The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-12-10
Players Battle With Club
Owners On AII-Star Money!
By JOE RsIcHLER

NEW YORK R-The major
leagues newly appointed woman
pension committee viii meet next
week with chief player representa-
tiyes Ralph Kiner and Allie
Rynolds ia al effort to make
peace between the club owners
and players over the pension plan
squabble.
I'VE plan 10 get together with
Kiner and Reynolds real soon, .
said Cleveland General Manager
Hank Greenberg, who along with
President John Galbreath Of Pitts
burgh win represent the owners.
eve will discuss this thing openly
and honestly and I'm sure ven
come to an smicable understand
ing"
Greenberg and Galbreath were
named by the American and Ma
tional Leagues at a joint meeting
yesterday TO study and report the
possibility Of terminating the pen
aion plan by November 1855. The
owners charged their move was
compelled by ''the excessive de-
mands by the player representa-
tives and their attorney" No
names were mentioned but I'M
doubtedly they were referring TO
representatives Kiner and
Reynolds and the players attor-
ney, J. Norman Lewis.
The meeting OF Greenberg,
Galbreath. Kiner and Reynolds
which, incidentally, may include
Lewis, may also provide the an
Swer to what many baseball people
believe Is the erux Of the entire
dispute.
Just who is entitled to the vast
receipts attained from the sale Of
the World Series and All-Star
Game television and radio rights
and how much?
The players stoutly maintain the
annual 81, 900 plum belongs to
them. They are supported in this
belief by Lewis and former COM
missioner A. B. Happy Chandler.
A majority OF the owners are
equally certain the money Is theirs.
A small minority is willing to con-
eede that the television and radio
receipts should be divided among
the club owners and players with
so per cent going to the athletes
after Is per cent for expenses is
taken out for the commissioner
office.
Both sides are looking ahead
TO 1856 when the current television-
radio contract expires and a new
contract. calling for an expected
200 per cent increase. probably win
be negotiated. With that in mind,
the players have been demanding
benefit increases from $50 to $50
a month for five-year men and
from 500 to $50 month for 10.
year men. They also want the age
eligibility reduced from so TO As.
The owners, believing these de-
mands to be excessive, have point.
ed out this would mean an added
expenditure OF $6,T3O,000 to past
service cost (for retired ball
playerS) and would double Ito
over a million dollars a year, the
current cost of carrying the plan.
Rather than do that, they said,
they believed II best to abandon
the pension plan.
Every club owner, including
Commissioner Ford Frick and
League Presidents Warren Giles
OF the National and viii Harridge
of the American insisted they
wanted the pension plan to con-
tinue.
II have made my position clear
from beginning to end" Frick
said. II am thoroughly convinced
this plan is an admirable plan.
win use every effort at my COM
mand to see that the plan is
maintained.
The big point is" said Green
berg, that the owners desire to
maintain the pension plan. The
impression created by some that
the owners are anxious to term.
mate the plan is incorrect. I'm
equally sure there is no desire on
the part of the players to term.
mate il.
"At the meeting, we're going to
try to straighten out the differ.
enceS, II there are any. I'm sure
We will come together. Nobody
wants to deprive the players of
larger pension benefits, provided
there Is money available for that
purpose"
81 certainly hope there can be
Q way to work out all these diff.
ficulties," said Kiner, but l still
maintain the players have a right
20 legal counsel at any meetings
that are set up where legislation
does not prohibit IT,"