Players, umpires and MLB hold joint meeting

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The unions for major league baseball players and umpires have held a rare joint meeting with management.

Sunday's 2½-hour session originally was set at the request of the players' association in early October after a series of missed calls in the playoffs. That meeting was postponed because of a death in the family of one of the participants.

Players' union head Michael Weiner said there was a productive exchange on a range of issues.

Several former players attended the session, including Tony Clark, Steve Rogers, Phil Bradley, Bobby Bonilla, Stan Javier and Rick Helling. Clark is the director of player relations of the players' association.