League Notes

NEW HOME FOR WTA? In Atlanta, Todd Holcomb reports that the WTA Tour "had planned to move" from its HQs in Stamford, CT, to Wesley Chapel, FL, but new CEO Kevin Wulff "has put those plans on hold and called Atlanta Sports Council president Gary Stokan to gauge the interest [there]." The WTA has left Stamford and is operating out of its satellite office in St. Petersburg. Wulff: "We're still working on the deal in Florida and need to keep that as our focus, but we realize that situations post-Sept. 11 have changed things in Saddlebrook, and we've made some inquiries about some alternatives" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 12/11).

MLB: The AP reported a CA appeals court ruled yesterday that MLB "did not violate the rights of pre-1947 players by using their names, image and game footage." Plaintiffs Pete Coscarart, Dolph Camilli, Frankie Crosetti and Al Gionfriddo claimed in the '95 lawsuit that baseball execs violated their rights by using their "names, voices, signatures, photographs and/or likenesses" without consent or compensation. The players played before '47, when the standard player contract was revised to allow use of such images "for publicity purposes in any manner." Ronald Katz, the attorney for the former players, said that he will "recommend they appeal to the state Supreme Court" (AP, 12/10). In Oakland, Josh Richman notes that the appellate court also "upheld a San Francisco judge's order that one of the four plaintiffs pay $46,535 in attorney's fees" to MLB (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 12/11).