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MCLANE DENIES ASTROS MOVE TO NORTHERN VA A DONE DEAL

     Astros Owner Drayton McLane Jr. denied a front-page report
in this morning's WASHINGTON POST that "an agreement in
principal" has been made to move the Astros to Northern VA.  But
Virginia Baseball, a group led by telecommunications exec William
Collins, claims to be "close to completing a deal" to purchase
the team, according to the POST's Lipton & Maske.  Collins and
McLane continue to discuss a sale price, but sources say it is
between $150-160M.  George Barton, Chair of the VA Baseball
Stadium Authority, said an "agreement in principal has been made.
There has been a handshake."  But Collins, who had hoped to make
an announcement next week, also said no deal has been finalized
(WASHINGTON POST, 10/26).  Interviewed on Washington's WRC-
Channel 4 last evening, Collins said, "I have had the opportunity
to meet with Drayton McLane on a number of occasions, but there
is no deal."  He added that "any real announcement would come a
couple of weeks probably after the World Series" ("News 4," WRC,
10/25).
     EYES ON HOUSTON:  In Houston, McLane "challenged city
leaders to put together a package within two weeks to support the
franchise or expect to see it moved."  Local leaders have set a
goal of selling 12,000 season tickets with a five-year commitment
in the coming weeks, and McLane said "would not rule out selling
is team" if the effort fails.  Although MLB owners are seen as
likely to block an Astros move out of No. 4 market, McLane has
not ruled out the possibility of challenging the league's
antitrust status.  Sources told the HOUSTON CHRONICLE "a more
likely" scenario would be for Collins to buy the team and keep
them in Houston for '96 while he builds a new facility in
Virginia.  Other "indications" that McLane is ready to sell are
that the team has no "season ticket operations in place."  An
Astros spokesperson called it "just a coincidence" (Williams and
Blout, HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/26).

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