Allentown Morning Call - May 22, 1980

24 hours from threatened strike, prospects of settlement dim

By Hal Bock, Associated Press Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) – Deadlocked talks between owners and players in the continuing baseball contract dispute made no progress yesterday, leaving the two sides about 24 hours away from a threatened strike which would interrupt the 1980 major league season. 

The players association offered a new proposal in an effort to settle the dispute, according to Marvin Miller, executive director of the union. "They noted the proposal with no comment," said Miller. "We did not make progress today.”

Miller described the negotiations as taking place in "a tense atmosphere." 

The two sides met for less than an hour before adjourning to separate caucuses which lasted about 90 minutes. They returned for another 1½ hours before finishing for the day. 

"I'm guardedly optimistic," said Ray Grebey. chief negotiator for the 26 clubowners. "this is a tough emotional problem.”

Grebey described the union proposal as containing nothing new.

"The players association proposed what it considers the basis for a settlement," Grebey said. "It contained nothing we had not already talked about and there was a serious omission. It didn't deal with compensation." 

Management had insisted throughout these talks that the union agree to a system of compensation for teams losing free agents in the reentry draft. The players association has balked at that suggestion. 

"Our proposal revised a number of items downward substantially," said Miller. "To say as Mr. Grebey did that it contained 'nothing new,’ well technically that's true. But he led you to believe that it didn't change anything and that's misleading. We made important revisions and deletions and reduced many of our demands. I love the way he Grebey obscures the truth." 

Asked if the talks had been productive, Miller frowned. 

"There was nothing in the way of movement," he said. 

Miller said he would meet with Grebey again today. The players' strike deadline is midnight today. 

"I'm never going to give up," he said. "Telegrams have been sent to the player representatives setting forth the unanimous decision of the executive board on Apr. 1 that if there is no agreement prior to May 23 a strike begins May 23. Nothing changes that except an agreement." 

Miller said that management has proposed removing the strike deadline in order to permit contract negotiations to continue. 

“A strike creates pressure,” he said. “Removing the deadline creates no pressure.”

Major Unresolved Issues

Major unresolved issues in the baseball contract between the Major League Players Association and the club owners' player relations committee include:

•  Compensation for loss of free agent – Owners are asking that a team losing a "premium" free agent in the reentry draft be compensated by a roster player from the signing team, in addition to the present compensation, a choice in the amateur free agent draft, under the clubowners' proposal, the team losing a roster player would be able to protect a certain number of players, 15 or 18 depending on the circumstances, from selection by the team losing the free agent.

At issue is the definition of "premium player."

•  Pension plan – The players want the clubowners to increase their contribution (from television revenue) to $16.5 million from the present $8.3 million. The clubowners have offered to increase their contribution to $14.4 million.

•  Minimum salary – The players want the amount raised to $30,000 front the present $21,000. The clubowners have offered to increase the amount to $27,500.

50 guys from Northampton show no sympathy for players

By Gordon Smith, Call Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA – Fifty guys from Northampton rush home from the factories. A quick shower, a quick stop for a six-pack or two. And it's off to the ballgame on a bus with friends they've had since schooldays. An outing. Time to raise a little hell.

It's called the "Group Sale." It's the difference in making or breaking major league baseball. Alone, perhaps 48 of the 50 wouldn't have attended the game. The group makes it easy. The en masse purchase is so integral to the survival of the game, that every stadium in the nation provides special areas for buses, as well as elaborate dining opportunities for buyers of large ticket blocks. 

Twenty percent of gross receipts come from group sales… Much money spent on extras like souvenirs comes from the groups… And if groups go top-shelf, like the one from Northampton at Veterans Stadium last night, it costs $32 a man.

This hard-working, hard-playing type of man has trouble relating to somebody being paid thousands of dollars to do in a stadium what the guy does on a sandlot back home. But he goes anyway, hoping, at least, to see a good game. 

Now, however, it's become not only difficult to understand why the well-paid athlete complains, but it's become disgusting to the average man on the street if there is such an animal). 

There can be no debating… The baseball fan, if there were an election today, would vote owners into office; not players. 

Nobody ever said the average time-clock employee is stupid. He's aware the threatened baseball strike will cost a franchise, like the Phillies, approximately $378,000 for each game not played. And he knows many players will get paid even while on strike. It's in some contracts. This makes the average fan very bitter, especially when he realizes the game he watched last night might have been the "Last Pitchers' Show" this trip around the calendar. 

Pete Kochenash is 56. He works at Martin-Marietta Cement in Northampton. He loves baseball. But he's furious. 

“We've had enough of this baloney,” he says, his face red, his expression pained. “When this strike that is supposed to begin Friday is over, then the fans must go on strike when the baseball one is over." 

Greg Sommers also works at the cement company. "I'm a union man," he-says. "But I have no sympathy for the players. They're getting their money. What are they worried about? The players are getting too much. Why should they begrudge the owners compensation for a free agent? The players depend on us suckers to pay for everything. What do they care?" 

Joe Greene (“Like Mean Joe, with an e…”) works at Bethlehem Steel. 

Last night's bash with the gang is one of his treats each year. But he might think twice about coming next year. 

"There's one thing baseball he says. "I don't care what the owners or players say. You have to remember one thing. You can play this game in the backyard for free. Without the fans, forget the game. Give the country back to the man on the street, then it will be run properly." 

Harry W. Hewko has worked his hump off at Western Electric for more years than he cares to remember. He cannot relate to players holding up a season because the owners want a more secure compensation clause in their contract with the Players Association. 

"The public should definitely strike next," Harry says. "I'm here because these guys are my friends for many years. It's something we do every year. But I won't come back on my own. Hey, it already costs a man $100 to bring his family to a game. No matter who comes out on top in the negotiations, the fan will pay more next year. I used to watch Ted Williams at Shibe Park for 50 cents. He never went on strike. Heck, he went back to war for the country and gave up some of his best years." 

Dennis Kochenash is 35. He's a Whitehall Township employee. "You know, 'Scandal he laughs. Then he gets serious. "What's TV without baseball. Nothing. I can see no reason for a strike." 

To a man, the Northampton crew felt slapped in the face by the impending strike. In other parts of the Vet, fans echoed the comments. 

The Phillies averaged 36,000 fans last year. It's 28,000 so far this year. Group sales are way down. "People don't want to take a chance renting a bus, then finding out there's no game," is the reason Phillies' publicist Larry Shenk gives. 

The strike threat alone is hurting the gate. The big question is, will it hurt the gate even more after there's a strike? 

Like the guy from Northampton said "They depend on us suckers." 

And there's a sucker born every day.