With Deal Closer, Selig Makes Calls to Make It Unanimous

Baseball’s labor negotiations remained on hold Wednesday, but the possibility of an agreement seemed to improve, sources said, as acting Commissioner Bud Selig, a cautious and painstaking consensus builder, worked the phones, trying to keep a lid on a potential internal problem while trying to build unanimous support among owners.

“I feel a lot better about it today than I did yesterday,” a management source said.

Selig wouldn’t discuss his phone efforts, but he denied reports that the issue of restoring service time to players for the period they were on strike in 1994-95 had created “acrimony and divisiveness” among the clubs or that “X number of clubs” were trying to undermine an agreement on that issue alone.

What a source had described Tuesday as a “vocal minority” of owners opposes restoration of service time, but it is thought Selig has the 21 votes necessary to ratify and is merely trying to convince the dissidents to make it unanimous.

The Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox and Florida Marlins--hard-line opponents of service time--may resist Selig’s efforts, the source said, the small-market Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins and Montreal Expos, who also oppose the concept, are less likely to give up the approximate $6 million they would be receiving under the new revenue-sharing formula if the overall settlement dissolves.

Lead management negotiator Randy Levine did not meet with union leader Donald Fehr for a second successive day Wednesday, but he issued a statement in which he said there is no truth to speculation that negotiations have stalled. He added that he continues to talk to Fehr by phone and that the slow pace of the last two days is not unusual.

“In fact, it is routine,” Levine said in his statement.

“As you near finality on a deal, a lot of work is necessary on both sides to reach closure. We are doing that work and will continue to do so until we have a deal that is fair and equitable for everyone involved.”

Sources said Levine and Fehr could resume formal talks this afternoon.

Levine’s return--if and when it comes--would seem to indicate he has been cleared to offer service time, since it is the last major issue.

Would the union waive damage and litigation claims filed against the owners during the strike in trade for service time?

Fehr has said no, but a union lawyer put a different twist on that Wednesday, saying both sides filed damage and litigation charges and there will be an attempt--one positive meeting has been held already, the lawyer said--to sweep all of that away as part of a new agreement and beginning.

Players have received service time after all previous stoppages, and Fehr said:

“I think it’s fair to say that this has been an issue they should have known was coming. If you want to make peace, this is an issue that has to be resolved in a certain way. I’m hopeful it will be, just as it has every other time.”

Asked if he agrees with restoration of service time, Dodger owner Peter O’Malley said it would be inappropriate to comment on negotiating specifics.

“More important,” he said, “we appear to be in the bottom of the ninth inning of a tragic dispute that has taken way too long to resolve.

“I’ll do everything possible to establish a good-faith partnership between the owners and players.”