NL President Threatens to Resign : Baseball: Without a statement of support from Vincent on the umpire dispute, Bill White says he cannot head the league.

National League president Bill White threatened to resign if Commissioner Fay Vincent doesn’t give him full support in his dispute with the league’s umpires, according to a published report.

“I want the commissioner to get the facts, and then I want a statement from the commissioner. This is a time to take a stand, to find out who’s right and wrong, who’s telling the truth and who’s lying,” White said in Sunday’s Philadelphia Inquirer.

If he doesn’t receive the full support of baseball’s highest officer, White said, “It’s goodby. I’m going home.”

He also challenged Richie Phillips, the head of the umpire’s union, over their contradicting accounts of a meeting last week with umpire Joe West.

“If Richie is right and I’m lying, I should resign as president of the National League,” White said. “If I’m right and he’s lying, Richie should resign.

“If I have lied I shouldn’t be allowed to hold this office. If he has lied, (then) in my role as president of the National League, I can’t deal with him. Our jobs should be on the line.”

Vincent, who met with White on Friday, did not want to say much about the matter. “I’m trying to be helpful,” he said Sunday. “It’s complicated and unfortunate.”

White, in his second year as league president, met last week with West and Phillips. Afterward, West and White gave contradicting accounts of what was said.

The meeting focused on an Aug. 22 incident in which West ejected Phillie outfielder Von Hayes for criticizing another umpire during a game against the Dodgers.

The Phillies also claimed that West has been too rough with players. During a bench-clearing brawl against the Mets in New York, West threw Phillie pitcher Dennis Cook to the ground.

West said White told him he handled the Hayes situation correctly.

After learning about West’s comments, White disputed them.