As part of the negotiations, the umpires would like something in return _ maybe additional retirement or disability benefits, or perhaps a seventh umpire for postseason crews so more umps could get a chance in October.
The players’ union, meanwhile, wants to wait to weigh in until after MLB and the umpires reach an understanding. Trying to get all three sides to agree, however, has proved a difficult balancing act.
“I know they are trying to do some things to upgrade the game and that’s been talked about,” Thome, the Philadelphia slugger, said Tuesday.
“It’s hard to say this will work or that will work,” he said. “I think you have to experiment with it before you say, `Hey, that will do,’ because to be honest, and they’ve done a good job with it, you have to understand what it’s going to be before you comment on that. You have to see how it plays itself out.”
___
AP Sports Writers Ronald Blum and Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.
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