It "seems probable that, in the next year or two,
several" MLB franchises "may relocate," including the Expos,
Marlins, Twins and Devil Rays, according to Thomas Boswell
of the WASHINGTON POST, who writes that many in MLB "expect
that one of those teams will end up here," unless Orioles
Owner Peter Angelos or MLB Commissioner Bud Selig "prevents
it." Boswell writes, "While acting impartial, Selig may
well sabotage us in the end." A "highly placed" baseball
management source said earlier this month: "No matter what
Bud says, don't believe him. He is not really a friend of
Washington. He's still much more a defender of the Orioles'
'regional franchise.'" But Boswell adds that Selig "may
ultimately be overwhelmed by a rising tide of financially
trapped teams who see Washington-Northern Virginia as a
salvation. A mild recession wouldn't hurt our chances.
Baseball would have so much red ink the stampede here might
look like the Oklahoma land rush" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/16).
XCHANGE YOUR SOX: In Boston, Christopher Szechenyi
wrote that MA-based PR exec Don Moorhouse and Western MA
Radio Group Principal Owner Tom Davis "have been gathering
online pledges from fans" at RedSoxPledge.com "to measure
public interest in the idea" of buying a majority stake in
the Red Sox. Between yesterday morning and early afternoon,
Moorhouse said that "more than $700,000 in pledges have
poured into his office -- adding to the $1 million in
promises and pledges they have already accumulated since
launching the Red Sox New England xChange [RSNEx] a couple
of weeks ago." Moorhouse and Davis "are in the process of
incorporating" the RSNEx, so "they can offer stock in" the
for-profit company (BOSTON.com, 11/15).
TICKETS NEWS: In Toronto, Jeff Blair notes the Blue
Jays will raise ticket prices by C$2 per game for premium
dugout and field-level infield seats, to C$44 and C$41,
respectively, and by C$1.50 per game for field-level base
seats, which will now cost C$35. But the team has "held the
line" on single-game prices on five other levels and lowered
the cost of field-level baseline seats to C$29 from C$30.75
while reducing 200 SkyClub outfield seats to C$23 from
C$30.75 (GLOBE & MAIL, 11/16)....The Rockies will add a
luxury seating section behind home plate at Coors Field and
an "exclusive" Coors Clubhouse, a 4,500-square-foot
restaurant and lounge. The first five rows behind home
plate and "extending from dugout to dugout will be
transformed into a 180-seat section featuring the best seats
in the park." Ticket prices in the section will "range
from" $135-$150 (Boulder DAILY CAMERA, 11/16).
PAINT IT BLACK: The Giants unveiled their new black
"alternate" jersey and cap Tuesday (see THE DAILY, 11/15).
The club "decided to create the alternate jersey at the
suggestion of the players" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/15).
