Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 25, 1994 TAG: 9408250112
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
Sitting around a large, U-shaped table, players and owners stated the positions that led to baseball's eighth work stoppage since 1972. After two sessions that totaled more than four hours with federal mediators, the sides agreed to resume meeting this morning.
``Maybe one of these days, we'll be able to report some progress. That day is not today,'' union head Donald Fehr said after the session concluded in the evening.
Fehr earlier in the day said the session was ``like a first bargaining meeting, something that we should have had 12 months ago.''
``I don't think that anybody is optimistic about progress ... but the dynamic changes a little bit when you talk to the people who matter.''
``Now at least the lines of communication are open,'' said Kansas City Royals pitcher David Cone, one of 21 players at the Manhattan hotel where the talks took place.
He said before the session was recessed that the players ``are of a mind to stay here all night, all week, just to get it done.''
Four federal mediators conducted the closed session, which came on the 13th day of the strike. The walkout by players has canceled 169 games so far.
``The baseball players and owners were given an opportunity to openly express their deeply held concerns,'' said John Calhoun Wells, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
He praised both delegations, saying they ``engaged in serious discussion of the issues.''
Richard Ravitch, management's chief negotiator, said during a break in the afternoon, that it was ``too early to tell whether anything happened that will be consequential in the process.''
Players went on strike Aug. 12, objecting to the owners' plan to implement a salary cap.
``If they stick with a salary cap, players are going to play a lot of golf,'' Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Brett Butler said during a break.
Inside the meeting room, 19 members of the players' side sat across from 18 management representatives at the table with the federal mediators at one end.
The management delegation argued its position in the two-hour morning session, and many of the players spoke in the afternoon.
``We made it pretty clear, our feelings about the cap,'' Paul Molitor of the Blue Jays said. ``As long as it's there, we feel it will be a stumbling block to baseball being played the rest of this year, and who knows how long after that.''
by CNB