Internal Strife Further Divides Umpires Union

Potentially divisive internal problems continued to hobble the umpires union Wednesday in its simmering labor dispute with major league baseball.

Sources said that veteran National League umpire Wally Bell had rescinded his resignation and that NL rookie Jeff Nelson was prepared to do the same. Between 15 to 20 of the 66 union members have now either rescinded their resignations or not submitted one in opposition to a strategy devised by counsel Richie Phillips, sources said.

In addition, three veteran American League umpires--Rocky Roe, John Hirschbeck and Davey Phillips--told Bloomberg News that Phillips was providing bad leadership and should be replaced.

That story confirmed a report in Sunday’s editions of The Times that a sizable faction of AL umpires was dissatisfied with Phillips’ leadership and that there is a widening split between AL and NL umpires regarding his confrontational style and tactics. Phillips could not be reached Wednesday, but associate Pat Campbell said Roe, Hirschbeck and Phillips “are out on a limb now. They know that a lot of people don’t appreciate what they did. They have to wonder what reception they’ll get [from their peers].”

In other developments:

* Baseball officials said Commissioner Bud Selig hasn’t set a deadline for umpires to withdraw their resignations, effective Sept. 2, but could announce today that the deadline will be Friday. Selig, fed up with Phillips and angry at the timing of the union’s threat, is prepared to accept resignations and hire new umpires, the officials said.

* Minor league umpires, currently voting on the possibility of organizing as a union with Phillips as counsel, have shelved the idea of a strike, according to a source, and will complete their 1999 schedules. They also have decided to work major league games if called up as replacements--a scenario that could put Phillips in a conflicting role if he winds up as the counsel to both a major and minor league umpires union.

* Although he is not soliciting the job, player agent Ron Shapiro remains the choice of dissatisfied AL umpires if Phillips were to be forced out. About a dozen AL umpires attempted to present Shapiro as their candidate at a March meeting in Phoenix, but NL umpires led the rejection of a secret ballot, and Phillips emerged with a five-year contract.