Dolan Puts Blame on Steinbrenner

Cleveland Indian owner Larry Dolan blamed New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner for some of baseball’s economic problems, and said a strike might be necessary.

Speaking on Tuesday at a luncheon in the Cleveland suburb of Mayfield Heights, Dolan criticized Steinbrenner for increasing his team’s payroll even more through trades for Raul Mondesi and Jeff Weaver in preparation for another postseason run.

Dolan took offense at Steinbrenner’s criticism of Minnesota Twin owner Carl Pohlad for not spending enough money.

“What he doesn’t say is George is not spending George’s money. George is spending revenue that most of us don’t have,” Dolan said.

He said the Yankees, whose payroll is about $135 million, are forcing other teams to overspend so they can compete. He used the World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks as an example, saying they “bought themselves a World Series last year.”

“Baseball cannot continue with its current economics. It just can’t,” he said. “It’s not in any of our interests to have baseball be such that each season it’s going to be the Yankees against some other team in the World Series. That can’t continue.”

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Texas Ranger closer Hideki Irabu will remain hospitalized in Kansas City for two or three more days after being diagnosed with a series of small blood clots in the lungs. Irabu was hospitalized after complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath Monday.

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A judge lashed out at several Detroit Tigers accused of sexually harassing a flight attendant on the team airplane two years ago.

Lisa Kesner filed a federal lawsuit in May 2001 against the Tigers, three holding companies and Olympia Aviation, which handled charter flights for the Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings.

Kesner alleges that several Tigers subjected her to lewd comments and inappropriate physical touching, and displayed pornography on a laptop computer within plain view.

None of the players are named as defendants. A Tiger spokesman said the team had no comment.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff dismissed all but one of the counts. He set a trial date of Aug. 1 on one count of sexual harassment against Olympia Aviation. The company, now dissolved, was owned by Tiger owner Mike Ilitch.

“In particular, the court notes that the behavior of the baseball players is particularly shameful and disgraceful,” Zatkoff wrote.

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Gary DiSarcina, a former All-Star shortstop for the Angels who was playing for triple-A Pawtucket in a bid to return to the majors with his hometown Boston Red Sox, announced his retirement.