Moynihan Calls for End of Antitrust Exemption

Sen. Daniel Moynihan (D-N.Y.) will call for repeal of baseball’s antitrust exemption in legislation he intends to introduce today when the 104th Congress convenes.

Moynihan on Tuesday released the text of the proposed bill, S-15, which states that except for negotiating national broadcasting contracts, “the antitrust laws shall apply to the business of organized professional baseball.” Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) is the co-sponsor.

“Major league baseball is in grave peril,” Moynihan said in a statement. “The antitrust exemption allows the owners to act as a cartel.”

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who today takes over as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, supports at least a partial repeal of the exemption.

Moynihan said he will work with Hatch to “enact this legislation and bring our national pastime back to the field.”

Rep. Michael Bilirakis (R-Fla.) will introduce legislation to repeal the exemption in the House. However, the House is expected to deal with other issues in the first 100 days of the session.

Tennis

Third-seeded Jim Courier defeated Jakob Hlasek of Switzerland, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1, in the first round of the Australian Hardcourt championship at Adelaide, Australia.

Second-seeded Wayne Ferreira of South Africa was upset by Hendrik Dreekmann of Germany, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2. . . . Andrei Medvedev defeated Richey Reneberg, and his sister, Natalia Medvedeva, defeated Lindsay Davenport, leading Ukraine to a 2-1 victory over the United States in the quarterfinals of the Hopman Cup at Perth, Australia. . . . Fourth-seeded Jacco Eltingh of the Netherlands was upset by Javier Sanchez of Spain, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, in the Qatar Open at Doha.

Soccer

Japan, South Korea and Mexico submitted bids for the 2002 World Cup by the deadline, FIFA said. . . . Pele was sworn in as Brazil’s new sports minister. . . . Mike Fisher of NCAA champion Virginia and Indiana teammates Todd Yeagley and Brian Maissoneuve were picked as finalists for the Hermann Trophy, awarded to the top U.S. college player.

Miscellany

The Coliseum Commission, in its monthly meeting today, is expected to approve a lease agreement for the San Diego Gulls of the International Hockey League to begin play at the Sports Arena in October, a spokesman for commission member Mike Antonovich said.

The Gulls, the primary minor league affiliate of the Mighty Ducks, face a deadline of Friday to decide where they will play next season. They reportedly are also considering Sacramento.

A splinter group of horse owners and trainers has started negotiations aimed at saving the financially troubled Charles Town track that closed last week in West Virginia.

Names in the News

Malik Dixon, a sophomore guard at Arkansas Little Rock and the No. 2 scorer in the Sun Belt Conference, is expected to be sidelined for two months after suffering a broken left foot in practice. . . . The Williams Formula One team selected David Coulthard as its No. 2 driver behind Damon Hill. . . . Sandra Volker of Germany set a record of 27.86 seconds in the 50-meter women’s backstroke in the Epson World Cup short-course swimming competition at Hong Kong, breaking the previous record of 27.93 set by American Angel Martino in 1993.