STEINBRENNER DEFENDS TICKET PRICE HIKE, WANTS NEW STADIUM

     Yankees owner George Steinbrenner defended the club's
decision to raise their top ticket price from $17 to $25
yesterday, noting it only affects 4,200 seats.  Steinbrenner said
it has grown "increasingly tough" to stay competitive  on the
field because of "the archaic configuration of Yankee Stadium
limits luxury boxes, and hence revenue."  Steinbrenner, on the
"new, state-of-the-art" AL ballparks in Chicago, Baltimore,
Texas, Cleveland:  "They all get tremendous revenue
opportunities.  I'm dealing with a stadium with 18 suites while
they all have at least 75 suites."  The $25 seats will feature
arm rests, cushions and waiter-waitress service (Anthony Gargano,
N.Y. POST, 11/3).