After a one-day strike by the umpires during the 1970 playoffs (the first games of both the
ALCS and
NLCS), the union was recognized by both the National and American League presidents. It then proceeded to win several pay raises for the umpires. On May 1, 1980,
Bill Madlock, of the
Pittsburgh Pirates, had an argument with umpire
Jerry Crawford. In 1999, Phillips advocated a strategy of
mass resignations in hopes of forcing negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The strategy backfired when
Major League Baseball "called their bluff" and accepted most of the resignations, promoting replacement umpires from the minor leagues. The failed attempt has been cited as an example of
groupthink in the sports world. ==See also==