NEWS FROM THE LOCAL MARKETS

     OAKLAND:  The A's, one of the few teams that has not laid
off any front-office personnel during the strike, "probably will
not drop any employees -- even if the rest of the season is
erased."  The A's are currently for sale, with an asking price of
$85M (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 9/14).
     ST. LOUIS:  The strike has "inflicted some economic miseries
downtown, but riverboat gambling and special events have softened
the hit."  One restaurant manager, noting the Cardinals poor
season: "If there has to be a strike, make it this year" (ST.
LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 9/14).
     PHILADELPHIA:  Phillies owner Bill Giles, who stands solidly
behind the salary cap, was asked to think of the consequences had
the strike been in '93 when the Phillies were in the World
Series:  "I think I would shoot myself.  If this was 1993, I
might have a different feeling about things" (PHILADELPHIA
INQUIRER, 9/14).