Ownership Rule Gains Approval

On the final day of the owners’ meetings in Milwaukee--Bud Selig’s first as commissioner--owners approved a rule change allowing one person to own shares of more than one team.

“Under a stringent sort of circumstances, a person can own a less than five percent interest in two teams,” Selig said.

No one is in that category right now, Selig said, adding the move was “nothing very significant.”

John Henry, who already owns a small percentage of the New York Yankees, is negotiating to purchase majority control of the Florida Marlins from H. Wayne Huizenga.

Also, owners approved the transfer of operating control of the Milwaukee Brewers from Selig to his daughter, Wendy Selig-Prieb. Selig’s stock in the team was placed into a trust, which selected Selig-Prieb to take over from her father, who was elected commissioner in July.

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Cleveland shortstop Omar Vizquel was suspended for two games and fined $500 by American League President Gene Budig for charging Chicago White Sox pitcher Jim Parque during the Indians’ 6-3 victory last Sunday.

Vizquel did not appeal his first career suspension and began serving it immediately in the final game of a two-game series against the Minnesota Twins.

Parque, who threw a 1-0 pitch over Vizquel’s head, was not suspended. “I kind of wanted them to suspend him, too,” Vizquel said.

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Right-hander Charles Nagy is not expected to miss a start for the Indians after X-rays on his pitching hand were negative. Nagy was struck by Matt Lawton’s line drive during Wednesday night’s game against the Twins.

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Quebec’s finance minister says the province won’t guarantee a $150-million bond issue to fund a new ballpark for the Montreal Expos.

The Expos owners have set a Sept. 30 deadline to announce whether to go ahead with a project to build $250 million Labatt Park. One proposal is to raise $150 million through the sale of bonds based on projected income taxes paid by players, to be guaranteed by government.