Miller Park Won’t Open Until 2001

A construction accident will push back the Milwaukee Brewers’ first game in the new Miller Park to April 2001, a year later than its scheduled opening day, stadium board officials said Monday.

The ballpark was originally slated to make its debut with the Brewers’ first home game in April 2000.

The delay stems from an accident July 14, when a 567-foot crane collapsed while lifting a 400-ton section of the stadium’s retractable roof. Three ironworkers were killed and stadium officials estimate the resulting damage could cost between $50 million and $75 million.

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The American Arbitration Assn.’s Philadelphia office has given lawyers for owners and umpires a list of 15 arbitrators, one of whom will ultimately decide whether owners legally accepted the resignations of 22 umpires earlier this month, or whether to order owners to rehire the 22.

Owners and umpires will take turns striking names until one remains.

Baseball’s meetings begin today in New York when owners and players hold their annual session on international play.

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The New York Mets won a coin flip and would be the home team for a tie-breaking playoff game against Atlanta to decide the NL East champion, and the Cincinnati Reds would be home against Houston for a playoff to determine the NL Central champion.

In the event of a tie for the wild card, an Astros-Mets game would be in New York, a Mets-Reds game in Cincinnati, a Braves-Astros game in Houston and a Braves-Reds game in Atlanta.

Frank Thomas of the Chicago White Sox had surgery to remove a bone spur from his right ankle. He will be in a cast for at least one week. . . . Texas outfielder Rusty Greer was hit in the left eye by a thrown ball while shagging fly balls in the outfield before Monday’s series finale between the Rangers and Kansas City Royals at Kansas City, Mo. No damage was detected and Greer is not expected to play until the weekend.