FRANCHISE NOTES

     Lightning VP/Ticket Ops Jeff Morander said sales of club
seats for the team's new Ice Palace have reached about 50% of the
goal for sales to current season ticket holders.  The new
facility will have about 3,000 club seats, with remaining seats
on sale March 4 (ST. PETE TIMES, 2/21).... The presence of the
Stars in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area has contributed to an
explosion in junior hockey participation  -- estimated at four-
times higher than before the club's move (DALLAS MORNING NEWS,
2/22)....Tony Gwynn intends to play until age 40, but then will
"attack his goal" of becoming a GM, preferably with the Padres
(SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 2/19)....Orioles Vice Chair Joe Foss
said the team could sell out Camden Yards this season.  The club
has already sold an estimated 2.6 million out of 3.7 million
available tickets (Baltimore SUN, 2/22)....The Mariners announced
that season ticket sales have topped 10,000 for the first time in
club history (Mariners)....The Bullets announce their new name
today (Bullets).