BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Mariner Deal Needs Changes

Baseball’s ownership committee decided Thursday in Chicago to ask the Japanese-led group seeking to buy the Seattle Mariners to make additional changes in its proposal.

Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said last week that he will push for changes in order to increase local control and lessen the influence of Hiroshi Yamauchi, the president of Nintendo Co. Ltd. of Kyoto. Yamauchi would contribute $75 million of the $125 million the group would use to purchase and operate the team.

“It’s a restructured deal, but I don’t want to get into it,” said Fred Kuhlmann of the St. Louis Cardinals, the chairman of the 10-man ownership committee.

A final vote on the proposal is expected at the earliest on June 9 in New York, when all owners gather for their summer meetings. Eleven of 14 American League owners must approve the sale, and a majority of the 12 National League owners.