"On a day of baseball-related maneuverings on Capitol Hill,
the team owners put into motion their plan to open the 1995
season with replacement players" (Mark Maske, WASHINGTON POST,
1/5).  Meeting by phone, the owners' operations committee began
examining the details on the use of replacement players during
spring training games, "grappling with roster size, eligibility
and other puzzling questions."  The committee will have another
session soon and is contemplating a formal meeting of owners to
give the replacement plan a approval "later this month" (Tim
Harper, TORONTO STAR, 1/5).  In Milwaukee, Tom Haudricourt
reports that, according to several Brewers players, the owners'
plan to use replacements "is primarily a ploy to tempt striking
major-leaguers to cross picket lines."  Brewer Kevin Seitzer:
"They're just creating this imaginary sense of satisfaction that
everything's going to be OK.  I'm not biting, and I don't think
many guys will" (MILWAUKEE SENTINEL, 1/5).  In the current issue
of SI, Tim Kurkjian reports that two club sources predict that
half of the Pirates, a "very young team with relatively low
salaries, will report."  Kurkjian also notes quotes from Astros
pitcher Greg Swindell saying he will cross the lines (Tim SPORTS
ILLUSTRATED, 1/9 issue).  Tigers GM Joe Klein said his is moving
forward with building a team:  "We have to provide a ballclub and
we'll do so" (WJR-Radio, 1/4).
     FEHR AND LOATHING IN WASHINGTON:  While the owners were
contemplating the use of replacements, MLBPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr
was in Washington updating Labor Secretary Robert Reich on the
current state of negotiations.  The Clinton Administration "still
is pressing the sides to return to the bargaining table."  Acting
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig called for a resumption of talks:
"I've said all along and I'll say it again, this thing has to be
settled at the bargaining table" (Peter Schmuck, Baltimore SUN,
1/5).
     ON THE HILL:  Five baseball bills, ranging from complete
repeal of the sport's antitrust exemption to binding arbitration
to settle the strike, were introduced on Day 1 of the 104th
Congress.  Three of the bills, one from Sen. Pat Moynihan (D-NY)
and two from Rep. Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), were expected, but
two other House members also introduced bills.  Rep. Pat Williams
(D-MT) reintroduced his bill that would require the owners and
players to submit to binding arbitration if they did not reach an
agreement by February 1, although the date will most likely be
pushed back a month.  Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) also reintrduced
his bill, which had made it out of the House Judiciary Committee
last term, proposing that any unilateral implementation of new
work rules become subject to the antitrust laws.  Conyers kept
his bill narrow "rather than calling for complete repeal of the
exemption" in the hope that the GOP would not see it as
interfering with their "Contract with America" legislation.  Sen.
Orrin Hatch (R-UT), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, may
introduce his own bill which would most "closely resemble" the
Conyers bill.  Paul Smith, a spokesperson for Sen. Hatch:  "He
did say he thought if his bill passed, the players would be back
for spring training.  That, to me, says he's going to do
something fast" (Murray Chass, N.Y. TIMES, 1/5).
     EFFECT OF A REPEAL:  Selig: "Take away the antitrust
exemption and you create a system that nobody can live with"
(BOSTON GLOBE, 1/5).  Fehr on the owners' contention that labor
relations are not affected by the exemption:  "If the owners
really believed it made no difference, they would not oppose this
change in the law.  They understand that it fundamentally changes
the dynamic.  They understand that it would hold the owners
accountable to the law the same way everybody else is."  MLB
General Counsel Chuck O'Connor:  "If congress simply repeals the
antitrust exemption, it will not have any effect on this labor
dispute, and it will have ... a bad impact on Major League
Baseball's relationship with its minor leagues" ("SportsCenter,"
ESPN, 1/4).  Pirate Andy Van Slyke:  "We have replacement
senators and congressmen now, right?  Well, it's time for them to
do the right thing" (SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, 1/9 issue).
     SIGNING FREEZE:  Union officials said they would ask players
to maintain a signing moratorium until Fehr and staff have
completed a 7-city series of meetings with players and agents
beginning tomorrow (See yesterday's DAILY for the list of cities)
(Ross Newhan, L.A. TIMES, 1/5).

     The CBA All-Star Game has been the primary job facing
Hartford Sports & Entertainment Group GM Casey Kahler since he
signed on on August 17.  Hartford Sports & Entertainment owns the
CBA Hellcats and the AFL's Connecticut Coyotes.  The Aetna CBA
All-Star Classic will be held January 24 at the Hartford Civic
Center.  While Kahler hopes to break the attendance record, he
admits that "little over 3,000" tickets have been sold.  Kahler:
"Obviously, we have to pick it up a little."  The record is
11,382 set in 1993 in Oklahoma City (Roy Hasty, HARTFORD COURANT,
1/5).

