Baseball's stalled labor negotiations are scheduled to
resume next Thursday.  The talks probably will take place in
Washington, and Acting Commissioner Bud Selig yesterday left open
the possibility that he could be at the bargaining table (Mark
Maske, WASHINGTON POST, 11/4).

     The Canadian TV network, CTV, -- which is backing next
weekend's charity tournament in Hamilton, Ontario -- has offered
to expand the tournament into a 30-game schedule of players'
games.  If accepted by the NHLPA, the 30-game schedule "likely
would knock the NHL out of the picture" for the '94-95 season
(Mark Everson, N.Y. POST, 11/4).
     GIVE 'EM BACK THE TAKEBACKS:  In N.Y., Mark Everson writes,
"The NHL owners are beginning to crumble just the way they
thought the players would."  A member of the NHL Board of
Governors told the POST yesterday that he will press NHL
Commissioner Gary Bettman to rescind the "infamous" 19 takebacks
that ignited the lockout.  The governor said that the league
needed to rescind the takebacks as a show of good faith.  Everson
adds, "This governor's plan to press Bettman to rescind the
takebacks as a show of good faith only adds to the pressure on
the former basketball underling" (N.Y. POST, 11/4).
     TALKS NEXT WEEK:  ESPN's Craig Kilborn: "The time and place
is classified information, but there will be more NHL labor talks
next week" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 11/3).
     GOODENOW NOT OPTIMISTIC:  NHLPA Exec Dir Bob Goodenow told
ESPN Radio yesterday that he foresaw a "drop dead date" for the
entire season in the "not too distant future":  "My gut feeling
is that I hope we see hockey this season, but I would not be
surprised if the season were wiped out" ("SportsCenter," ESPN,
11/3).
     BURKE DENIES ROOKIE CAP OFFER:  NHL Dir of Hockey Ops Brian
Burke "emphatically denied" allegations that the NHLPA had
proposed a rookie cap earlier this week: "I can state
categorically that the union has never offered a rookie salary
cap.  They have expressed repeatedly their opposition to a cap."
Players Brett Hull and Chris Terreri earlier this week said that
the NHLPA had proposed a "rookie cap" (Larry Brooks, N.Y. POST,
11/4).
     GILMOUR GOING TO EUROPE:  Maple Leafs' Captain Doug Gilmour
responded to criticism from the Blues Brett Hull that Gilmour is
"betraying the cause" by going to play in Europe: "Brett's
trouble is that he speaks before he thinks.  I told him the other
night to wake up."  Gilmour is "almost certainly headed" to play
for the Swiss club Rapperswil on November 15 (Jim Proudfoot,
TORONTO STAR, 11/4).
     LAYOFFS:  Devils' President and GM Lou Lamoriello revealed
yesterday that the team has laid off "more than a dozen"
employees (N.Y. TIMES, 11/4).