Outside of Yankee Stadium before the team's home opener
yesterday, Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer and other
politicians urged passage of the Sports Fan Protection Act, a NY
Assembly bill that would let the state take over the Yankees if
Owner George Steinbrenner "becomes adamant about leaving the
city." NEWSDAY's Karen Freifeld reports the bill would establish
a sports authority that could purchase the team and sell shares
to the public. Ferrer, a Democrat expected to run for Mayor in
'97, also said he is "considering going to court" to challenge
MLB's antitrust exemption. Ferrer and Manhattan Borough
President Ruth Messinger both condemned New York Mayor Rudy
Giuliani for his support of a plan to build a new stadium on
Manhattan's West Side (NEWSDAY, 4/10). Giuliani met with
Steinbrenner hours before the club's opener to discuss the team's
future (N.Y. POST, 4/10). Officials for New York's Metropolitan
Transportation Authority, which owns the site of Giuliani's
proposed $1.1B stadium, note that the proposal includes no money
for purchasing the land (N.Y. TIMES, 4/10).
