Stephen Story, member of the Bucs trust in charge of selling
the team, said yesterday "no formal offer has been made" for the
team, but that he remains hopeful "talks will produce one as
early as this week." Story: "We had the hopes that something
would get done by the end of next week. I still think that is a
good deadline. ... Everybody is kind of waltzing around the issue
and nobody wants to be the first one at the dance" (Rick Stroud,
TAMPA TRIBUNE, 12/12). Orioles Owner Peter Angelos met for two
hours with the group over the weekend and reported "substantial
progress" in his bid to buy the team. Angelos said the two sides
"are in agreement on a number of points" (Jon Morgan, Baltimore
SUN, 12/11). But Story had a different take on the meeting,
saying "until it is in writing and there is a check, there is no
offer. ... (Angelos) kinds of skirts the issue as far as numbers"
(Rick Stroud, TAMPA TRIBUNE, 12/12). In a related development,
real estate developer Norton Herrick dropped out of the running
to buy the team, saying he will focus on his effort to bring
baseball to the Orlando area (Jim Thomas, ST. LOUIS POST-
DISPATCH, 12/12).
