Despite a published report, MLB sources indicated
yesterday that the league has not given Reds Managing
General Partner Marge Schott "an ultimatum or deadline" to
sell the team, according to Hobson & May of the CINCINNATI
ENQUIRER. Although her fellow owners "would be delighted"
if Schott sold the Reds, MLB officials "have not asked her
to sell." In fact, MLB has "backed away" from its
investigation into Schott's alleged misuse of team employees
in a GM fraud case since she broke her hip in a March 31
fall. Schott could not be reached for comment, but a source
close to her said that she won't sell until the Reds get a
stadium deal with Hamilton County. The NL yesterday called
a report in the Cincinnati Post that MLB is trying to
persuade Schott to sell the team "Poppycock." NL President
Len Coleman, through a spokesperson: "Totally not true.
Nothing to it" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/30). On Wednesday,
the POST's Bill Peterson cited sources with the Reds and MLB
who said MLB "is trying to persuade" Schott to sell the team
before her voluntary suspension ends November 1. The
sources said that if Schott does not put the team up for
sale before then, MLB "will pursue extending her suspension"
by citing her GM fraud case (CINCINNATI POST, 4/29).
OUTFIELD WALL ADS: The Reds have put ads on the
outfield wall at Cinergy Field for the first time this
season. They've added a Hewlett Packard logo and Budweiser
ad, and Reds Marketing Consultant Cal Levy said that the
team might add "as many as two more ads" on the green
outfield fence (CINCINNATI POST, 4/29).
