Tampa Group Sues For $3.5 Billion

TAMPA, Fla. - A claim for $3.5 billion in damages is among the first of a promised blizzard of lawsuits by Tampa Bay's jilted ownership group, challenging baseball's refusal to relocate the San Francisco Giants.

"This is just the beginning," vowed managing partner Vincent Naimoli. "There's an old saying, `Don't get mad, get even."'

The multibillion claim was filed in San Francisco late yesterday in response to a Sept. 4 lawsuit filed by a San Francisco group against Naimoli and Giants owner Bob Lurie.

Naimoli alleges his contract was interfered with and asked for a change of venue to get the suit out of San Francisco.

Explaining the $3.5 billion figure, Naimoli said: "If you look at the loss in revenues to the investors, if you look at our costs, if you look at the loss of economic benefit to the . . . city of St. Petersburg and the area of Tampa Bay, the thousand jobs that have been lost, the 27 years of revenues on the (Florida Suncoast Dome) lease, it aggregates to over $3 billion."

In a separate action, Naimoli, his Tampa Bay partners and the city of St. Petersburg aksed the court to invalidate letters they signed promising not to sue major-league baseball, its clubs and employees.

Howe reinstated -- NEW YORK - Steve Howe, suspended seven times by major-league baseball for drug-related offenses, yesterday was awarded yet another opportunity to continue his professional career.

The permanent ban imposed in June by former Commissioner Fay Vincent was rescinded by the baseball arbitrator partially on the grounds that Howe, 34, suffers from a medical condition - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - that went undetected and untreated until last summer.

Arbitrator George Nicolau, acting on an appeal filed on Howe's behalf by the players' union, sustained the suspension for the 1992 season and ordered Howe to participate in a stringent program of required testing every other day and aftercare.

Nicolau also ruled that Howe, who filed for free agency Sunday, is free to play with any club.

Notes

-- The Florida Marlins hired as coaches Vada Pinson, Doug Rader and Frank Reberger, all of whom have previous experience with first-year teams. They'll join Cookie Rojas, also named a Marlins coach yesterday, and pitching coach Marcel Lachemann as assistants to Manager Rene Lachemann.

Pinson was the hitting coach for the 1977 Seattle Mariners, Rader was a third baseman for the 1977 Toronto Blue Jays, and Reberger was a pitcher for the 1969 San Diego Padres. -- Glenn Davis decided to waive his no-trade clause and expose himself to Tuesday's NL expansion draft because he wanted to help the Baltimore Orioles, the Baltimore Sun reported. A source familiar with the negotiations said Davis would be compensated only if he were drafted.

-- Chris Chambliss was hired as the St. Louis Cardinals' hitting instructor, replacing Don Baylor, the new manager of the Colorado Rockies. Chambliss, 43, managed the Richmond Braves (Triple A) last year. The former first baseman played in three World Series with the Yankees.

-- Chuck Hernandez was named the California Angels' pitching coach. Hernandez, 32, has been with the Angels organization for eight seasons, two as the roving pitching instructor before becoming the bullpen coach last year. Previously, he was pitching coach for Palm Springs, Midland and Edmonton.