MLB owners "are leaning strongly toward settling for a
scaled-down realignment plan" that would move the Brewers or
Royals to the NL and shift the Tigers from the AL East to
the AL Central for '98, according to sources of Mark Maske
of the WASHINGTON POST. The plan, which would also put the
expansion D'Backs in the NL West and the Devil Rays in the
AL East, could be voted on during a conference call set for
Wednesday. It "would leave the sport" with a 16-team NL and
a 14-club AL. Sources told Maske that the owners plan to
postpone further realignment at least until after the '98
season (WASHINGTON POST, 10/14). But Royals GM Herk
Robinson doubted the report: "We have said as a club that
unless there are substantial changes, it would be in our
best interest to stay where we are" (K.C. STAR, 10/14).
GET ALONG, GO ALONG: MLB officials "are becoming
increasingly irritated" with MLBPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr's
"repeated denunciation" of realignment. MLB's Labor
Relations Chair Randy Levine said that the union has been
kept "apprised" of realignment plans: "Even though this is
something we don't have to bargain with the union, we have
kept them informed from Day One." Levine also said that the
owners "had the right" to terminate the DH without union
approval (Bill Madden, N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/14). Fehr:
"They're entitled to their opinion. The fact is that the
self-imposed deadline is near, and we have no new
information" (Larry Whiteside, BOSTON GLOBE, 10/14). Fehr
said that geographical realignment could have a "negative
effect" on players' earning potential. Fehr: "Would Nike be
interested in Ken Griffey if he played exclusively west of
the Mississippi?" (Peter Schmuck, Baltimore SUN, 10/14).
