Umpires Al Salerno and Bill Valentine file a grievance over their dismissal last year

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On January 6, 1969 —  Umpires Al Salerno and Bill Valentine file a grievance against the American League and its president, Joe Cronin, over their dismissal last year. The grievance is filed by the new umpires union with the National Labor Relations Board.

On September 16, 1968. He was lying awake in a hotel room in Cleveland, having umpired the Indians game the day before. He received a call from American League president Joe Cronin, the boss of the umpiring staff. Cronin told Salerno that he, along with crewmate Bill Valentine were fired effective immediately. They were bad umpires, Cronin told them, and he soon told the press the same thing. The real reason of the firing was because they were working to organize a union for the AL umpires.

 
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