     The NHL Board of Governors will vote on Saturday on whether
to accept the latest contract offer from the NHLPA.  Acceptance
of the proposal would mean that a 50-game season would begin on
January 16.  In Toronto, Paul Hunter outlines three potential
scenarios:  1)  The owners accept -- a "longshot";  2)  The
owners reject and present the union with a "final" counter-offer;
3)  The owners reject and negotiations continue.  It was not
known whether NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman "supported or
rejected the union's latest proposal, but his reaction will be
crucial."  If Bettman approves the deal, a simple 14-vote
majority is needed from the Board.  If he rejects the deal, 20
votes would be necessary to ratify (TORONTO STAR, 1/5).
     DETAILS:  Since both sides continued to observe a news
blackout, there was no official release on the details of the
proposal.  But nearly all reports this morning note that the
offer does not include a luxury tax.  In Toronto, David Shoalts
reports that the players made a concession on free agency --
agreeing to 30 as the eligibility age for unrestricted free
agency (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 1/5).  On arbitration, the CP's
Alan Adams reports that the players are offering to allow
walkaway rights -- by which a team is not bound to an
arbitrator's decision.  Arbitration would be available to players
at age 24 or with five years experience (Mult., 1/5).  In
Vancouver, Tony Gallagher adds that there is something "new and
decidedly innovative" in the offer -- reportedly a mechanism
which would kick in changes in the deal if salaries go up or down
radically or players begin to "move around at a certain rate"
(Vancouver PROVINCE, 1/5).    PESSIMISM DEPT.:  "Preliminary
indications are that it doesn't look good for a settlement" (Jeff
Jacobs, HARTFORD COURANT, 1/5).  One GM said the offer is "not
enough."  Another GM:  "This won't create the drag we need"
(CANADIAN PRESS/Vancouver PROVINCE, 1/5).  One NHL "insider":
"It doesn't appear that very much has changed from their earlier
proposals.  I don't expect the governors will approve it" (Dave
Fay, WASHINGTON TIMES, 1/5).  In Toronto, Dave Fuller calls
passage a "remote possibility since [the offer] doesn't include a
luxury tax" (TORONTO SUN, 1/5).  One management source:  "I don't
think we're going to have a deal" (Len Hochberg, WASHINGTON POST,
1/5).
     OPTIMISM DEPT.:  The GLOBE & MAIL cites several NHL sources
who said they "could not see how the owners would turn it down"
(David Shoalts, Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 1/5).  "The NHL seemed
yesterday to be a league that was getting ready to play more than
it was bracing for cancellation" (Frank Brown, N.Y. DAILY NEWS,
1/5).
     THE STAKES FOR THE COMMISSIONER:  In Toronto, Al Strachan
lays out the task facing Commissioner Bettman.  "If he took the
deal to the owners right now, he could almost certainly get the
50% support he needs for approval.  But he probably wouldn't get
much more.  Looking ahead past the return of the game, Bettman is
concerned for his own job security if he can't raise that
percentage appreciably.  It's one thing to get a new collective
bargaining agreement with a 14-12 majority.  It's another thing
to try to run a league with 12 owners holding a grudge" (TORONTO
SUN, 1/5).  One "moderate" NHL Governor told the N.Y. POST:
"It's all in how he sells it. ... If he comes in and recommends a
deal without a payroll tax; if he wants to position it, 'Look, we
have enough,' it will pass" (Larry Brooks, N.Y. POST, 1/5).
     WILL NO MEAN NO?  "Many believed a rejection by the owners
Saturday won't necessarily spell the end of the season" (Joe
Gordon, BOSTON HERALD, 1/5).  Bruins President & GM Harry Sinden:
"I am pretty certain this is it, but you never know.  Maybe they
have another final offer" (Alan Adams, CP/VANCOUVER SUN, 1/5).
Should the owners reject the players' proposal, talks could
continue with the prospect of saving a 45- or 40-game season.
"However, Bettman must be careful not to be perceived as the boy
who cried wolf too many times" (Kevin Paul Dupont, BOSTON GLOBE,
1/5).

     In today's WASHINGTON POST, Leonard Shapiro examines the
"dark clouds hovering on the horizon" for the PGA Tour as it
begins its 1995 season today in Carlsbad, CA.  Those "dark
clouds" refer to the four-year investigation by the Federal Trade
Commission of tour rules regarding conflicting events and TV
appearances and the proposed World Tour.  Results of the FTC
investigation are expected "any day now" with the ruling expected
to say that the rules "constitute a restraint of trade and are
anti-competitive" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/5).