Talking a Walk : A chronology of strikes by major sports leagues:

BASEBALL 1972

* March 31--Player representatives of the Major League Baseball Players Assn., in a 47-0 vote, authorize a strike to begin April 1. All 12 exhibition games for that day are canceled.

* April 13--Players and owners settle on a four-year pension plan agreement. The 86 games postponed by the strike are not rescheduled. The season ranges from 153 games for some teams to 156 games for others with division winners determined on the basis of won-loss percentage. The season opens April 15. Salary arbitration for players with more than two years of service starts after 1973 season.

1976

* Feb. 23--Owners announce spring training will not begin until a new agreement is reached.

* March 11--Players shut down informal training camps.

* March 17--Commissioner Bowie Kuhn orders training camps opened.

* July 12--Players and owners reach four-year agreement that establishes procedure for free agency. Players with at least six years of service may become free agents, but players then must wait five years before becoming a free agent again. Players with two years of service are eligible for salary arbitration.

1980

* March 4--The players, in a 967-1 vote, authorize a strike on or about opening day.

* April 1--Players strike final 92 spring training games.

* May 23--Players and owners reach four-year agreement but allow the issue of free agency to be reopened during the following season.

1981

* Feb. 25--The executive board of the union approves a May 29 strike date.

* June 12--After a two-week extension of the original strike deadline caused by a National Labor Relations Board action, players stage first midseason strike in baseball history.

* July 31--Players and owners reach agreement, ending strike after 50 days resulting in 712 canceled games. Agreement extends contract one year through Dec. 31, 1984. Season restarts after All-Star game at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium on Aug. 9.

1985

* July 15--On the day before the All-Star game in Minneapolis, the union sets an Aug. 6 strike date.

* Aug. 6--Players strike in midseason for the second time.

* Aug. 7--Players and owners reach five-year agreement. Salary arbitration eligibility increased from two years to three years. The season resumes Aug. 8 and the 25 strike-affected games are made up.

1990

* Jan. 9--Owners announce a lockout will begin Feb. 15 unless there is a new agreement.

* March 18--Agreement reached on a four-year contract after a 32-day lockout. Season starts April 9, a week behind schedule. The 78 games postponed by the lockout are rescheduled.

FOOTBALL 1970

* July 30--The NFL Players Assn. votes to strike.

* Aug. 3--Strike ends as NFLPA and NFL Management Council reach agreement.

1974

June 30--The NFLPA goes on strike.

* Aug. 11--Players agree to suspend their strike for 14 days in an effort to resolve labor dispute with owners.

* Aug. 28--NFLPA votes, 25-1, to reject management’s latest offer but says players will open the regular season, if necessary, without a new collective bargaining agreement.

1977

* March 1--After three years of sporadic negotiations, a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.

1982

* Sept. 20--NFLPA announces the first regular-season strike in the 63-year history of the league, effective after a Monday night game between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants.

* Nov. 16--Tentative agreement reached on a five-year contract. The strike lasted 57 days and resulted in the cancellation of 98 games.

* Nov. 21--The regular season resumes.

* Dec. 11--NFL and NFLPA sign new collective bargaining agreement.

1987

* Sept. 22--NFL players go on strike with free agency the major disagreement.

* Sept. 24--Third week of games is canceled.

* Oct. 4-5--The first replacement games take place.

* Oct. 11-12--Second replacement games take place.

* Oct. 15--After more than 100 players cross picket lines, NFLPA orders players to return without a contract.

* Oct. 18-19--Third week of replacement games take place without returned players, prohibited from playing because of what league calls danger of injury.

* Oct. 25-26--Regular schedule resumes without a contract. Players file antitrust suit against owners.

HOCKEY 1992

* April 1--NHL players vote, 560-4, to reject the owners’ contract offer, setting into motion the first league-wide strike in league history.