NEW YORK - After three days of bargaining produced disagreements rather than a deal, baseball players were all but certain to set an Aug. 30 strike date when their executive board reconvenes today.

        The board had been ready to set a strike date Monday when it met in Chicago but delayed after management officials suggested that a few more days of bargaining without a looming strike date might lead to progress.

        But owners moved little on the key economic issue of a luxury tax on high-payroll teams, leaving the union on track to call for baseball's ninth work stoppage since 1972.

        “It wasn't good today. They made another proposal that was fairly meaningless,” said Atlanta's Tom Glavine, the National League player representative. “I think we're basically sitting back waiting for them to give us a serious offer.”

        After meeting twice Thursday, the sides didn't even bother to schedule a bargaining session for today, and people aligned with both management and the union described the sides as far apart. Negotiators refused comment.

        “I've gone from as optimistic as I can be to as pessimistic as I can be,” said Braves player representative Mike Remlinger. “It's back to just a flat-out refusal to move.”

        Owners originally proposed a 50 percent tax on the portions of payrolls over $98 million, then moved up their threshold last weekend to $100 million. Since Monday's meeting, management has moved up only to $102 million, according to a player and two agents who spoke on the condition they not be identified.

        The union fears a luxury tax along those lines when combined with increased revenue sharing would act as a cap. Players, not wanting a tax at all, reluctantly proposed one with a much higher threshold and a much lower rate.

        Players don't want to finish the season without a labor contract. They think owners would lock them out or change work rules, and the union prefers a late-season stoppage, when more of the owners' revenue is at stake.

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