Players’ Union Officials Agree to Meet With Selig and Owners

Officials of the baseball players’ union agreed Friday to meet with acting Commissioner Bud Selig and a delegation of owners in New York on Monday to discuss management’s desire to modify key provisions of the proposed labor agreement that was rejected by the owners in Chicago on Wednesday.

The owners have targeted five areas of the proposal, but sources said they will approve the agreement if the union addresses two of the five: eliminating the players’ option on a second tax-free year in 2001 and removing the limitation on the number of clubs--now five--that can be taxed in any year.

A union lawyer said that to tinker with any part of the agreement would force revision of the entire agreement.