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SPORTS
11 Friday, August 2,1985 The Michigan Daily
Ueberroth may fine players, owners
NEW YORK (UPI) - Baseball the major league baseball owners and million annual contribution over a
commissioner Peter Ueberroth broke players. five-year period - about $23 million to
1 with the traditional owner-allegiances "BY 8 O'CLOCK I'm going to sub- $31 million. The players have asked
of his office yesterday and made a mit a series of solutions and proposals for $60 million, one-third of the owners
series of proposals to unlock the to both sides," he said. "I am, in ef- national television revenues.
stalled baseball talks, including a $1 fect, going to put bread on the table In exchange, the players would give
million-a-day penalty on both sides. and hope they break bread." the owners the salary arbitration ex-
"In life we can choose to side with Ueberroth outlined two of the poten- tension they want from two years to
whoever we want to and I choose to tial solutions: three and limit the awards made by
side with the fans who pay the bills," First, he suggested that $45 million arbitrators to double a player's
said Ueberroth. - representing the difference bet- current salary. A superstar clause
AT AN afternoon news conference ween the players' pension fund would be included to lift restrictions
at a Manhattan hotel, the baseball demand and the owners' previous on top athletes' salaries.
commissioner, who had not been ac- pension contributions - be put in HOWEVER, NO active baseball
tive in the nine-month-long escrow. players would be affected by the
negotiation process, said he decided THE OWNERS' and players change in salary arbitration,
to intervene because only four days negotiators would be given 45 days to Ueberroth said.
remained before the players' strike reach an agreement on a contribution The baseball commissioner said the
deadline with no solution in sight. amount or, as each day passed, a solutions he would propose had been
The real impact of Ueberroth's million dollars would be removed suggested by fans, non-paid con-
proposals remain to be seen. He from the escrow account and be given sultants and included some of his own
issued no threats to either the players "to amateur baseball to help personal ideas.
or owners and shied away from youngsters who love to play the In a move that appeared to put even
saying he would invoke his power, un- game" or another charity. more distance between the com-
der the basic agreement between The second proposal, one Ueberoth missioner and the owners, Ueberroth
players and owners, "to act in the best called the "plain and simple said he would not seek a second term
interests of baseball." solution," would require the owners to as baseball commissioner unless the
Ueberroth said'he would present his offer the players a 50 to 100 percent owners agree to let players and um-
plans this morning to negotiators for increase over their present $15.5 pires participate in the election
process. Lee MacPhail, chief negotiator for
"As far as I am concerned, five the owners, would not comment on
years from now I will not be seeking a Ueberroth's proposals until he had an
second term unless other sectors are opportunity to study them but said the
allowed to participate in the elec- commissioner's remarks placed no
tion," he said. pressure on him.
THE SPORTING VIEWS
By THOMAS HRACH
Perhaps you've seen me. I'm the one who walks the J
campus touting a jacket with the smiling mascot of thel
Cleveland Indians.
It's been 31 years since Willie Mays made his famous
back-to-home-plate catch of Vic Wertz's line drive int
the final game of the 1954 World Series. Ever since the
New York Giants swept the series from Cleveland, the
Indians have been haunted by last place finishes and
broken hearts.
So why does Chief Wahoo continue to smile?
The answer deals with community pride rather than 1
the Major League baseball standings.1
Now only four days beforet
the date that the Major League 1
baseball players have set forc
their strike, the issue of who
really owns a major leagueI
franchise painfully surfaces.s
It's almost cliche to say thatI
the real losers in a strike are
the fans, but it's more than the g
impending strike that should t
bother the fans. Instead what r
ought to bother any com-P
munity with Major League
baseball is the way that both owners and players viewu
their roles in the community.a
Detroit Tiger owner Tom Monaghan began his pizza
business more than twenty years ago. Domino's pizzac
is his company, and he can run it any way he likes.f
Because of Monaghan's success in the world of fast
food, he was able to purchase the Tigers. But when heC
bought the team, it became his responsibility to insured
the Detroit area with major league ball. Monaghan
certainly did not originate the Tigers, and unlike hisc
pizza company he can't run the team any way he likes. t
In Cleveland the situation is much different, because°
no matter whose auditor is looking at the books - thef
For Cleveland's sake
. .. keep Wahoo
smiling
one hired by the player's assocation or the accountant
juggling the figures for the owners - the Indians are
bathing in red ink.
Community leaders in Cleveland for the past year
and a half have made concerted efforts to find an
owner who can guarantee that the Indians will stay on
the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. Hence Clevelanders
are looking for someone willing to lose money on a
product, but still, value the responsibility for main-
taining the team for the entire community.
For the players the community becomes the real
boss. The 1981 baseball strike must have showed the
players that despite their decision to walk out, the fans
still respect the men who play the game. In return for
that respect, the players must realize that along with
high salaries comes responsibility to the community
outside the baseball diamond.
Ironically most of the civicly-minded things the
players do - like donating to charities or making per-
sonal appearences for charitable causes - never ap-
pear in the daily sports sections.
Though a strike looms like a black cloud over the
game, Chief Wahoo is still smiling. Even if the strike
becomes a reality, the twenty-foot neon drawing of the
mascot which graces the west side of Cleveland
Municipal Stadium won't be taken down.
But when strike seasons become more common than
uninterrupted seasons, and when owners and players
are lead from city to city by their checkbooks, then it
will be time for the chief to retire.
So the jacket represents where I grew up and where I
consider my home town. Chief Wahoo is not a symbol
for Bert Blyleven, Andre Thornton, or Julio Franco
(Tiger fans note - these men are presently on the
Cleveland roster) but instead it represents the hun-
dreds of thousands people in the Cleveland area.
Owners and players should act only as temporary
caretakers of a city's baseball team. The team belongs
to the community, but when the fans lose its control
over the club it won't just be Chief Wahoo who will be
rowning.
Com ' through Associated Press
Boston Red Sex Marty Barrett leaps over Chicago White Sox Ozzie
Guillen in the eighth inning of the first game of a doubleheader yesterday.
The Chisox beat the Bosox, 7-2.
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