
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, July 31, 1990                   TAG: 9007310044
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ALBANY, N.Y.                                LENGTH: Medium

CUOMO: STATE NEVER WILL OWN YANKEES

Gov. Mario Cuomo said Monday that the state and New York City will never own the New York Yankees because organized baseball wouldn't permit public ownership.

"It's never going to happen. . . . They wouldn't let governments in. Why? They want to keep it to themselves," said Cuomo, during a radio interview, of baseball's team owners. "You see how hard it is to buy a franchise. Why? Because they're gold."

The San Diego Union reported Sunday that Joan Kroc, the former owner of the San Diego Padres, raised the possibility of giving the team to that city last fall.

"Unfortunately, they [a baseball owners' committee] turned her down," said San Diego Mayor Maureen O'Connor. The Padres were eventually sold to a group of private investors for $75 million.

Ten days ago, Cuomo created a stir when he said that if Yankee owner George Steinbrenner were to sell the team, "I wish he would come to us."

Cuomo said bonds could be issued to buy the team with profits paying off the debt. The Yankees are worth an estimated $200 million.

Steinbrenner said at the time that he had no plans to sell the team. He also said he doubted baseball would allow the state and city to buy the team anyway.

Cuomo continued to argue Monday, during an interview on Albany's WQBK radio, that owning the Yankees would be a good deal for New Yorkers because the team was "a sure profit maker."

The governor also used the opportunity to calm one fear - that politicians might run the team if the state ever did manage to buy it.

"Of course the politicians wouldn't run the team," he said. "You can barely run government, let alone a complicated baseball team."

Cuomo said his main interest in suggesting the state and city buy the Yankees wasn't making profits, but keeping the Yankees in New York.

"I want the world to know we will do anything to keep the Yankees," said Cuomo. "We lost the Jets. We lost the Giants. We lost the Nets to New Jersey. You don't think they have their eye on the Yankees? I don't want to lose the Yankees."

by CNB