You don't have to be an old-timer to remember when the first official baseball phrase of spring was "Pitchers and Catchers Report," but it would probably help. Shortly thereafter, usually within 24-48 hours, would come the casualty reports similar to the ones we've seen or heard recently -- "Sore Shoulder Stifles Starter" or "Spasms Slow Shortstop" -- normal warning signs of a testy spring season.
Such trivial news now is so yesteryear it's beyond old fashioned. In the cyber age, the baseball calendar is now dictated by modern terms like "Filing Date Set," "Hearings Scheduled" and "Owners Beat Players, Again."
Welcome to the wonderful, wild and whacky world of baseball arbitration, where very often the only losers are the winners. "The settling of disputes between two parties by an impartial third party, whose decision the contending parties agree to accept," is an accepted translation of the arbitration term.
