Baseball Official Speaks on Sprewell’s Behalf

One of the attorneys who played a key role in the baseball strike of 1994-95 went to bat Tuesday for Latrell Sprewell on the sixth day of his arbitration hearing in New York.

Eugene Orza, the associate general counsel for the Major League Baseball Players Assn., was one of three witnesses to testify in a session that lasted 11 hours.

Orza, unavailable for comment because of a gag order imposed on all parties to the hearing, was expected to give testimony backing up Sprewell’s claim that his one-year punishment was unprecedented and excessive--even in cases of player-coach conflicts in the NBA and in other sports.

In baseball, for example, the commissioner’s office issued no penalty when New York Yankee pitcher Ed Whitson brawled with Billy Martin, breaking the manager’s arm, or when Texas infielder Lenny Randle punched manager Frank Lucchesi or Cincinnati pitcher Rob Dibble wrestled with manager Lou Piniella.

Like all those players, Sprewell was punished by his team. The Golden State Warriors initially suspended him for 10 games for attacking Coach P.J. Carlesimo at practice, then terminated the remainder of his four-year, $32-million contract.

Carlesimo was expected to travel to New York on a red-eye flight Tuesday night after the Warriors played in Oakland against the San Antonio Spurs.

His testimony was expected to take up most of today’s hearing.

NBA Commissioner David Stern and Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik are among the witnesses who could be called to testify today or Thursday.

Tuesday’s other witnesses were Robin Baggett, the Warriors’ general counsel, Ron Klempner, an attorney for the basketball players union and Horace Balmer, the league’s director of security.

Klempner testified after Orza. His testimony was expected to include a recounting of the efforts the union made to arrange a meeting between Sprewell and Stern before the suspension was announced.

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The Charlotte Hornets, trying to shore up a backcourt hampered by injuries, signed Vernon Maxwell to a 10-day contract.

Two of Charlotte’s shooting guards, starter Bobby Phills and Dell Curry, are on the injured list, and a third, Corey Beck, sat out the last two games. Phills and Beck have groin pulls and Curry has a calf strain.

Maxwell, 32, will be playing for his fifth team in nine years. He has averaged 13.8 points and 3.9 assists in stops with San Antonio, Houston, Philadelphia and Orlando, which had signed him to two 10-day contracts last month.