NEW YORK — Baseball tried to give five umpires more than $1.9 million in back pay Tuesday, but they instructed their banks to refuse the payments, according to their lawyer.

More than six years after a failed mass resignation led to a lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court, the umpires and the commissioner's office are still fighting over an additional $718,817 in interest.

Major League Baseball attempted to pay $525,607 to Joe West, $439,248 to Bill Hohn, a former resident of Butler, $379,095 to Gary Darling, $301,453 to Larry Poncino and $297,162 to Larry Vanover, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. The money was to cover lost salary and bonuses for 1999, 2000 and 2001 plus medical expenses, with a credit taken by management for $122,072 in estimated earnings by the five during that period.

Management also made a $47,422 pension contribution for Poncino and a $42,368 contribution for Vanover.

"These guys are going to get what they are entitled to, which is the back pay and interest," said Pat Campbell, the lawyer for the Major League Umpires Association. "That was a cheap move by baseball."