Owners Early 'Winners'

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[i:269252be6a]originally printed: The Sporting News, February 17, 1986[/i:269252be6a]

The owners forged an early lead as the first cases were heard in major league baseball's 1986 round of salary arbitration.

The first dispute to go before an arbitrator involved the Seattle Mariners and first baseman Alvin Davis. On February 5, arbitrator Tom Roberts ruled in favor of the Mariners awarding Davis a 1986 salary of $400,000. He had filed a request for $550,000.

Davis was the American League's Rookie of the Year in 1984, when he hit .284 with 27 home runs and 116 runs batted in. He signed for a 1985 salary of $225,000 and rebounded from a slow start to hit .287 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs.

“We chatted both before and after the hearing,” said Dick Balderson, general manager of the Mariners. "We shook hands, he congratulated us on our presentation and we talked about the upcoming season. We're very hopeful there will be no damaging repercussions for Alvin."

Outfielder Dave Henderson, who was scheduled to go to a hearing two days after Davis, came to terms on a one-year contract with the Mariners, reportedly worth $380,000, including $50,000 in incentives. Henderson had filed a request for $442,500 and the Mariners countered with an offer of $360,000.

Mariners President Chuck Armstrong said he wished Davis' contract could have been handled the way Henderson's was.

"It is nice to have this result (in the Davis case), but we don’t consider it any kind of victory for us," Armstrong said. "In fact, any time you cannot settle through negotiations and have to go through litigation, it is a failure for both sides. And, while arbitration is merely another way to settle a contract fairly, I do consider it a form of litigation."

Seattle outfielder Phil Bradley, a member of The Sporting News American League All-Star team in 1985, was the first player to win his case. His $475,000 salary for 1985 will be $100,000 more than the Mariners offered. Bradley hit .300 last year with 26 homers and 88 RBIs.

Chicago White Sox outfielder Ron Kittle, who went to a hearing February 6, the same day as Bradley, came out a loser and then blasted the White Sox for the way they handled the matter. Kittle's $400,000 salary is $100,000 less than his request.

"It’s humiliating,” said Kittle, who hit 35 homers in 1983 and 32 in ’84, but dipped to 26 homers and 58 RBIs last year while batting .230. "I thought the White Sox management did it on the bush league side. They were using my personality and other non-baseball stuff. But I can understand it when they're going to save $100,000. They call you every name in the book."

Ken Harrelson, new operations director of the White Sox, said he had warned Kittle that the arbitration process might be rough. "I told Kitty that it wasn't going to be nice," said Harrelson. "I don't think he wanted to go. I think his agent talked him into it.”

Philadelphia catcher Man Knicely and San Diego outfielder Kevin McReynolds were losers in the first two National League cases decided. Knicely had asked for $140,000, but had to settle for the Phillies' offer of $80,000. McReynolds had requested $450,000 for his third full season in the majors, but the arbitrator ruled in favor of the Padres' offer of $275,000.

Cincinnati came to terms with pitcher Joe Price two days before his hearing. Price got a raise from the $410,000 he received in 1985. He had asked for $490,000 in his arbitration request, while the Reds' offer of $350,000 represented a 15 percent cut in pay.

Along with Price and Henderson, arbitration-bound players who signed with their clubs during the first week of the hearings included pitcher Roy Thomas of the Mariners, pitchers Charles Hudson and Kevin Gross of the Phillies, pitcher Mike Smithson of Minnesota, infielder-outfielder Nick Esasky of Cincinnati, catcher Dann Bilardello of Montreal, outfielder Mike Young of Balitmore, pitchers Danny Darwin and Bob Gibson of Milwaukee, pitcher Bill Scherrer and catcher Dave Engle of Detroit, and pitcher Jim Acker and outfielder Jesse Barfield of Toronto.

A total of 159 players filed for arbitration, including eight who were seeking more than $1 million.

Players with at least two years in the majors, but less than six years, were eligible to file for arbitration. The process has been in effect since 1974.