Lawyers working on final wording of new five-year contract

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Baseball players and owners set aside their long history of bitter negotiations to reach a tentative agreement on a five-year contract, the first time the sides have achieved labor peace before their current deal expires.

The agreement was struck during bargaining in New York on Friday night and Saturday, and is subject to the sides putting the deal in writing, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press yesterday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been finalized.

The current deal, set to expire Dec. 19, was agreed to on Aug. 30, 2002, just hours before players were set to strike. That contract was the first since 1970 achieved without a work stoppage, and this marks the first time the sides reached agreement before the expiration of the previous contract.

"Baseball is at an all-time high point right now," Detroit left fielder Craig Monroe said before Game 2 of the World Series. "You've got low-market teams doing well and different teams winning every year. Getting this done couldn't have come at a better time."

Lawyers were working on drafting language for the new deal yesterday, and hoped to put the finishing touches on it today or tomorrow. Once that happens, commissioner Bud Selig would announce it in St. Louis at the World Series.

ELSEWHERE

Giants: San Francisco baseball officials are scheduled to meet with New York Mets third-base coach Manny Acta tomorrow, making him the fourth official candidate to interview for the club's managerial vacancy.

The Giants have interviewed Angels pitching coach Bud Black, Giants bench coach Ron Wotus and Lou Piniella, who became the Cubs manager. They are expected to interview Padres manager Bruce Bochy this week.

Japan Series: Fernando Seguignol hit a two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning yesterday, leading the Nippon Ham Fighters to a 5-2 win over the Chunichi Dragons in Game 2 of the Japan Series at Nagoya.

The Fighters, playing in their first Japan Series since 1981, tied the best-of-seven series at 1-all. The series now moves to Sapporo Dome for the next three games.