ARIZONA: Fans will be able to make deposits on season
tickets Friday, with a $50 deposit necessary. Brochures will be
available at Saturday's Plaza celebration outside America West
Arena, and will be printed in newspapers across the state Sunday.
Monday, Circle-K Stores and Bank One branches will have brochures
available. Fans will have until Tuesday to submit ticket
requests for top-priority seats, with seating for those accepted
after Tuesday determined through a lottery. Rich Dozer, who will
become president of the club: "We might have 20,000 season
tickets right off the bat" (Bob McManaman, ARIZONA REPUBLIC,
3/9). Colangelo was apparently "angered" about leaks to the
media that the team would be named the Arizona Diamondbacks (Eric
Miller, ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/9).
TAMPA BAY: Negative reaction to the name Tampa Bay Devil
Rays in the Tampa Bay area is widespread. From an editorial in
today's TAMPA TRIBUNE: "To name our expansion team the Devil Rays
is wholly baffling. There are few less comely creatures in the
sea, the use of the word 'Devil' has may pious people
discombobulated, and all human beings who give a care for the
sound of language are wondering how such a choice could have been
made" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 3/9). CNN reported that a Tampa TV station
conducted a call-in poll on the name. The count was 26 for and
1,300 against ("Sports Tonight," 3/8). Team merchandise will be
available today, and fans are invited to attend a 5pm press
conference at the ThunderDome. Area malls are expected to have
merchandise on sale today (Joel Poiley, TAMPA TRIBUNE, 3/9).
ORLANDO/NORTHERN VA: Leaders from both areas' groups
expressed optimism at Expansion Committee Chair John Harrington's
assertion that two additional teams could be added before 2000.
According to the WASHINGTON POST, baseball officials have told
"people associated with the Northern Virginia groups that the
area is the front runner for the next round." Russel Ramsey, a
member of Virginia Baseball, the favored of the two Northern VA
groups: "There has not been a single owner or representative who
has not said we will be the next team" (Maske & Lipton,
WASHINGTON POST, 3/9). Virginia Baseball spokesperson Mike
Scanlon says the group is in the market for an existing franchise
if there is no announcement today regarding future expansion
(Thom Loverro, WASHINGTON TIMES, 3/9). Orlando group leader
Norton Herrick: "Naturally, I'm disappointed. But we still
don't know what they're going to say about the second round of
expansion. We expect to be a part of that" (Tracy & Leboewitz,
ORLANDO SENTINEL, 3/9).
VIVA BEISBOL? In L.A., Bob Nightengale reports that sources
say Mexico City is one of the leading candidates for the second
wave of expansion. Dodger President Peter O'Malley: "I'm for
Mexico City. In our league, that would be great" (L.A. TIMES,
3/9).
