Most Valuable Franchise: Yankees

The New York Yankees are baseball’s most valuable franchise, Forbes magazine estimates, but the worth has declined because of the sport’s revenue-sharing system and luxury tax.

The Yankees are estimated to be worth $832 million, the magazine said in its April 26 issue, down from an estimated $849 million last year.

Boston moved into second place at $533 million, with the New York Mets third at $442 million.

The Dodgers were valued fourth at $399 million, even though the team just sold for $430 million.

The two teams moving into new ballparks had large increases, with Philadelphia rising 18% to $281 million and San Diego going up 17% to $265 million. The Angels are 20th, at $241 million.

Montreal, owned by the other 29 teams, is last at $145 million, just behind Tampa Bay ($152 million).

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The percentage of major leaguers born outside the 50 states declined slightly to 27.3% after six consecutive seasons of increases.

Of the 830 players on rosters and disabled lists as of Sunday, 227 were born outside the 50 states, the commissioner’s office said. That was down from 230 players (27.7%) last year.

Seventy-nine players were born in the Dominican Republic, 45 in Venezuela and 36 in Puerto Rico. Mexico had 16, followed by Canada (11), Japan (10), Cuba (nine), Panama (six), Australia and South Korea (four each), Colombia (three) and the Netherlands Antilles (two).

Aruba (Sidney Ponson) and the Nicaragua Antilles (Vicente Padilla) had one player each.

The Dodgers led with 14 foreign-born players, followed by the New York Yankees with 13.

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Pitcher Rick Reed decided not to report to triple-A Nashville after failing to make Pittsburgh’s opening-day roster and will retire from baseball.

Reed, who pitched the previous 2 1/2 seasons with the Twins, wasn’t re-signed by Minnesota after going 6-12 with a 4.03 ERA last season. He signed a Pirate minor league contract last winter with the expectations of being their No. 5 starter.

But the 39-year-old Reed hurt his back shortly after spring training games began last month and wound up sitting out about two weeks. Right-hander Ryan Vogelsong wound up being the Pirates’ top spring starter.

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The Chicago Cubs and a holdout rooftop business settled a federal lawsuit after the team had reiterated its plans to block the business’ view of Wrigley Field starting with Monday’s home opener.

Chris Gair, attorney for Skybox on Waveland, would not disclose details of the settlement.

Twelve of the 13 rooftop businesses that overlook the baseball stadium had already agreed to share revenue with the team after fighting with the Cubs for years. Skybox on Waveland was the last remaining defendant in the lawsuit.

The dispute started when the team began arguing with the rooftop owners over plans to expand the stadium. The rooftop owners feared their views of Wrigley would be blocked.

In December 2002, the Cubs sued the rooftop owners, accusing them of stealing the team’s product and unjust enrichment at the Cubs’ expense.

The team also temporarily hung dark screens on the outfield fences to try to prevent free peeks at the field.

The majority of rooftop owners agreed to pay about 17% of their revenue to the team in the deal struck earlier this year.

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Cincinnati third baseman Brandon Larson, with triple-A Louisville on a medical rehabilitation assignment because of turf toe, was hit by a pitch in his first at-bat, forcing him out of the game. X-rays found no fracture in his right elbow.

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The Cleveland Indians claimed pitcher Jason Anderson off waivers from the New York Mets and optioned the right-hander to triple-A Buffalo.

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Following the money

Baseball franchise values for 2004 with one-year change in value and revenue, according to Forbes magazine (all dollar figures in millions):

*--* Rk. Team Current value 1-year change Revenue 1. New York Yankees $832 -2% $238 2. Boston Red Sox $533 9% $190 3. New York Mets $442 -11% $158 4. Los Angeles Dodgers $399 -11% $154 5. Seattle Mariners $396 3% $169 6. Atlanta Braves $374 -12% $156 7. San Francisco Giants $368 -4% $153 8. Chicago Cubs $358 7% $156 9. Houston Astros $320 -2% $128 10. St Louis Cardinals $314 2% $131 11. Texas Rangers $306 -8% $127 12. Baltimore Orioles $296 -5% $129 13. Cleveland Indians $292 -12% $127 14. Colorado Rockies $285 -6% $124 15. Philadelphia Phillies $281 18% $115 16. Arizona Diamondbacks $276 3% $126 17. San Diego Padres $265 17% $106 18. Chicago White Sox $248 6% $124 19. Cincinnati Reds $245 10% $123 20. Anaheim Angels $241 7% $127 21. Detroit Tigers $235 -1% $117 22. Pittsburgh Pirates $217 -3% $109 23. Oakland Athletics $186 8% $110 24. Milwaukee Brewers $174 -16% $102 25. Florida Marlins $172 27% $101 26. Kansas City Royals $171 12% $98 27. Toronto Blue Jays $169 2% $99 28. Minnesota Twins $168 14% $99 29. Tampa Bay Devil Rays $152 4% $101 30. Montreal Expos $145 29% $81

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