FRANCHISE NOTES

          In S.F., Gwen Knapp, on the Mets raising their ticket
     prices (See THE DAILY, 1/25): "I cannot comprehend a $57
     ticket for a Mets-Brewers showdown in April.  For that
     price, I expect Mike Piazza to hit for the cycle and serve
     as my specially assigned waiter in his spare time" (S.F.
     EXAMINER, 1/25)....In Seattle, Jayda Evans reported that the
     WNBA Storm "invited season-ticket depositors into KeyArena"
     Monday to "select where they wanted to sit" during the
     team's inaugural season.  Event Coordinator Peter Yates,
     said that there are "about 2,300 actual season-ticket
     holders" in the Storm's 7,200 deposits (SEATTLE TIMES,
     1/25)....In L.A., Bill Shaikin reported that AZ business
     exec Gary Elbogen and three associates "pocketed a healthy
     profit" by selling the franchise rights for a proposed ABA
     2000 team in Anaheim.  Exact figures from the sale were not
     released.  Elbogen's group still retains franchise rights to
     teams in San Jose, K.C. and Tampa (L.A. TIMES, 1/25).