The Commissioner's office denied a report in yesterday's
Cleveland PLAIN DEALER that Indians OF Albert Belle would be
fined $50,000 for his obscenity-filled tirade at NBC's Hannah
Storm during last October's World Series. MLB spokesperson Rich
Levin said acting Commissioner Bud Selig had made no decision on
Belle (SportsTicker, 2/27). The PLAIN DEALER reported Belle had
refused to pay $50,000 and a price was being negotiated between
the commissioner's office and the MLBPA (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER,
2/28). Belle: "I have to call my agent and see what is going
on." Indians GM John Hart: "We're not a player in this. ...
This is Bud Selig's call" (Akron BEACON JOURNAL, 2/28).
LABORING TOWARD A DEAL: In Philadelphia, Sam Donnelon notes
the new civility in the labor talks. MLB negotiator Randy
Levine: "We're in the same chapter now. We're not on the same
page, yet. But there's been movement on both sides. ... There's
no reason we shouldn't be able to get it done by Opening Day"
(PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 2/28).
SPRING PREVIEW: CNN's Sean Callebs reported from spring
training, now seen as more of a money-maker than in years past.
Callebs: "As teams look for bigger markets and bigger bucks here
[in FL], some old loyalties and traditions are falling by the
wayside. ... Collectively, the 20 teams working out in Florida
translate into $350 million each year for the state's economy" --
more than three times as much as Arizona ("Moneyline," CNN,
2/27).
