Baseball’s Old-Timers Disturbed by the Prospect of Another Strike

WASHINGTON —  Hall of Famer Luke Appling closed his eyes, shook his head and wondered what has happened to the national pastime.

The possibility of another strike by major league baseball players is more than a little disturbing to the former White Sox shortstop.

“I think it’s ridiculous to strike,” said Appling, a .310-lifetime hitter who played with Chicago from 1930-50. “It’s hurting the public and the image of baseball.

“I don’t know what they’re striking about. They’re getting well paid--they’re getting paid too much, actually. And the owners are just as greedy as the players.”

Appling, who was in the nation’s capital for an Old-Timers game Monday night, was one of several former stars reflecting on a possible strike.

Robin Roberts, the Hall of Fame pitcher who won 286 games from 1948 to 1966 and was active in unionizing the major leagues in the ‘60s, faulted the owners in allowing the current situation to develop.

“I think the owners are saying now, ‘This thing’s gotten out of hand and we’re the responsible parties. Now how do we get it back?’ They’re trying to start over,” said Roberts, one of the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies Whiz Kids.

Roberts, a 28-game winner in 1952, painted a strike as a no-win situation for both sides.

“The players already are in great shape,” he said. “They’re making a lot of money--now they’re arguing over principle. What the hell, they’ve got no chance to win this. And the owners don’t either, because the players aren’t going to agree to what they’re offering.”

He added: “It’s obvious they’re really skating on thin ice, both sides. And I think they know that. Whether they can resolve the egos, I don’t know. But I’ll tell you one thing, it’s a scrap.”

Early Wynn, who pitched his way to Cooperstown with 300 career victories between 1939-63, sees no reason for a strike by “greedy” major leaguers.

The 1959 Cy Young award winner, who heads a Florida-based organization called the Ex-Major League Baseball Players Old-Timers Pension Committee, blasted the current players for ignoring financially strapped old-timers who were not blessed with modern salaries.

Wynn’s organization is fighting to get some provision in the new collective bargaining agreement to provide assistance for old-timers.

Wynn, whose pension from 23 years in baseball is $500 a month, said, “We feel we paved the way to make life a pleasure for (current players) and make them wealthy.”

But, he added, “The owners don’t claim us as their concern anymore and the modern-day ballplayer doesn’t want anything to do with us. We are not in a position to negotiate. I had a meeting with the Players Assn. and they told me they are not legally or morally obligated to old-timers.”

Emil Verban, who batted .412 in the 1944 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals, said strikes were about the last thing he ever thought would happen in the majors.

“I don’t even like to talk about it,” said Verban. “What does labor have to do with baseball? It never had anything to do with it when I was a player.”