MLB: The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority
(OACCA) has retained Boston-based Game Plan LLC as an
advisor in its negotiations with the A's. Game Plan will
focus on the feasibility of selling the team to new
ownership (OACCA). In Boston, Will McDonough gave out Game
Plan's phone number in his Saturday column for those who
"want to buy the A's" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/12). In Oakland,
Monte Poole wrote that A's co-Owners Steve Schott and Ken
Hofmann are "at odds," with sources saying Hofmann, "the
silent partner, apparently is ready to sell but the more
visible Schott is not yet committed to the prospect"
(OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 7/12)....In MN, Sid Hartman reported that
NationsBank CEO Hugh McColl has the ballpark "problem in
Charlotte solved." Hartman wrote that McColl and the
Charlotte business community need to raise about $80M toward
a $220M facility and sources say "they have found a way to
get the rest of the money" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/11).
MLB AT THE GATE: Sunday's Beanie Baby Day drew a crowd
of 32,929 to Comiskey for the Royals-White Sox game, the
White Sox' largest crowd of the season (USA TODAY, 7/13).
...Saturday's Cubs-Brewers game drew 52,067, making it
Milwaukee's largest non-season opener crowd since '92. The
four game set drew 184,432, the second-largest four-game set
in Brewers history (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 7/12).
...The Red Sox-Orioles four-game series drew 192,494 to
Camden Yards, the most ever for a four-game set (SUN, 7/13).
LIGHTNING DEAL: Closing on Alfred Williams' purchase of
the Lightning was delayed Friday, after the principals
"apparently underestimated the length of time it would take"
to complete the deal (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 7/11).
