European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 5, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26the stars and stripes sunday april 5,1992 baseball Smulyan agrees to sell mariners Seattle up a five Days before a fateful meeting of baseball s ownership committee Seattle mariners owner Jeff Smulyan signed an agreement Friday to sell the american league franchise to japanese backed interests. A this is an important step in our Effort to Purchase the mariners and provide Strong local ownership a said John Ellis president of the baseball club of Seattle. The Purchase is financed 60 percent by Hiroshi Yamauchi president of the Nintendo co. Ltd. Video game Empire. The ownership committee meeting is expected wednesday to Seal the Fate of the club s $125 million All Cash offer extended Jan. 23, one month after Smulyan made a 90-Day offer to sell the team to local buyers for $100 million before he would consider moving o s win debut in new Park from wire reports Baltimore a it took the orioles a few hours to get comfortable in their new surroundings but they celebrated the preseason opening of Oriole Park at Camden Yards Friday with a 5-3 Victory Over the new York mets before a crowd of 31,286. Mets left hander Sid Fernandez took a no hitter into the sixth inning. But the orioles scored five times in the sixth to overcome a three run deficit and held on to Christen the new stadium in style. The winning runs scored on a grounder by Chris Hoiles that skipped through the legs of mets third baseman Dave Magadan with the bases loaded. It was a blustery Day. The Breeze that blew in from Center Field kept the Ball in the Park costing Leo Gomez and then Sam Horn the distinction of being the player to hit the first Camden Yards Home run. A the Park played big today but i think it s too Early to Tell a said reliever Mike Flanagan. The new Ballpark has a capacity of 48,041, but the orioles did not offer that Many seats for the exhibition. They wanted to see How the stadium worked with a smaller crowd. In other exhibition games Friday red sox 12, tigers 4 Winter Haven Fla. The Boston red sox finished 27 seasons of Spring training at Chain of lakes Park by beat ing the Detroit tigers on Tom Brunansky s grand slam and Ellis Burks three run triple. The red sox Are scheduled to move into a new Complex in fort Myers the club elsewhere. Commissioner Fay Vincent originally expressed dissatisfaction with the proposal saying baseball had a policy against ownership of clubs by a non North american interests. But both Vincent and Fred Kuhlmann of the St. Louis cardinals chairman of the ownership committee recently changed their tune. Without saying which Way they would vote both dropped their vocal opposition to the ownership proposal and praised the Seattle business Community a once struggling Campaign to raise the teams television advertising and season ticket revenues by $13 million. If the ownership committee recommends the Deal major league baseball owners would be expected to follow suit though it would take Only the opposition of four american league owners to Block the Purchase. Any Transfer in ownership of a major league club is subject to three fourths approval by owners in its league and a majority of owners in the other league fridays signing behind closed doors concluded weeks of discussion on the Purchase agreement which provides $25 million in working capital in addition to snip Iyano a $100 million asking Price. Ellis said both parties agreed not to discuss the finer details of the agreement including the exact Purchase Price. A we think it is important that an agreement has been reached regardless of details a he said. The Purchase also will end Pursuit of the team by interests representing Tampa St. Petersburg Fla., which already has a stadium built and season tickets sold for what was hoped to be a National league expansion team. The Tampa Bay area was bypassed last year when the no awarded franchises to Denver and  a a a a h a exhibition games the orioles Drew 31,286 people to Oriole Park at Camden Yards in downtown Baltimore Friday afternoon against the mets. A Fla next year. Frank Viola 1-0 went seven innings giving up two runs on five hits with five strikeouts. To Vaughn hit a two run Homer his first of the Spring. Reds 8, twins 3 fort Myers Fla. Tim Belcher allowed one earned run in five innings and the Cincinnati reds finished their Best Spring training in 44 years by beating Minnesota. Belcher finished the Spring with a 4-0 record. The Victory was the seventh in a Row for the reds who have won 20 Spring games for the first time since 1948. Royals 5, expos 4 Haines City Fla a Tom Gordon pitched six shutout innings and struck out seven As Kansas City beat Montreal. Gordon 2-1 held the expos to two singles and Jerry Don Gleaton got his second save of the Spring. Gleaton threw two shutout innings after Joel Johnston Tave up a grand slam to Delino de Hields in the seventh inning. Blue jays 4, cardinals 2 Dunedin Fla. Pat Hentgen starting in place of injured Todd Stottle Myre gave up two singles in five scoreless innings and Joe Carter had two hits and drove in a run to Lead Toronto past St. Louis. The win ended a six game losing Streak for Toronto. Indians 9, White sox 2 Oklahoma City okla. Mark Whiten stroked three hits and drove in four runs to Lead the indians. Dave Otto tossed 636 innings of four hit Ball allowing Only one run and striking out four to pick up his second win of the Spring. Rangers 2, astros 0 Arlington Texas a Dean Palmer and Juan Gonzalez blasted Solo Home runs off loser Mark Portugal to Power the  Champ Franco placed on 15-Day do by the associated press the Texas rangers Hopes for a fast Start were Hurt somewhat Friday when american league batting Champion Julio Franco was placed on the 15-Day disabled list. Franco bothered by Patella tendinitis in his right knee was put on the disabled list retroactive to March 28. He is eligible to return on april 12. Franco hit .341 last season and was part of the most potent offence in the majors. The second baseman played sparingly in Spring training and it is expected that he still will need to take time off each week once he rejoins the team. The rangers reacted to Francois injury by signing free agent a Newman on Friday. The Utility infielder who played last year for Minnesota was Cut by Cincin Nati on thursday. Texas readied its roster for mondays opening night game in Seattle by releasing outfielder Gay Pettis. Pettis was placed on irrevocable waivers. He was scheduled to make slightly More than $1 million this season. Pettis hit .156 in 19 Spring games. In other moves Friday Detroit bolstered its bullpen by signing Les Lancaster. Lancaster 29, was Cut by the Chicago cubs on thursday. He was 9-7 with a 3.52 Era in 64 games last season u As a starter. The tigers got Lancaster on the same Day they put Dan Gakeler on the disabled list. Gakeler has not pitched since March 6 because of tendinitis in his right shoulder. The Toronto Blue jays added pitching depth by claiming Shawn Hillegas on waivers from Cleveland Hillegas was 3-4 with a 4.34 Era in 51 games for the indians last season. Also the 60-Day drug suspension of Montreal expo Catcher Guberto Reyes was overturned by arbitrator George Nicolau Nicolau ruled that Reyes should be treated As a first time offender and undergo drug rehab lation instead of a suspension. Commissioner Fay Vincent treated Reye As a second time offender when he suspended him feb 7 following a positive drug test in the dominican win Ter league. Reyes 28, was taken off the disqualified list Friday and placed on the 15-Day disabled list by the expos. Hot is 0 for 5 this Spring. Under the original suspension hot was allowed to participate in Spring training