BASEBALL 1Big leaguers By The Associated Press time instead to pick up personal Baseball players cleaned out their belongings at the Wrigley Field lockers and headed home yesterday, clubhouse. wondering how long the sport's second "This figures," said Tim Blackwell, regular-season strike' in nine years the Cubs' player rep, "just when,the would keep them away from the Cubs got it turned around, something ballpark. like this would happen." "There's no telling how long a strike THE CUBS, with the worst record in will last," said Mark Belanger, the the National League, had won five of Baltimore Orioles' shortstop and player their last six games before the strike. representative. "It could be two days, There was an immediate economic two months, a week." impact for many of the players. Those "IT'S A SAD day," said third on teams playing away from their home baseman Ken Oberkfel of the St. Louis cities when the strike began early Cardinals. "Nobody wants to strike, but yesterday had to foot the bill back. what has to be, has to be." The Orioles, in Seattle and farther Chicago Cubs players, who were .to from home than any other team, got have opened a weekend series with San some help from management when Diego yesterday afternoon, used the General Manager Hank Peters told Phil STRIKE STRIKES OUT: Fans point thumbs dow The Michigan Daily-Saturday, June 13, 1981-Page 15 WALKOUT hit the. road Itzoe, the club's traveling secretary, to make airline reservations and write out tickets for the players. The strikers, however, paid for the transportation. "MY REASONING," said Peters, "was basically that someday we're going to have this unfortunate situation behind us, and we are going to be operating again as a baseball team. "I didn't see the sense in rupturing what is such a fine relationship we have within this club by not at least helping out the players with arrangements we normally make for them. The Cincinnati Reds, who wound up a series in New York Thursday night, were told by management that they could either stay in the Big Apple or fly home-but either way, they would have n on strike to pay for it themselves. BY MIDDAY yesterday, most of the Reds were straggling back into Cincin- nati. "We're out of work, unem- ployed-and life goes on, just like it does in any other profession," said Dave Collins, the Reds' right fielder. "We have bills to pay and respon- sibilities to our families. We're not hap- py about it... but we could see that it was going to go in that direction." The players pay dues of $4 a day during the season to the Major League Players Association. But-unlike the owners, who have $50 million in strike insurance lined up-the players will receive no strike benefits from their union. COLLINS SAID he planned to find another job while on strike. "I do construction work, the last three years with a friend of mine-building homes and stuff like that," he said. "I'll probably do that again after a week or two." Other players said they would try to stay in shape. "I PLAN TO do my running and things like I normally would while this thing's going on," said Cincinnati 'pit- cher Doug Bair. "Hopefully, it won't last too long." Belanger told the Orioles not to get involved in any organized workouts because of possible legal repercussions. "One guy can throw to another guy," he said. "They've been told not to take five or six guys together to a college field, for instance." For some players, however, the strike will provide the unusual oppor- tunity to savour some of the other recreational joys of summer. "I'm going to get in some fishing," said pitcher Mark Littel of the St. Louis Cardinals. By The Associated Press Major league baseball fans across the na yesterday they prefer called strikes by ump labor strike that called a halt to the game ye They just hoped the disagreement betwe players doesn't last long. "A summer with a lot away from the summer," said Jim Boston, home of the American League Red "BUT I DON'T know how it can be settle paid too much. For the fans' sake they sh said Farrenkopf, a manager with a telepho "The owners brought it upon themselv average pay is $180,000 a year, I really c about it," said another, Jim Jacobs, 41 "They'll change their minds when t paychecks." "I don't care much for the strike," said J Seattle Mariners' fan who attended Thur at Seattle. "It just ruins baseball. I thi wrong." LENIHAN SAID HE would drive to Ta watch the Pacific Coast League Tigers p watch the Mariners. ation left no doubt "If these seats were a buck and a half, then I'd be for the ires rather than a club owners," said the Rev. Stephen Hammond of Enum- esterday. claw, Wash., who also, attended Thursday night's Mariners' en the owners and game. "If the players earned $15,000, I'd be for the players. out baseball takes But these seats are $6.50 and they make upwards of $30,000, Farrenkopf, 30, of so I'm not for anyone." Sox. In Buffalo, N.Y., Ed Mikolajczyk, a baseball fan, said: d. The players are "The 'players have limousines, diamonds and everything, ould hurry it up," aqd two years later they go broke. If they want to strike, the ne company. owners should tell them to lump it." 'es. Hut when the an't get too, upset ARMAND DAMIANI of New York said: "They ought to , also of Boston. have a committee and let the fans sit in on the negotiations hey miss a few because they pay the freight." One optimistic Philadelphia Phillies' fan, Stanley Frank of John Lenihan, 43, a Cherry Hill, N.J., bought two tickets Friday at Veterans sday night's game Stadium for a June 26 game, hoping the strike would be over Ak the owners are by then. "I think the strike will be over by then. It doesn't make coma, Wash., and sense for the owners to lose that amount of money and it will play if he couldn't start hurting the players, too," said Frank. U AP Photo ballparks across the nation signalled the beginning of th 'jor league baseball strike. THE TELEVISION CREW that normally broadcasts the Chicago Cubs games were the only spectators in Chicago's Wrigley Field yesterday as empty