NJ Gov. Christie Whitman said that her administration
is "not conducting hush-hush talks" with Yankees Owner
George Steinbrenner about moving the franchise to the state,
according to Tom Hester of the Newark STAR-LEDGER. Whitman
said that the talks have "nothing to do with the state
government." Whitman: "My understanding from reading the
papers -- and that's all I know about it -- is that there
are some private investors who have made some overtures."
Whitman also "reiterated" her position that NJ would "love
to have the Yankees, but the state ... isn't going to build
a stadium" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 4/28). NYC Mayor Rudy
Giuliani "fired a warning shot" to NJ yesterday,
"threatening to go on a sports-team raiding party" if NJ
tries to lure the Yankees. Giuliani: "If they're interested
in talking to our baseball team, we're interested in talking
to their soccer team and maybe a few of their other teams."
In N.Y., Tom Topusis writes that the Jets and MLS MetroStars
would be Giuliani's "[p]rime targets" (N.Y. POST, 4/28).
MAN ON AN ISLAND? In N.Y., Charles Bagli writes that
Giuliani "finds himself with few allies" in his effort to
build a new West Side ballpark for the Yankees. NY Gov.
George Pataki "has not endorsed the plan," while prominent
city officials have said that the team "should remain
forever in the Bronx." Business leaders "have remained
silent" on the issue, not wanting to alienate Giuliani,
while "privately expressing concerns" about his plan (N.Y.
TIMES, 4/28). Also in N.Y., POST gossip columnist Neal
Travis reports that Pataki and other state execs "want
nothing to do with the West Side scheme" (N.Y. POST, 4/28).
