News In Brief

BESIDES, IT HAS NO BEDROOMS

The classified ad in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch made it seem like quite a deal: a suburban all-brick structure with finished basement, intercom system, tennis court, and indoor pool - all for the asking price of $550,000. So it wasn't surprising when the phone calls from prospective buyers rolled in. But as administrators at Horton Watkins High School in neighboring Ladue, Mo., had to explain, the building isn't for sale. The ad turned out to be a prank by a graduating senior. No, the youth wasn't punished, although officials say they think the price was set way too low.

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY

Speaking of graduates, Rutgers University bestowed bachelor's degrees in math and computer science last week on Shant Sarkuni of Cranbury, N.J. So what, you ask? Well, he's only 15. And if you think that's unusual, get this: His cousins, Sehrope and Hannes, preceded him in the same disciplines - at 15 and 14, respectively. Hannes is the youngest graduate in school history.

Major-market pro baseball teams are also the richest

What does it take for a baseball team to win a World Series? An incredible amount of money, Forbes magazine's annual list of the most valuable baseball franchises indicates. The New York Yankees, last season's champions, lead a host of big-city - and highly successful - teams at the top of the list. Current owner George Steinbrenner led a group that bought the Yankees from CBS in 1973 for $10 million; it's now worth almost 55 times that much. At the bottom of the list are the Montreal Expos, whose $89 million value is smaller than the Yankees' annual payroll. The Top 10 most valuable baseball franchises (in millions).

1. New York Yankees $548

2. Atlanta Braves 388

3. Cleveland Indians 364

4. Baltimore Orioles 347

5. Los Angeles Dodgers 325

6. New York Mets 314

7. Colorado Rockies 305

8. Texas Rangers 294

9. Seattle Mariners 290

10. Boston Red Sox 284

- Associated Press

(c) Copyright 2000. The Christian Science Publishing Society