Baseball Owners To Vote Again

Major-league baseball owners apparently will vote again Tuesday on the proposed labor settlement they rejected two weeks ago, and there are indications the outcome might be different this time.

Although owners have been silent under the threat of a $250,000 fine on anyone who breaks an internal gag order, sources close to the negotiations indicate there may be enough votes to approve the deal by the required 75 percent majority at the meeting in Chicago.

There are still hard-liners, like ownership power-broker Jerry Reinsdorf of the White Sox and Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos, who still feel the settlement is not in the best interests of the industry, but others appear to have softened.

Objection to the proposed settlement is the stiff luxury tax. It is the centerpiece of the agreement, only extends through the first three years of the plan, and places limits on the number of teams that will be subject to the tax. There have been no changes in the deal.