BASEBALL NOTES : White Sox and Demolisher Dispute Ownership of Comiskey Park Seats

Chicago White Sox officials who have prosecuted fans attempting to steal Comiskey Park seats as souvenirs face the possibility of losing them to the company hired to demolish baseball’s oldest stadium.

Irv Kolko, president of Speedway Wrecking, told the Chicago Tribune in today’s edition that the company’s bid of more than $1.2 million was based, in part, on the value of memorabilia the company could salvage and sell.

Speedway attorney Michael Roche said the company was prepared to take the issue to court.

“This was something carefully factored into the bid, negotiated and bargained for,” Roche said. “The contract with the Illinois Sports Authority couldn’t be clearer.”

Roche said the 1988 contract gives the company the rights to fixtures, including bricks and seats, but not the scoreboard.

The dispute surfaced as a result of the team’s announcement that it plans to donate to charity money made from the sale of artifacts.

Howard Pizer, team executive vice president, said the contract specifically states seats and other memorabilia are to remain property of the White Sox.

White Sox Manager Jeff Torborg says the team wants football player Deion Sanders because of his versatility and talent as an outfielder.

Sanders, now a defensive back for the Atlanta Falcons, was claimed on unconditional release waivers Thursday by the White Sox after a short-lived stint with the New York Yankees.

Torborg said the few times he has seen Sanders play, the outfielder showed exceptional speed and the instincts of a baseball player.

Sanders was released this week by the Yankees. He has until next Tuesday to accept or reject the waiver claim. If he rejects it, he is a free agent and can talk to all teams.

CBS, remembering the 7.1 quake that rocked San Francisco’s Candlestick Park just before a World Series game last year, will take a portable generator to Oakland for this year’s playoffs.

ABC, which broadcast the championship series last year, did not have a backup power supply and lost all video from the stadium for about 30 minutes.