MLB HAS BEANIE GIVEAWAY TO FANS AT COORS AS A SIGN OF THANKS

          MLB will offer Beanie Babies as souvenirs to everyone
     attending the All-Star Game, July 7 at Coors Field.  MLBP
     President Bob Gamgort said that the non-sponsored giveaway
     is "really just a thank-you for fans" (BRANDWEEK, 6/15).
          IS FAD COOLING? In Phoenix, the D'Backs gave away 6,000
     Beanie Babies on Sunday, and "long lines" formed outside
     Bank One Ballpark before the gates opened in anticipation
     (AZ DAILY STAR, 6/15).  But in N.Y., Dave Saltonstall wrote
     that nearly two years after Beanie Babies "became a national
     craze," the toys "are suffering something of a backlash,
     with some stores refusing to sell them and many collectors
     predicting their imminent demise" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/14).