3 Ex-Players Lose Lawsuit

A federal judge in Los Angeles granted a judgment in favor of Major League Baseball on Monday in a reverse discrimination lawsuit by three retired white players over the award of pension and medical benefits.

Richard Moran, who played with the New York Mets; Ernie Fazio, the first player signed by the Houston Astros, and Mike Colbern, formerly of the Chicago White Sox, contended that they had been discriminated against when the league granted pension and health care benefits to retired members of the Negro leagues.

The lawsuit charged that, in violation of Title 7, which bars discrimination in the workplace, the Negro league players were not subject to the same vesting requirements as white players.

Until 1981, when the rules were liberalized, the vesting requirement for full pensions and lifetime, comprehensive medical benefits was four years of playing time.

In court Monday, U.S. District Judge Manuel Real granted a defense motion for summary judgment, finding that the federal anti-discrimination law was not applicable in the case.

Robert Manfred, Major League Baseball’s executive vice president in charge of labor relations, said the $10,000 annual benefit given to players from the Negro leagues since 1997 was not a pension under the law, granted as a condition of employment. For that reason, he said, the white plaintiffs who did not qualify for benefits could not draw comparisons.

John D. DaCorsi, a Woodland Hills attorney who filled the suit on behalf of the three former players, said he and his clients were considering an appeal. The suit also sought class-action status on behalf of more than 1,000 other mostly white former players. Named as defendants in the suit were Major League Baseball, its 30 teams and Commissioner Bud Selig.

-- David Rosenzweig

*

San Diego Padre reliever Rod Beck will be out indefinitely while he deals with personal problems and probably won’t be ready by opening day.

Beck hasn’t been in camp for several days and hasn’t pitched in a spring training game. The last time anyone with the team heard from him was Wednesday, when Manager Bruce Bochy spoke with him by phone.

“He said that he really needed to take care of some personal issues and if he could possibly do it, he’d try to get back on schedule as soon as he can,” Bochy said Monday. “Now, it’s going to take a little bit longer than he or us had anticipated.”

General Manager Kevin Towers said he couldn’t discuss Beck’s problems other than to say it “possibly” was health-related.

*

The Florida Marlins’ self-imposed deadline for an agreement on a new ballpark passed Monday with the site and financing still undetermined, so team President David Samson set a new deadline.

Samson said the team now has until May 1 to reach a deal that would allow the new stadium to open in 2007 and ensure the Marlins’ future in south Florida.