FRANCHISE NOTES

          Former Labatt exec Don McDougall, a "key player" in
     landing the Blue Jays in '76, is part of Lawrence Dale's new
     group trying to buy the team (TORONTO STAR, 10/29)....The
     Hawks will play the Bulls on November 7 in front of "the
     biggest home crowd in franchise history."  Hawks Exec VP Lee
     Douglas said the lower decks at the Georgia Dome are sold
     out of more than 21,000 tickets and that the team is now
     selling $10 tickets for Dome's upper deck (ATLANTA
     CONSTITUTION, 10/29)....In Sacramento, R.E. Graswich wrote
     that Kings Owner Jim Thomas "is a proud man, tough and
     tested ... but the nonsense with the Kings is getting to
     him."  Graswich added that people close to Thomas "indicate
     he's nearing the end of his rope" (SACRAMENTO BEE,
     10/28)....The Padres have increased ticket prices for the
     '98 season.  The "biggest increase" is $2 for skyboxes and
     infield field-level seats that will cost $18.  Ticket prices
     for "nearly half of the seats" at Qualcomm Stadium "will not
     go up" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 10/25).