MLB NEWS & NOTES: BASEBALL'S TICKING SUPERSTAR

     MLB's weekend action was dominated by coverage of the
Indians-Brewers series, where a bench-clearing ball followed
Albert Belle's throwing of a forearm into Brewers 2B Fernando
Vina while running out a grounder.  Belle earlier had been hit by
a pitch, and many in the media felt his hit on Vina was malicious
("Baseball 96," CNN, 6/1).  Belle's behavior is the focus of USA
TODAY's Sports cover story, as his "baggage [is] getting heavier
by the day" (Johnson & Antonen, USA TODAY, 6/3).  Fox's Steve
Lyons:  "At what point do some of his teammates stop supporting
some of the things that he's doing?"  Fox's Jeff Torborg: "I
thought it was good clean baseball" ("Fox Saturday Baseball,"
6/1). CNN's Tim Kurkjian, on Belle:  "I'm sure they'll look at
these tapes, but I don't think he'll be suspended. ... He's
really going to hurt somebody" ("Baseball 96," 6/1).  ESPN's
Peter Gammons: "I don't think anything is going to happen.  Ever
since the owners got rid of the commissionership, they got the
anarchy they sought, and the Players Association isn't going to
do anything because the Players Association is a rich man's
guild" ("SportsWeekly," 6/2).  In DC, Mark Maske quotes one AL
exec who said that AL President Gene Budig wanted to fine or
suspend Belle for throwing baseballs at an SI photographer, but
"the union raised hell."  The exec:  "At some point, even the
union is going to have to say 'Enough is enough'" (WASHINGTON
POST, 6/2).  ESPN's John Feinstein, on the Vina incident:  "How
can Bud Selig [acting Commissioner/Brewers Owner] properly
adjudicate the situation?  What he should do is suspend Albert
Belle for a month at least, but he can't" (SportsReporters,"
ESPN, 6/2).    MEETINGS:  Although quarterly owners meetings in
Philadelphia were canceled, MLB's Executive Council will meet
Wednesday with the "most significant" figuring to be Reds Owner
Marge Schott, "who has been invited to attend."  The council is
expected to decide within a week whether or not to discipline
Schott for embarrassing comments and her operation of the team
(Murray Chass, N.Y. TIMES, 6/2).