Evening star., 1953-12-10
Meeting Is Due
NextWeekWith
Kiner, Reynolds
Owners Insist Plan
Should Continue, but
Study Termination
BY the Assoeioted Press

! NEW 1OfCh, Dec. 1O.-The
major leagues newly appointed
two-man pension committee will
meet next week with the chief
player representatives, Ralph
Kiner and Allie Reynolds, in an
effort to make peace between the
club owners and players over the
pension plan Squabble.
I'VE plan to get together with
Kiner and Reynolds real soon, y
said Hank Greenberg, Cleveland
general manager, who along with
President John Galbreath of the
Pirates will represent the own
ers. I'VE will discuss this thing
openly and honestly and I'm sure
we'll come to an amicable un-
derstanding."
Greenberg and Galbreath were
named by the American and
National Leagues at a Joint
meeting yesterday to study and
report the possibility of termi-
mating the pension plan by No
vember, 1855.
The owners charged their
move was compelled by "the ex-
cesSive demands by the player
representatives and their attor-
ney."- They were referring to
Kiner and Reynolds and the
players attorney j. Norman
Lewis.
Vast Fund Causes Dispute.
The meeting of Greenberg.
Galbreath, Kiner and Reynolds
which may include Lewis
may also provide the answer to
what many baseball people be-
lleve is the erux of the entire
dispute between the major
league employers and employees.
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 $1.26O,O00 plum be-
longs to them. They are sup
ported in this belief by Lewis and
A. B. CHappy) Chandler, former
commissioner.
A majority of the owners are
equally certain the money is
theirs. A small minority is will
ing to concede 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 commissioners office.
Next Contract to Increase.
Both sides are looking ahead
to 1856 when the current tele-
vision-radio contract expires and
new contract, calling for an
expected 200 per cent increase.
probably will 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 $3.50
a month for 10-year men. They
also want the age eligibility re-
duced from so to As.
The owners, believing these
demands to be excessive. have
pointed out this would mean
an added expenditure of $6,73O,-
600 to past service cost (for re-
tired ball players) and would
double (to over a million dollars
a year, the current cost of car
rying the plan. Rather than do
that, they said. they believed it
best to abandon the pension
plan.
All club owners, Commissioner
Ford Frick and the league prest
dents, Warren Giles of the Ma
tional and Will Harridge of the
American, insisted they wanted
the pension plan to continue.
II have made my position clear
from beginning to end" Frick
said. II am thoroughly con-
vinced this (pension) plan is an
admirable plan. I will use every
effort at my command to see
that the plan is maintained"
Greenberg Sees Continuation.
"The big point is" Greenberg
said, that the owners desire to
maintain the pension. The i'm
preston created by some that
the owners are anxious to termi-
(See PENSIONS, Page C-3)