Blotter

Alleged
?By former major league outfielder Tom Paciorek, that he was molested by the Rev. George Shirilla while attending Catholic school in Detroit in the 1960s. Paciorek and three of his brothers came forward late last month after discovering that Shirilla, who had been banned from the ministry by the Detroit Archdiocese in 1993 due to sexual abuse charges, had been rehired. The Archdiocese has again dismissed Shirilla, who according to his lawyer "adamantly denies" the molestation charges.

Purchased
?Pending Major League consent, the Independent Northern League's Elmira ( N.Y.) Pioneers by a Japanese consortium led by Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo and Rangers pitcher Hideki Irabu.

Sued
?By satellite services provider Direct TV, New York sports radio host Sid Rosenberg, for alleged piracy. The suit, which could cost Rosenberg up to $10,000 for copyright violations, was set in motion after he bragged on the nationally syndicated Imus in the Morning show that he used an illegally modified access card to steal sports and movie programming. "You don't have to pay for DirecTV if you get the card zapped," he told Imus. "I get the card zapped."

Signed
By more than 5,000 Irish soccer fans, a petition urging their government to synchronize Ireland's clocks and work schedules with those in Japan and South Korea so that the fans can more easily watch the World Cup finals to be held there this June.

Added
To what had been foul territory around the infield at Fenway Park, 160 spectator seats. The seats, which are closer to fair territory than Fenway's dugouts, sell for $200 each and could generate more than $2.5 million this season.