FRANCHISE NOTES

          The Marlins have "dropped" their five-year P.A.
     announcer Jay Rokeach, but his dismissal was "not
     financially motivated."  Marlins VP/Sales & Marketing Jim
     Ross said that the team "wanted to make a change for
     creative reasons."  The team is considering several
     candidates to replace Rokeach (MIAMI HERALD, 3/20)....The
     76ers will change the start time of Monday-Saturday night
     home games next season, moving them up a half-hour to 7:00pm
     (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 3/20)....The situation involving
     former employees of Rocketball Ltd., who had threatened to
     bring charges of race discrimination and sexual harassment
     against the organization, has been "resolved."  No details
     were released, and no legal action will proceed (HOUSTON
     CHRONICLE, 3/2)....Through Monday, the Mariners had sold a
     club record 18,416 season tickets.  At the same time last
     year, the club had sold 17,760 (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/19).