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Hall of Famers plead for peace

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- With the threat of another work stoppage, 40 Hall of Famers drafted a letter requesting union head Donald Fehr and commissioner Bud Selig use a mediator at the talks.

Former Tigers star Al Kaline proposed the letter at dinner Sunday night after Ozzie Smith's induction.

"I love this game very much, as do all my fellow Hall of Fame members," Kaline said. "I did not think we should stand by idle and fail to express our views."

"Al's idea is a solid one," former pitching great Tom Seaver said. "As a group, we felt it was important to put pen to paper and publicly share our opinion on this matter."

Pete Donatello of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Series has been in contact with the sides, management lawyer Rob Manfred said, but Donatello has not been active at the bargaining table.

Players, fearful owners will change work rules or lock them out after the World Series, are threatening to call the ninth work stoppage since 1972.

Just the thought of that rankled 83-year-old Bob Feller, who said the dinner discussion became so intense the Hall of Famers didn't eat dessert.

"We don't want a strike," the former Indians ace right-hander said Monday before the Hall of Fame game at Doubleday Field. "We want them to get their heads together, or at least put it in abeyance. Make them finish the season. They can iron it out between now and spring training. Just don't ruin what we've built up."

Feller suggested that if players strike, President Bush should issue an executive order making them play until the World Series is over.

"We just want to see baseball continue," former Red Sox star Bobby Doerr said. "And I think some of these young players are going to have to step up and say, "Look, we love the game and don't want to see it hurt.' They're going to have to do something to keep from having a strike. Don't destroy something that's great with greed. That's the attitude of all the Hall of Famers."

Selig said: "I share their deep concern for the future of the game. At this moment, I believe the best recourse to settle the economic and competitive balance issues that face the game is through collective bargaining. However, should negotiations reach a stalemate, the clubs and I will give serious consideration to the suggestion."

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