The GM at the time was Mike Port, who is now a member of the Umpires Association.

"Before the end of the season or the World Series," Phillips said, "the Umpires Association may show the world we think Fay Vincent did a fine job as commissioner and should not have been run out of baseball."

Coote began umpiring with the Colac and District Football Umpires Association when he was 14.

In the same year, he became the first President of the Umpires Association, while from 1955 to 1957 he was President of the Oxford University Cricket Club.

Northern Territory Softball Umpires Association (Formed ????)

"My pals in L.A. are afraid to go to the parking lot after a game," said Don Robinson of the San Diego City Baseball Umpires Association.

The replacements may be needed as early as next week because umpires from each minor league are scheduled to have a conference call Monday with Richie Phillips, the Philadelphia lawyer who heads the Major League Umpires Association and the newly formed Minor League Umpires Association.

"Players feel there will be some kind of repercussions if they say anything in the meeting, so none of them want to attend," said Jerry Crawford, a National League umpire and president of the Umpires Association.

Janet Jones, secretary of the British Tennis Umpires Association, is to retire from the post at the end of this year.