Clinton Misses a Hard, Fast One : After he fails to end frustrating baseball strike, Congress must step up

Looks like the Mighty Clinton has struck out. There was no joy in Mudville--or anywhere else--when President Clinton failed Tuesday to achieve an end to the baseball strike in time for the scheduled start of spring training next week. Give Clinton credit for trying, and for risking White House prestige in the war between club owners and players. On Wednesday he asked Congress to order binding arbitration, a step opposed by most Republicans.

House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) met Wednesday with federal mediator William J. Usery, who, in the mind of the players union, has put a little too much on the table for the owners. The GOP leaders urge more talk. But that’s all the two sides have been doing on and off for six months; more than that is needed now to save the season.

Gingrich, like Clinton, is mindful of the potential political advantage for whoever helps settle the strike. The Speaker believes that Congress should not intervene. Congress, however, could take other action. Some Republicans and Democrats are willing to repeal baseball’s antitrust exemption.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, expects to hold hearings on the repeal or weakening of the antitrust exemption next week. That should get the attention of owners, because that enduring exemption from federal labor laws has given them an advantage that owners in no other professional sport ever have had. The repeal of the antitrust exemption is long overdue. It has been an obstacle to fair play since 1922, when the Supreme Court found that baseball was not a business.

Congress should get off the bench and make a play. Otherwise, the great American pastime will never get off the field of screams.