BASEBALL STRIKE : DAY 1

At the outset of the sport’s eighth work stoppage, negotiators for the players and owners agreed to accept federal mediation to try to resolve their collective bargaining stalemate. Neither side seemed optimistic of a quick fix. Further negotiations are unlikely until both sides meet with the mediator, who can only urge a settlement, not enforce one. A similar attempt was unsuccessful during a 50-day strike in 1981.

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