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BATTEN THE HATCHES! ROUGH SEAS EXPECTED FOR PIRATES

     The Pirates' battle to stay in Pittsburgh hinges upon
Friday's deadline for Sacramento businessman Kevin McClatchy's
$85M bid.  However, with McClatchy scrambling to add investors,
writers around baseball are giving mixed reviews with many
expecting the 108-year-old club to move to RFK Stadium in
Washington next year.  However, others believe MLB's owners will
refuse a move.  A sampling:
     BYE, BYE BUCCOS:  In his column in Sunday's BOSTON GLOBE,
Peter Gammons reports that "the betting seems to be 5-1" that
McClatchy will not come up with the money to buy the Pirates.
Gammons adds that "the team will move to Washington/Northern
Virginia" (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/17).  In St. Louis, Rich Hummel writes
"there is a strong feeling that Pittsburgh ... can no longer
support a team" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 9/17).  In
Philadelphia, Bill Conlin reports that "unless a financial
miracle happens in the next week," the team is headed for "the
urban rat hole that is RFK Stadium" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS,
9/15).  In Saturday's PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, Sam Carchidi notes
that "lukewarm support has always been a problem" for the Pirates
and that this past weekend's series with the Phillies was
probably the last (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 9/16).  Former Pirate
Andy Van Slyke:  "Whoever buys that team should have the right to
do whatever he can to make money.  If that means leaving
Pittsburgh, so be it."  Thomas Stinson adds Charlotte and
Nashville as possibilities (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 9/17).
     NOT INSIDE THE BELTWAY, YET:  In Philadelphia, Jayson Stark
reports that "one prominent baseball man says: 'Nobody in their
right mind should assume the Pirates are leaving Pittsburgh,
regardless of what you hear.'"  Stark adds: "While owners might
be willing to let the Expos or Padres move, they are very
reluctant to move out of a city that has had major league
baseball since 1882" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 9/17).  Reports in
Washington center on doubts the team will be allowed to move.  In
Saturday's WASHINGTON POST, an article by Mark Maske emphasizes
the difficulty of moving a team and quotes both Red Sox CEO John
Harrington and Bud Selig on the history and tradition of the
Pirates (WASHINGTON POST, 9/16).  Thom Loverro reports in
Saturday's WASHINGTON TIMES, "Just as key to the future of
Washington baseball may be what happens Tuesday in Seattle."
Loverro quotes a source who says a failed vote for a new stadium
in Seattle puts the Mariners "at the top of the list" for teams
"ripe for purchase and relocation."   Loverro notes that a
Mariners' move "would face difficult roadblocks," including
possible litigation by Orioles Owner Peter Angelos.  Loverro adds
that in order to get an AL team to the DC area, one source
believes that owners would have to get an NL team "to switch
leagues" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 9/16).

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