Media Coverage

Published: September 8, 2000

By the Book

By Hal Bodley

Negotiators for the World Umpires Association worked from what amounted to a textbook as they achieved a contract with management.

Baltimore attorney Ron Shapiro counseled the new union and put together the negotiating team that included veteran umpires John Hirschbeck, Joe Brinkman, and Time Welke, and lawyers Larry Gibson and Joel Smith.

Gibson says the union, in its quest to create a solid relationship with Major League Baseball, frequently referred to Shapiro's book, The Power of Nice.

"It was a matter of negotiating so everyone wins,"Gibson says. "Ron spells this out in the book."

The 44 union members vote on the contract by secret ballot. Deadline is 5 p.m. ET Thursday.