ROONEYS REMAIN APPREHENSIVE OF PURCHASING PIRATES

     Steelers President Dan Rooney said yesterday that the
current labor dispute in baseball is "complicating efforts" to
purchase the Pirates and could cause his family to withdraw from
the bidding.  Rooney said that small-market teams such as the
Pirates need revenue sharing and a salary cap for financial
reasons.  Rooney contended that without such financial restraints
it would be difficult to maintain a baseball team in Pittsburgh:
"This deal might be so difficult, we might feel it's impossible
to do it.  There are a lot of factors that still have to be
worked out to make this deal attractive."  Rooney added that he
is concerned that if the Pirates leave Pittsburgh, the city's
image will receive "serious damage."  The Rooney family is among
six local groups that have submitted bids for the Pirates (Steve
Halvonik, PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 10/14).