Franchise Notes
ROYALTY: Royals Owner David Glass, on the Yankees' reported $164M payroll: "If you printed what I really thought, you'd get me in trouble. The commissioner's office has told all the owners not to comment anymore about what the other owners are doing" (K.C. STAR, 2/7)....In K.C., Jeffrey Flanagan: "Here's a move aimed directly at pleasing more fans. ... For the first time in decades, fans will be able to watch the Royals take batting practice." Gates will open two hours prior to the first pitch for games on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, "allowing fans to catch the last half-hour" of Royals batting practice (K.C. STAR, 2/6).
 | | Marlins Having Trouble At The Box Office | MORE MLB: Marlins President David Samson said that the team has sold more than 1,000 season tickets, but he "didn't have an exact number." One source said sales "were in the 1,000 range as of earlier this week." The Marlins, which sold 4,000 season tickets in '02, "have spent $2.5 million on marketing and advertising and are beginning to roll out ads on TV and radio" (MIAMI HERALD, 2/7)....USA TODAY's Hal Bodley examines the Expos' possible relocation to the DC/VA area and notes, "No matter how light the lost revenue will be, the Orioles will be weakened. ... I frankly think baseball would like to figure out a way not to move the Expos to Washington. For that reason, don't be surprised if they remain in limbo through the 2004 season." Meanwhile, info obtained by USA TODAY shows that only the Yankees, Giants and Mariners turned a profit last year (USA TODAY, 2/7).
MLS: MLS is "no longer actively looking at Milwaukee" as an expansion city. While Milwaukee "had been mentioned prominently two years ago as a potential site for expansion in 2004," MLS Communications Coordinator Simon Borg said, "Our attention is focused on cities that have stadium opportunities attached to them. If stadium prospects come back in Milwaukee, then we'll be back talking" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 2/7).
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