On January 27th, 1995, President Bill Clinton set a deadline to the owners and players of Major League Baseball to reach a deal by February 6th.
"This is coming from the heart," said Mr. Begala. "I can tell you: This is way beyond politics. He is a sports fan, and he feels the rage every fan feels."
But February 6th came an went. The MLBPA Strike that started in August 1994 still showed no signs of abating. The following day, President Clinton conceded as much.
"They are clearly not capable of settling this strike without an umpire," the told reporters at the White House at the end of a nearly five-hour emergency negotiating session.
Who would that umpire be? President Clinton and other baseball fans would find little help from the legislative branch. Newly minted leadership in the House and Senate made their views quite clear.
"We maintain our view," wrote Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole and House Speaker Newt Gingrich, "that Congress is ill-suited to resolving private labor disputes."
The future of Major League Baseball looked ominous. With No help from Congress, President Clinton appointed longtime labor-management negotiator William J. Usery to broker a deal. Usery had a history of resolving labor disputes dating back to his tenure as Assistant Secretary of Labor in the Nixon administration. Usery's status as a longtime labor supporter and a lifelong Republican made him something of a unicorn. The sign was clear: Major League Baseball needed a miracle start the 1995 season.
But that was in Washington. February 7th was just another school day for me. Down in Georgia, Henry Louis Aaron blew out the candles for his 61st birthday. Happy Birthday, Hank!
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