Judge Moves Ahead in Cubs’ Suit : Baseball: Vincent agrees to procedure that will speed up case on realignment. Final briefs due Aug. 14.

A U.S. district judge in Chicago Thursday received agreement from the Chicago Cubs and Commissioner Fay Vincent to expedite the judicial procedure that could produce a final determination in the Cubs’ attempt to block National League realignment.

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, responding to Vincent’s appeal of the preliminary injunction granted the Cubs by district court judge Suzanne Conlon, is scheduled to receive final briefs on Aug. 14.

Conlon, who still has jurisdiction in the Cubs’ suit charging that Vincent overstepped his authority and undermined the National League constitution when he ordered the Cubs to the West Division as part of a 1993 realignment, first rejected Vincent’s request for a stay in the district court proceedings, then received agreement from both sides Thursday to the expedited schedule. She will rule on the merits of the case after Aug. 14.

“By granting the preliminary injunction, she has already made her decision on the merits of the Cubs’ case,” Deputy Commissioner Steve Greenberg said.

“Since that’s unlikely to change, why go through months and months of delay in the trial court when we could have a final decision recorded there before the appeals court considers it? It’s much cleaner that way.

“We had only filed for a stay (on the day after Conlon’s injunction ruling) because we didn’t want it going on in two different courts at the same time. The stay request became moot in light of her expedited schedule.”

The expedited schedule also sustains the possibility of realignment in 1993. If the process were delayed into the fall, it is unlikely the league would have time to approve a scheduling format and proceed with realignment next year.