Baseball Players’ Executive Says Owners Provoking Confrontation

Don Fehr, executive director of the Major League Players Assn., charged club owners Wednesday with trying to provoke a confrontation.

Fehr complained about management’s hard line on salaries and employment opportunities but sidestepped questions about a possible players’ strike.

“There’s a collective bargaining agreement in effect,” he said.

When pressed as to how the union would react if it believed management had abrogated the agreement, Fehr said, “You’re asking a very pregnant legal question which I’m not going to answer. There are a lot of angry people.”

Fehr made his comments after he and assistant Mark Belanger, as part of their sweep of spring training camps, met for two hours with the St. Louis Cardinals. He said “lots” of players spoke up during the closed-door meeting but declined to elaborate.

He also criticized the owners for taking an unreasonable stance in contract negotiations with individual players.

“How can Cleveland start off its negotiations by offering Joe Carter a cut,” he asked rhetorically. Carter led the majors with 121 RBIs last year.

“It seems to me the owners are insistent there be a confrontation sooner or later,” Fehr said.

The union has charged management with colluding to restrain the employment market. The case is currently being heard before arbitrator Tom Roberts. The current timetable calls for testimony to end sometime in April, with a decision expected in June.

“I think we can win it, I think we will win it,” Fehr said. “I think he’ll award damages to the affected parties.”