THE AL EAST'S BURDEN: BOSOX AND ORIOLES RAISE TICKET PRICES

          The Red Sox have raised tickets by $4 in almost every
     section, according to Larry Whiteside of the BOSTON GLOBE. 
     In creating a second tier of seats in several sections, the
     Red Sox hope to produce an additional $7.58M in revenue,
     "just enough to pay the salary" of P Pedro Martinez.  The $4
     hike will be in effect for field and loge box seats, right
     field boxes and roof seats, approximately half the
     grandstand and bleachers.  The team says that more than
     500,000 seats over the course of the season will be
     available at the same price as '97 (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/6).  
          DOH! The Red Sox home opener will take place April 10
     and will start at 3:05pm ET to accommodate religious
     observances of Good Friday and Passover.  There will be no
     beer sales at Fenway Park that day (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/6).
          ORIOLES: The Orioles have raised ticket prices 15% for
     the '98 season, on top of a 19% increase in '97, according
     to Jon Morgan of the Baltimore SUN.  The increase will net a
     little more than $7M for the club (Baltimore SUN, 1/1).  The
     average Orioles ticket will cost $18.93 in '98, a 74% leap
     in six years (Thomas Boswell, WASHINGTON POST, 12/31).