BASEBALL DAILY REPORT

The Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday announced that outfielder Orlando Merced was put on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained calf muscle and outfielder Trey Beamon was recalled from triple-A Calgary.

Merced, 29, was hurt in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the New York Mets. He was on the disabled list in early May because of a strained right hamstring.

Merced has batted .285 in 90 games with Pittsburgh this season, including 19 doubles, 55 runs batted in and a career-high 17 home runs.

Beamon, 22, batted .297 in 104 games with Calgary this season, including five home runs, 50 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. Last year he led Calgary with a .334 batting average, 74 runs and 18 stolen bases.

Beamon was a second-round pick by the Pirates in the 1992 June draft.

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The San Francisco Giants have added another way to help raise money for the team’s new waterfront ballpark--add one-time fees to the 13,700 best seats in the house.

The Giants will be the first major league baseball team to sell seat licenses that have no expiration date.

The team announced Thursday it will charge a one-time fee ranging from $1,500 to $7,500 to its charter seat purchasers. They can keep those seats forever as long as they continue to buy season tickets.

Team officials said the Giants hope to raise $40 million through the license program to help pay for construction of the $255 million stadium.

Season tickets will also cost an extra $1,620 to $2,835 per year when the 42,000-seat ballpark opens in the year 2000.

The new stadium will be the first privately financed major league baseball facility since Dodger Stadium opened in Los Angeles in 1962, said Giant Managing General Partner Peter Magowan.

He said the team is close to deals with partners including insurance companies and banks, to provide the bulk of the financing, estimated at $145 million.

The rest is expected to be paid by the sale of the park’s name to Pacific Bell, stadium advertising and the rights to sell food and beer. The stadium will also have a computer corner for hard-core fans who can get statistics and replays.