Ueberroth’s ‘Non-Response’ Angers Senators

Calling Commissioner Peter Ueberroth’s latest answer “one of the great non-responses,” members of the Senate threatened Thursday to repeal major league baseball’s antitrust exemption unless they receive more suitable responses to repeated inquiries on expansion.

After a meeting of the 14-member Task Force on the Expansion of Major League Baseball, manned by senators seeking expansion in their states, the lawmakers angrily declared that they would take action if they did not receive an answer to their request that major league baseball seriously consider expansion beyond its current 26 teams.

“Thus far, all we’ve gotten is a non-response,” said Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.). “If we do not get a response, then it will be time for Congress to re-examine the conditions under which major league baseball is operating.”

The senators sent a letter to Ueberroth on March 9, asking him to provide a timetable for expansion. Ueberroth responded with a letter that declared “a timetable for expansion has not yet been established.”

The task force’s chairman, Tim Wirth (D-Colo.), called Ueberroth’s answer “one of the great non-responses.”

“We operated in good faith and we have not gotten a sufficient response,” Wirth said. “We don’t like to be stiffed that way.”

Wirth hinted that Congress would take action to remedy the situation, such as inspect baseball’s antitrust status, and Lawton Chiles (D-Fla.), said the senators would give major league baseball “an offer they can’t refuse.”