool head . . . don't let
the hotheads take over."
Roger Frank, a long-haired
San Francisco youth, supported
the players move.
"I'm for anybody striking," said
Frank.

r'

Page Nine
Letrimph,
By, The Associated Press Claude Larose, Yvan Cournoyer,
TORONTO-The: Toronto.-Maple Guy Lapointe. Jacques Lemaite,
Leafs clinched a Stanley Cup play- Frank Mahovlich and Bob Mir-
off berth last night .with a 2-1 vic- doch scored for. Montreal while
tory over the New York Rangers Ken Hodge and Mike Walton tal-
in National Hockey League action. lied for the Bruins.
Outstahding goaltending by :43 Boston. played without injured
year-old Jaceques Plaifte"nd' trit defenserman Bobby Orr and':zn er
by Pierre Jarry and Darryl Sittler Phil Esposito, and looked vry
gave the Leafs fourth place in the ordinary withouts. its two supbr-
NHL East Division..The fifth-place stars.
Detroit Red Wings, "*ith only one
game remaining tonight, cannot
overcome Toronto', four - point Penguins swoon.4
lead. 'PtILADELPHIA - Greg Polis
Ranger right winger Rod Gil- tipped in Eddie Shack's shot frim
bert. with his 43rd goal of the sea' the left point with 47 seconds to
son late in the third period, spoil- play in the final period to earn
ed Plante's shutout bid. 'the: Pittsburgh Penguins a 4-4 N'a-
Jarry flipped in a rebound over tional Hockey League tie with the
Ranger goalie Gilles Villemure for [Philadelphia Flyers yestei'day. .
Toronto's first goal 'late ini the
opening period. Jarry had fed the
puck to center Dave Keon, whsu
tried to flip a back hand ov ,r j*Vii-,
lemure. The puck rebounded to.
Jarry and _ the goalie had no

chance for a save.
* * *

NUL

3

Associated Press

CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS' defenseman Keith Magnuson (3)
fails to clear the puck but goaile Gary Smith doesn't. The Hawks'
defense was superb again last night in a 2-0 shutout of the St.
Louis Blues.

Habs humiliate
s
MONTREAL - The -Montreal
Canadiens .strugk for three goals
in the first period and went on to
down the 13oston Bruins .6-2 in a
National Hockey League gaie yes-
terday. , .

Toronto 2, New York 1
Chicago 2, St. Louis (
Montreal 5,. Boston 2
Philadelphia 4, Pittsburgh 4
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
East All-Stars 96, WestA1I.Stars 91
ABA:
Virginia 125, Floridians 100
New York 122,'Kentucky 108
Denver 106, Indians 105
.. ,NBA .
Milwaukee 122, Golden State 94


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