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Saturday, August 1, 1981
The Michigan Daily
REGULAR SEASON RESUMES AUG. 10
Baseball strike ends
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From AP and UPI
NEW YORK - The longest and most
bitter strike in major league baseball
history ended yesterday and players
were expected to take to the diamond
again later this month across the
nation.
The tentative agreement "was an-
nounced by a federal mediator after a
marathon, 11-hour negotiating session
that extended into the early morning of
the 50th day of the strike.
BASICALLY, THIS is how it breaks
down:
A team may protect 26 players from
its major anld minor league rosters.
But if the team signs a "Type A" free
agent, namely one, ranked in the top 20
percent at his position based on his
previous two years' performance
statistics, it may protect only 24
players.
IF A TEAM loses a Type A player, it
gets to select a compensating player
from all unprotected players in, the
"pool."
If a team loses a Type B player, one
ranked in the 20-30 percent level at his
position, it receives an amateur draft
choice from the signing club, plus an
added "special" choice between the fir-
st and second rounds of the June draft.
Players who have 12 years of credited
service or who have previously gone
through the free-agent procedure are
excluded from ranking.
IN WHAT became a second major
issue in the strike, the owners agreed to
credit the players with service time for
the days they were out, thus permitting
some stars to achieve free-agent status
at the end of this season, rather than
losing a year of credit.
The players agreed in turn to drop a'
charge of failing to bargain in good
faith filed against the owners with the
National Labor Relations Board.
And, finally, the basic agreement
between the owners and the union,
which was to have expired Dec. 31, 1983,
will be extended one year, the players'
minimum salary will go up from $35,000
to $40,000 in the last year of this con-
tract and the pension agreement will be
extended a year to March 31, 1985.
RAY GREBEY, chief negotiator for
the owners, felt the settlement was
equitable but initial player reaction
was cool and reserved. Ratification of
the pact - which was expected from
both sides - would allow the All-Star
Game to be played Aug. 9 in Cleveland.
Rosters for the National and
American League teams will be in-
creased from the usual 28 to 30 players
for the game, with pitchers limited to
the agreement that could end the most
bitter dispute in the history of major
league baseball.
THE PLAYERS, though less en-
thused than the owners, also appear
likely to ratify the pact. .
"I doubt there will be any problems
among the players about accepting it,"
said Phil Niekro, player representative
credited service time for an extension
of the basic agreement for one year un-
til 1984.
It was not clear if players would
receive back pay for the strike.
RAY GREBEY, chief negotiator for
the owners, said his side had the option
of instituting a split-season system in
which the winner of the first-half pen-
nant will play the winner of the second
half in a post-season playoff. Grebey
said the owners must announce a
decision on whether or not to im-
plement that option by the All-Star
game but gave no indication on whether
or not they would do so.
Miller praised the players for taking
the stand that they did.
"I want to pay tribute to all the
major-league players whose ability to
withstand this kind of pressure has
been just remarkable," he said. "They
are clearly responsible for ourability to
make this settlement."
MILLER ALSO praised the Players
Association negotiating committee,
Moffett and Secretary of Labor
Raymond Donovan. Miller said
Donovan's work last week in
Washington, D.C., was "clearly" im-
portant in narrowing the differences.
Just as they did for most of the strike,
however, the owners and players
emerged from the 11-hour meeting with
differing viewpoints.
"We knew coming into the strike it
was take-away time as far as compen-
sation was concerned and we knew the
owners would control when the strike
would end," said Bob Boone of the
Philadelphia Phillies. "We are worse
off now than when we started, but at
least the ordeal is over."
GREBEY SOUNDED more positive.
"It's a good collective bargaining
agreement and a victory for no one," he
said. "It's a well-written agreement."
Moffett appeared elated at the set-
tlement. "I've never been so relieved,"
he said. "But I'm right back in the tren-
ches with a noon press conference on
the air traffic controllers."
The talks took place in secrecy.
Negotiators said they would meet at
2:00 p.m. EDT at the same hotel at
which most of the talks took place. In-
stead, talks began at 1:00 p.m. at a dif-
ferent location.
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AP Photo
A SIGN COMPANY employee changes the schedule for the Chicago Cubs
next home game at Wrigley Field following the announcement that the 50-
day-old baseball strike had been settled.0
two innings instead of the traditional
three, baseball Commissioner Bowie
Kuhn said.
Kuhn said the teams would be selec-
ted in the normal manner, with fans
picking the eight starters and league
presidents and the rival managers -
Philadelphia's Dallas Green for the NL
and Kansas, City's Jim Frey for the AL
- choosing pitchers and reserves.
THE REGULAR season will resume
the day after the All-Star game.
Federal Mediator Kenneth Moffett
looked at the tentative agreement and
pronounced it "a good deal. It's just
terrific." Now the players and the
owners will be the judges.
The owners seem likely to embrace
of the Atlanta-Braves. "Theyrealize it
is as good as both parties are going to
get."
Moffett officially announced the end
of the strike at 5:45 a.m. EDT. He said
the agreement was reached at 2:00 a.m.
EDT and added the intervening time
was spent in finalizing language.
"IT'S GOING to be unusual coming
back," said Baltimore Oriole outfielder
Ken Singleton, who was in Toronto for a
scheduled home run derby contest,
"but I think we've proved something.
we've shown that we were ready to
sacrifice. It may take fans a while to
realize just what we were fighting for.
But we held out an awfully long time."
The owners traded the issue of
Tigers and
Reds to tram
in Michigan
By RON POLLACK
Daily sports writer
With the 50-day-old baseball strike settled, all 28 major
league teams are making plans for workouts to begin. Two of
these ballclubs, Detroit and Cincinnati, will train in
Michigan.
The Tigers first practice since the strike began will take
place today at 2:00 p.m. at Tiger Stadium. They will workout
the same time on Sunday, and beginning Monday, these
sessions will start at 11:00 in the morning. The practices will
be open to the public, free of charge.
ACCORDING TO A Tiger Spokesperson, all of the Tiger
players who were out of the state, when the strike ended, will
have their transportation paid for by the ballclub.
Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Reds' players will arrive in
Michigan this morning, and set up their training operation in
Ann Arbor, according to team publicity director Jim
Ferguson.
Ferguson-added that the Reds will practice in Michigan's'
Fisher Stadium because Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium is
not available. "Our stadium is being used for other things
during the next three days," said Ferguson. There's a jazz
festival."
ANN ARBOR WAS chosen as a site by the Reds because of
the various fields available. "We liked Ann Arbor because of
the -good indoor facilities (the new Michigan Fieldhouse),"
said Ferguson. "So rain isn't a problem. Ann Arbor also
gives us access to astro-turf and natural grass."
Reds' officials have not as yet decided whether or not their
practices will be open to the public.
Both Cincinnati and Detroit were within striking distance
of first-place in their respective divisions when the strike
began. The Tigers were in fourth place, 31 games behind the
New York Yankees in the American League West division,
while the Reds were in second place, a scant '/2 game behind
the National League Western division leading Los Angeles
Dodgers.
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