SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, November 1, 1994
3B
United League expected in 1996
A different alternative to America's pastime
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The new United League envisions placing teams in Canada, Mexico and perhaps Puerto Rico and Venezuela, according to a copy of the draft proposal obtained yesterday by The Associated Press.
The league, whose formation will be announced at a news conference today, would start in 1996 with 10 to 12 teams each playing 154 games, according the draft. Within three years of its startup, the league would add four expansion teams: two from Japan and one each from South Korea and Taiwan.
The draft said it it was considered important to have teams in New York and Los Angeles, and mentions Long Island and Riverside-San Bernadino as possible locations. The draft also said that minority-owned and minority-involved investor groups will be encouraged to seek franchisees.
The draft proposal was written by agent Dick Moss and former Rep. Bob Mrazek. Moss said yesterday that many of the league's plans had
changed and that the draft proposal obtained by the AP was, in his own words, out of date. However, he wouldn't detail specifics of the changes.
Charter franchises, according to the draft, would sell for $5 million each, less than one-twentieth the $173 million sale price of the Baltimore Orioles last year. The draft says expansion franchises would sell for $10 million each.
Players would be eligible for free agency after three years of service, and the draft outlines an average team's payroll to be about $14 million in 1996, less than half the current average of American and National league teams. Player salaries would average $520,000 in 1996, half the current major league average of about $1.2 million.
The draft has first-year teams averaging $31 million in revenue, about half the current major league average. Average attendance is projected at 17,500 per game in 1996 and the average ticket price is projected at $8, about $2.50 less than the current major league average.
The UL, according to the draft, believes its national broadcasting contracts for 1996 would total $49
million, about one-fifth what the major leagues' total was projected to be this year before the players' strike ended the season.
The league intends to spend the next year organizing, with a start-up capitalization of $3,075,000. The money would come from eight limited partners who would each receive 7.5 percent of the equity in the management company.
Once the league is formed, the teams would take responsibility for their costs. Each limited partner, according to the draft, could make $5.6 million-$11.2 million by the end of the year 2000, when the management company would dissolve.
The host city of each franchise, according to the draft, would get a 15 percent equity share of each team and 15 percent of the pretax profit. In exchange for building stadiums, host cities would get 50 percent of luxury suite revenue and 33 percent of parking money.
Players would get 35 percent of the equity of each team and 35 percent of the pretax profits, the draft said. In addition, players would get 10 percent of the money any time a team is sold.
Expos' Alou selected as manager of the year
The Associated Press
Yesterday, Felipe Alou, whose young Montreal Expos had the best record in baseball when the strike started, was chosen major league manager of the year by The Associated Press.
Alou received 34 votes in nationwide balloting by 58 writers and broadcasters. Buck Showalter of the New York Yankees was second with 11 votes and Mike Hargrove of Cleveland was third with nine votes.
Montreal was 74-40 and leading Atlanta by six games in the NL East on
Earlier this month, Alou was a nearunanimous pick as NL manager of the year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. He received 27 of 28 first-place votes.
Aug. 12.
The Expos have shown improvements since May 22, 1992, the day Alou was hired to replace the fired Tom Runnells.
"I believe a lot of people realize that after three years of solid progress we have a super club," Alou said recently.
Alou has said his favorite part of the job is watching young players develop their talent.
Alou, 59, played for the Expos in 1973 and joined the Montreal organization as an instructor in 1976. He has been with the system since then, managing successful Expos teams in Class A, Double-A and Triple-A. He also coached Montreal for several seasons.
"The one regret I have is that we
didn't complete the regular season," he said.
Among those who helped the Expos this year were outfielder Moises Alou, the manager's son, and reliever Mel Roias, the manager's nephew.
"We've shown the world we could recuperate from losses," Alou said.
Alou is under contract to manage the Expos through 1995. He also has a two-year personal services contract with Montreal beyond that, and that could also mean the manager's job.
No one in baseball is sure, however, whether there will be a season next year because of the continuing labor problems.
"I'm looking forward to managing Moises Alou and the rest of the major league Montreal Expos in 1995," he said.
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