The signing of SS Alex Rodriguez "continued to pay dividends at the" team's ticket office, as the equivalent of another 80 full season tickets were purchased yesterday, including 30 full-season plans, according to Ken Daley of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. Since Monday's signing, the team has sold the equivalent of 370 full-season tickets. Overall, the team has raised its season-ticket base for '01 by 780 full-season equivalents (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/14). Meanwhile, Rodriguez attended last night's Oilers-Stars game at Reunion Arena with Owner Tom Hicks, and in Ft. Worth, Jeff Caplan writes that Rodriguez was shown on the JumboTron during the game and was "immediately welcomed to town by a defeaning standing ovation from the sell-out crowd" (F.W. STAR-TELEGRAM, 12/14). Hicks said that Rodriguez' deal "has absolutely no effect" on the Stars. Hicks: "The two operate completely separately" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/14). MONEY MATTERS: Agent Tom Reich predicted "over the long haul," the Rangers "will make money" on Rodriguez' deal. Reich: "They're looking at this having a huge impact on the equity value of the franchise. ... Just check the value of this franchise a few years from now. You'll measure the increase in nine figures. ... People will look back and see it as The A-Rod Effect" (ESPN.com, 12/13)....Given an agent's usual 5% fee for negotiating contracts, CBS SportsLine's Scott Miller estimated that Rodriguez' agent Scott Boras will receive about $12.6M (CBS SportsLine, 12/13)....In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes that insurance for Rodriguez against a disabling injury "could be as much as" $4M annually, which could decrease as Rodriguez "fulfills his contract in successive years." IL-based Pro Financial Services Chair Brian Burns: "Most coverage is written at the 70 percent level, so a $100 million contract can be insured for $70 million. But a $252 million contract would be insured at about 38 percent" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/14). THE MANNY EFFECT: While some critics have questioned the Red Sox' need for public funding for a new ballpark after the team signed OF Manny Ramirez to $160M deal, Red Sox GM Dan Duquette said that he "believes the Ramirez deal underscores the need for a big new Sox stadium to pay escalating player salaries." Duquette: "I think the fact we have to compete on the open market for players of this caliber ... points to the need for a new ballpark" (BOSTON HERALD, 12/14)....Also in Boston, Jeff Horrigan reports that Ramirez' deal "does not include lockout language. If the players go on strike or the owners institute a lockout, Ramirez won't be paid" (BOSTON HERALD, 12/14). FINAL WORD: Indians GM John Hart: "Ninety-nine percent of the time, I wear my Indians cap and worry about this franchise. But when I take it off at night, I worry about this game. Tom Hicks was able to sign Alex Rodriguez because he owns Clear Channel TV. Boston has a cable contract with NESN. You've got teams owned by FOX and TBS. The Yankees have their contract with [MSG]. Our asset is the ballpark. That's where the disparity is between teams. I'm playing as hard as I can in this system, but it's a system that doesn't work" (PLAIN DEALER, 12/13).
