BOYS OF SUMMER MAY TAKE A HIKE

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Persistent rumors of a major-league baseball strike materialized with a threat from players to walk Aug. 12 if their demands for base salaries and other perks go unmet. The players' association wanted to scrap a proposed salary cap and raise minimum pay to at least $175,000, but team owners rejected the idea. The ballplayers made their ultimatum to try to force a new collective-bargaining agreement and called the strike a "last resort." BTW: The average player's salary this year was $1.2 million.