Arbitration

Orel Hershiser, the Dodgers' playoff and World Series most valuable player, and the Oakland Athletics' Jose Canseco, the American League's MVP, are among 177 players eligible to file for salary arbitration. Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox, the 1986 and 1987 AL Cy Young Award winner, and outfielder Kirby Puckett of the Minnesota Twins are also eligible for arbitration, as are Angel first baseman Wally Joyner and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Ted Higuera.

The Angels canceled their opening round of arbitration hearings, scheduled for Wednesday with Greg Minton, by signing the 37-year-old relief pitcher to a 1-year contract worth about $650,000 Saturday. Of the club's four remaining arbitration cases, Minton's figured to be the most likely to produce an early agreement, as only $90,000 separated the two sides. Minton filed for a $690,000 salary in 1989, and the Angels offered $600,000.

Amigos de Bolsa Chica must enter arbitration with the owner of property overlooking the Bolsa Chica wetlands to determine whether the environmental group violated a confidential 1989 settlement, a court commissioner has ruled. Landowner Signal Landmark alleges that Amigos agreed to end a lawsuit and support a development plan for Bolsa Chica in exchange for $1.2 million. That confidential 1989 agreement became public this year when Signal sued Amigos, saying the group breached it repeatedly.

The Dodgers defeated infielder Mark Grudzielanek in salary arbitration Thursday. After hearing arguments Wednesday in Tampa, Fla., arbitrator Nicholas Zumas ruled Grudzielanek will be paid $1.9 million this season. Grudzielanek, who made $350,000 last season, filed at $2.6 million. "I don't look at this like a victory for a lot of reasons," General Manager Kevin Malone said.

Arbitration has become the only show in town for investors who have disputes with their brokers and brokerage firms. By now, virtually every big investment house in the nation requires investors to sign arbitration contracts agreeing to submit to binding arbitration in the event of a dispute. The brokerages maintain that the process results in quicker settlements, allowing both the investor and the brokerage to avoid a costly and protracted trial. Often arbitration does work just that way.

A group of investors has filed a lawsuit to block a rule that requires customers to pay for an arbitrator to resolve disputes with securities brokers. The investors say the National Assn. of Securities Dealers is violating their right to choose a less expensive procedure by charging them as much as $3,000 a day for an arbitration session.

The former chief executive of MassMutual Financial Group was wrongfully fired a year and a half ago and is entitled to financial compensation that could be worth as much as $50 million, according to an arbitration decision. The decision, reached about a month ago, was made public when the Springfield, Mass.-based insurance and investment company filed an appeal in Suffolk Superior Court. Robert J.

Redwood City-based Cygnus Inc. said an international arbitration board rejected its claim that France's Sanofi didn't live up to a contract to market a hormone-delivery system in the United States and around the world. Arbitrators from the Tribunal of the International Chamber of Commerce concluded Sanofi didn't fail to properly market FemPatch, which offers low doses of estrogen to menopausal women.

U.S. Postal Service and leaders of 660,000 unionized workers accused each other Wednesday of intentionally botching contract talks so wage and job security disputes would go to arbitration. "The Postal Service never had any intention of entering into collective bargaining with the unions . . . . Never once did they get down to the crux of the issues," said Vincent R. Sombrotto, president of the 234,000-member National Letter Carriers Assn. But Postmaster General Anthony M.

The Angels and Wally Joyner exchanged arbitration figures Friday, but not pleasantries. The Angels filed at $750,000. Joyner, who earned $340,000 last season, came in at $965,000. If it goes to a February hearing, an arbitrator will choose one of the two figures as Joyner's 1989 salary. Joyner and the Angels can continue negotiating until the arbitrator makes a decision, but attorney Barry Axelrod, who represents Joyner, said the $215,000 difference seems too large to produce a compromise.