MLB DEBATES WHETHER TO ENLARGE OR REMOVE UNIFORM LOGOS

          MLBP President Bob Gamgort, putting together an apparel
     program that he hopes will generate as much as $20M-a-year,
     "has conceived one scenario in which all non-MLB logos would
     be eliminated from uniforms, in the hope that sneaker
     marketers would pay more for ad rights and have no
     reservations about using MLB players in creative, since they
     would not be wearing the logo of a competitor," according to
     Terry Lefton of BRANDWEEK.  Another possible scenario would
     see even larger logos on uniforms.  Lefton adds that MLB
     "needs to line up a new uniform deal by early next year to
     meet manufacturing lead times" for the '99 season.  In
     related news, Gamgort said he has received funding to hire
     senior execs to run MLB's licensing program and bring
     corporate sponsorship sales in-house, leaving himself "free
     to focus solely on marketing" (BRANDWEEK, 12/1 issue).
          NIKE PLAYS HARDBALL: AD AGE's Bradley Johnson reports
     that Nike "won't use" MLB endorsers in their uniforms in '98
     ads because it "doesn't want to indirectly promote exclusive
     MLB uniform licensee Russell Athletic, especially after MLB
     owners last year shot down a proposed marketing alliance
     with Nike" (Bradley Johnson, AD AGE, 12/1 issue).