News In Brief

Baseball chief is hopeful umpires will say 'Play ball!'

Baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth said Monday he is hopeful that major league umpires, who say they are going on strike, will be on the field today when the National and American Leagues start their championship series. The issues in dispute - salaries, job security, and postseason work assignments, among others - were covered for only two years in the four-year contract reached on April 5, 1982.