Reading Eagle - March 26, 1980

Baseball Talks Resume

 

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Negotiations on a basic agreement between major league baseball owners and players were to reopen here today, with owners guardedly optimistic and players’ representatives flatly pessimistic about avoiding a strike at the start of the season.

 

Major league executives met Tuesday with their chief negotiator, Ray Grebey, who said no modifications were made in the owners’ latest offer.

 

“No votes were taken or policy-decisions made today,” Grebey said following a 90-minute meeting with the owners’ negotiating committee. The committee is compose of Grebey, the presidents of the American and National Leagues, and six team executives: Daniel Galbreath of Pittsburgh, Bob Howsam of Cincinnati, John McHale of Montreal, Joseph Burke of Kansas City, Ed Fitsgerald of Milwaukee and Clark Griffith II of Minnesota.

 

The executive director of the Players’ Association, Marvin Miller, was dismayed by the news that the owners made no policy moves Tuesday.

 

“Since the Players Association finds that the owners’ demands are unacceptable and the owners apparently are unwilling to change their position,” Miller said he could see no reason for any of the optimism expressed by the owners.

 

“As long as we have bargaining sessions left, there’s hope of avoiding a strike,” Grebey said.

 

Negotiating talks were planned daily through Friday, and Miller is also scheduled to meet whit players from sever more teams this week to discuss the negotiations and the possibility of a strike.

 

Players from 19 teams have already authorized a strike on or after April 1 if a new four-year basic agreement is not hammered out by then.

 

“We see no reason for the strike talk,” Grebey said. “Major league baseball’s objective is the same as it has been – to attempt a negotiated settlement.”

 

The success of the talks apparently hinges on several key issues left unresolved at the last session on March 18, including particularly an owners’ proposal to have a player, rather than an amateur draft choice, as compensation in certain cases when a team loses a player to free agency.

 

Players argue that such a rule would kill the free agent system, since few teams would be willing to part with a player on their roster in order to sign a free agent.

 

Other important issues yet to be settled include an owners’ proposal to restrict to one-year contracts any player with four years service or less, and another that would force an arbitrator to give extra weight to a players’ time in service, rather than performance, when ruling on a salary dispute.

 

Miller planned to meet in Phoenix with members of the San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Indians before this afternoon’s negotiations.

Stapleton at .552; Rose leads Phils

 

By The Associated Press

 

It was just another day’s work when veteran Tony Perez drilled three straight hits for Boston including a two-run homer Tuesday – but the performance of rookie Dave Stapleton was a “whopping surprise,” said Red Sox Manager Don Zimmer.

 

Stapleton raised his exhibition batting average to .552 with three hits as the Red Sox downed the Chicago White Sox 7-5 for their fifth consecutive victory. Perez, signed as a free agent last fall and getting ready to play for the first time in the American League, raised his spring average to .478.

 

“You know Perez is going to hit. That’s why we got him,” said Zimmer. “Stapleton, though, is a whopping surprise. We knew he had a good bat but didn’t realize it was this good. He makes contact consistently, just going with the pitch.”

 

The 26-year-old rookie from Alaska hit .396 for Pawtucket of the International League last year.

 

Pete Rose, whose hitting is never a surprise, raised his spring average to .384 after he collected three hits, scored twice and drove in three runs, as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-3. The American League champs are 7-7.

 

Cincinnati pitcher Frank Pastore said his palms were sweating when he took the mound to shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0. He was remembering last May 25 at Dodger Stadium, when he was shelled for five home runs and 10 runs in 2 1/3 innings. This time, he allowed only two hits in six innings.

 

A bases-loaded home run by Rick Cerone led the New York Yankees to an 8-7 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Cerone connected off Rich Gale in the fourth inning. Gale, who had not yielded a run in three previous pitching starts, was battered for five runs, four of them earned, on five hits.

 

Jack Clark hit a three-run homer and Darrell Evans and Jim Wohlford smacked two-run shots to lead the San Francisco Giants to an 8-7 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Larry Hisle, coming back from a shoulder injury that sidelined him nearly all last season, hit his first home run of the spring for the Brewers.

 

Barry Bonnell drove in two runs with a solo homer and a sacrifice fly and Domingo Ramos rapped three hits to pace the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Chicago’s Mike Vail collected four hits, including a three-run homer, to lead the Cubs to a 10-5 win over the San Diego Padres.

 

Jose Moreno’s pinch-hit RBI single with two out in the ninth inning enabled the New York Mets to score a comeback 4-3 victory over the Montreal Expos. Rookie Joe Charboneau and Toby Harrah each hit home runs as the Cleveland Indians downed the California Angels 8-3.

 

Newcomer Mickey Rivers had three hits and Buddy Bell added two to lead the Texas Rangers to a 7-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Mike Cubbage got the first of three Minnesota homers as the Twins defeated the Houston Astros 8-3.

 

Detroit’s Jason Thompson and Lou Whitaker each had three hits as the Tigers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 Tuesday night in the second and final exhibition game played in Puerto Rico for the benefit of the Roberto Clemente City of Sports.