MCGWIRE'S MARCH: The Pirates, who had announced that
both games at Three Rivers Stadium against Mark McGwire and
the Cardinals this weekend had sold out, announced crowds of
45,082 and 42,134 for the weekend series. As of last week,
the team's average attendance was 18,797. McGwire help draw
45,308 and 52,320 to doubleheaders against the Mets (average
27,827) at Shea Stadium on Thursday and Friday, and 39,689
to Wrigley Field (average 30,985) for Cards-Cubs on
Wednesday. In the five days, McGwire hit six home runs,
bringing his total to 53 for the season (THE DAILY). In St.
Louis, Bernie Miklasz: "McGwire mania is growing larger and
crazier" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 8/23).
NFL TEAM NOTES: San Diego stands to credit the Chargers
$300,000 in a rent reduction because the team didn't sell
60,000 seats to its preseason opener against the 49ers on
August 8. The team fell 7,310 short. City officials said
that the preseason attendance "is not a cause for concern."
(SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 8/22)....The NFL Cardinals "are
tentatively scheduled to play in an American Bowl preseason
game next August in Mexico City against an opponent to be
named later." The Cards haven't played an int'l game since
moving to AZ in '88 (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 8/22). In "response
to fan pressure," the Cards have created a new mascot to
represent the team on and off the field. Its identity and
debut remain "top secret" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 8/23).
...Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen has given coach Mike Shanahan "a
new, innovative seven-year guaranteed contract" that makes
him "the highest-paid coach in the NFL." Shanahan's base
salary will be more than $2.4M this season, and his deal
"ensures" that he will be paid "as one of the five highest-
paid coaches in football for the life of the contract." A
source said the deal includes a clause stating that if
Bowlen sells the Broncos, Shanahan would have the right to
opt out of the contract (Adam Schefter, DENVER POST, 8/24).
MLB: The White Sox have used their leftover Beanie
Babies "to help lure back season-ticket holders." Many
season ticket subscribers received a Beanie Baby in the mail
with a letter from Chair Jerry Reinsdorf saying, "I am
encouraged by our team's play since the All-Star break.
We're still short of our goal and many tough decisions
remain" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 8/23)....The Cubs distributed a
special-edition Barbie doll outfitted with a Cubs jacket,
pants, hat and shoes to female fans yesterday (SUN-TIMES,
8/24)...Attendance for the three-game Indians-Orioles series
at Camden Yards was 144,784, the largest in the ballpark's
seven-year history (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 8/24).
NOTES: In Pittsburgh, Dejan Kovacevic reports that the
Penguins' ownership feud "could head into its final stretch
today when [co-Owners] Roger Marino and Howard Baldwin ...
will meet in New York with NHL officials for their first
face-to-face talks since July 8" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE,
8/24)....T-Wolves VP/Marketing Chris Wright said that 4,480
of the 5,000 necessary season tickets have been sold for
MN's WNBA expansion team (STAR TRIBUNE, 8/22)....The Pond's
quest for an NBA franchise was the subject of a multi-part
series in Sunday's L.A. TIMES by Bill Shaikin. The Pond
"desperately seeks an NBA teams to staunch the flow of red
ink," as without basketball, Ogden "loses millions of
dollars each year in arena operations" (L.A. TIMES, 8/23).
