MLB officials will meet with members of the media today
to discuss the findings of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on
Baseball Economics, and in CO, Tracy Ringolsby reports that
at the league meeting in N.Y., MLB owners will "consider
suggestions to eliminate two teams and possible relocation
of franchises" to the Washington, DC, and N.Y.-NJ area. The
recommendations "are expected to be part" of the report
presented to owners today, and under the consolidation plan,
the "remaining franchises would join together to buy out the
teams that would be folded, and a dispersal of those teams'
assets would be held" (Boulder DAILY CAMERA, 7/14). On the
"National Sports Report" last night, Ringolsby was asked
which teams might be consolidated: "One of them I would
imagine for sure would be Montreal. ... The other one that
would be the sleeper I think could be Tampa Bay because
nothing's gone well for them in Tampa Bay. They don't
really seem to have any direction, they don't seem to be
able to get the crowds." Ringolsby said the likely teams
for possible relocation include the A's, Twins and Marlins
"because those are the teams where there hasn't been a lot
of local support to get anything done to try to help the
teams with ballparks, and the attendance has been bad in
those places" (FSN, 7/13). The AP's Ronald Blum reports
that while "contraction may not be on the formal agenda, two
owners, speaking on the condition they not be identified,
said the idea is being given increased attention by team
heads because of Montreal's inability to get a new
ballpark." Blum: "If the major leagues ever decide to
shrink, its central fund, which gets money from national
broadcasting and licensing contracts, could be used to buy
back the Expos along with one other team, one of the owners
said." Rockies Majority Owner Jerry McMorris, on
consolidation: "It is being taken more seriously" (AP,
7/14). CBS SportsLine's Scott Miller notes "growing
sentiment" for "killing off" the Expos and a franchise to be
named later, and calls it a "cynical, selfish, major-league
cop-out" (CBS SportsLine, 7/14). But also on CBS
SportsLine, Ian Browne notes the Expos, A's, Marlins and
Twins, and writes, "It's time to cut the cord on those who
have made it obvious they can't make it work" (CBS
SportsLine, 7/14). In Minneapolis, La Velle Neal cites a
Twins official as saying that "additional revenue sharing
and minimum payroll requirements" will also be discussed at
the meeting (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/14).
WILL IT HAPPEN? FSN's Chris Myers said, "This is just
being skeptical here, [but the consolidation plan might be]
a ploy by owners to say to the Player's Association, 'Hey,
we're going to lose some jobs and some rosters, some teams,
if we don't do something about the financial state of the
game right now.'" But FSN's Steve Lyons responded by
saying, "The financial state of the game is all [the
owners'] fault." Lyons: "They come out and they offer the
contracts that are going around now, no one's twisting their
arms. Bottom line, [MLBPA General Counsel] Gene Orza ...
right now, is saying, 'Absolutely not, this will not
happen.' It's not a bad idea, something like this should
happen. ... And who is this blue-ribbon panel, anyway.
There's not one guy on that panel that has anything to do
with the game of baseball" ("NSR," FSN, 7/13).
PLAY TO PLAY...ELSEWHERE: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Sam
Walker reports that "various" MLB teams "have agreed to pay
at least" $70M to players they've "released" this year.
That's "only a fraction of the league's" $1.6B payroll, but
"it's still more" than the payroll of the Twins, Marlins and
Royals. The issue is "embarrassing to teams -- and
irritating to fans," as the payments usually are one
contributing factor to higher ticket prices. Braves
President Stan Kasten: "It's just one of the unfortunate
costs of doing business" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/14).
