MOORES SAYS HIS PADRES ARE PART OF MLB'S FINANCIAL PROBLEM

          Padres Owner John Moores stands to pay out "a franchise
     record" in player salaries this year, according to Tom
     Krasovic of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, who reported that
     the club's guaranteed payroll for 2000 is $51.1M.  Moores:
     "We're heading for something I'm not really crazy about. 
     Unfortunately, I think the Padres are part of the problem
     rather than part of the solution.  I think our payroll is
     too high.  It's unfortunate that it's gotten to that."  Team
     officials said the club has "more than tripled revenues," to
     about $80M, since Moores bought the club in '94.  Estimates
     show the new downtown ballpark could double the value of the
     franchise.  But Moores said that the club "again will lose
     several million dollars each of the next two years." 
     Moores: "We're looking at huge, just absolutely staggering
     losses, and I'm not happy about that.  I probably would get
     ill if I knew exactly how much" (S.D. UNION-TRIBUNE, 3/12).