PIRATES SALE SLOWED BY INTERNAL DIFFERENCES?; OTHER MLB NEWS

     The Pirates' economic woes and troubled sale are examined by
Stephen Baker in the current issue of BUSINESS WEEK.  Sources
close to the city government say the problem that the city and
the team's current owners have had on agreeing on a buyer "grows
from a flap" between Mayor Tom Murphy and PPG Industries Chair
Vincent Sarni.  While Murphy has backed Adelphia Communications
Chair John Rigas' $85M bid, Sarni and other Pirate owners have
solicited bid from others, including Orlando's Norton Herrick.
While PNC Bank, Carnegie Mellon Univ. and Mellon Bank are among
those in the Pirates group backing local ownership, PPX and USX
are open to outside bids.  One observer "thinks the best thing
for the Pirates would be for Sarni to get the top job at W.R.
Grace & Co., a post he's being considered for, and leave the
baseball negotiations" (BUSINESS WEEK, 5/8 issue).
     A'S TO STAY AT COLISEUM:  The Oakland-Alameda County
Coliseum Board of Directors "unanimously authorized" Coliseum
President George Vukasin to sign an agreement to keep the A's in
Oakland through 2004.  The deal is expected to be finalized early
this week.  In the agreement, Stephen Schott and Kenneth Hofmann,
who are negotiating to buy the team, agree to play at the
Coliseum for nine years plus a three-year renewal option (Oakland
Alameda-County Coliseum).
     UEBERROTH BID STILL ON:  Former MLB Commissioner Peter
Ueberroth is "moving ahead" with efforts to buy the Angels,
according to Tracy Ringolsby in Denver.  Ueberroth:  "We're
working hard and diligently, but I don't want to establish a
timetable that I might not be able to meet and would be counter-
productive" (ROCKY MOUNTIAN NEWS, 4/30).
     NORTHERN VA GROUP STILL HOPEFUL:  William Colllins and his
Virginia Baseball Club, Inc., said that he's "prepared to play
the waiting game" in order to attract a team to Northern VA.
Collins feels if a current team is going to move, it won't be
until June or July.  Among the teams Collins cites as
"potentially moveable":  Pirates, Expos and Mariners (Leonard
Shapiro, WASHINGTON POST, 4/29).
     VIVA BEISBOL:  ESPN's Peter Gammons said the Padres' use of
Fernando Valenzuela to attract Hispanic-American and Mexican fans
is "an attempt to really find out once and for all if San Diego
can make it" ("Baseball Tonight," 4/30).