Reaction to AL President Gene Budig's call for Albert Belle
to get "immediate counseling" -- The N.Y. TIMES' George Vecsey:
"Baseball had better help Albert Belle. These incidents are
coming closer and closer together. Something even uglier is not
far away" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/19). But, in Northeast OH, Sheldon
Ocker writes MLB "would seem to be ill-equipped to handle
emotional rehabilitation" (Akron BEACH JOURNAL, 5/19). Belle's
agent, Arn Tellem: "If Gene Budig genuinely cared about Albert
Belle he would have handled this privately and not issued an
order. Albert is the best player in baseball. ... It's time to
leave him alone" (Ross Newhan, L.A. TIMES, 5/19).
MLB NEWS & NOTES: NL President Len Coleman said he would
like to see a World Cup-style baseball tournament in which
players compete for their home countries. MLBPA Exec Dir Donald
Fehr, who also threw out the idea of Olympic participation: "It
is a very hopeful sign that owners are expressing interest in
pursuing something internationally" (AP/Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE,
5/19)....Devil Rays Owner Vince Naimoli does not believe the two
expansion teams will be assigned to leagues and divisions at the
June Owners Meeting. He still expects the Rays to be assigned to
the AL East, with Arizona to the NL West (ST. PETE TIMES, 5/19).
