I certainly wouldn't have undertook this if I didn't think maybe I could do something differently than was done then to bring about a settlement. Keep in mind that when they were involved they were trying to preserve a season, they were trying to see if we could have the World Series. And now what we're trying to do is spend enough time and enough understanding with each other that not only do we reach a new collective bargaining agreement, but we reach a framework for the future of baseball. And certainly, come next spring, everybody will be ready, as the Secretary said, to play ball. Secretary Usery just said.
Timing really is of the essence here.
It wasn't clear that months ago the time was ready, the parties were ready. We've been monitoring the situation very carefully since early June. We've been in touch with the parties. The Mediation Service has been very active. The Mediation Service, John Calhoun Wells contacted us recently and suggested that the time was right to appoint a special mediator.