It appears that, finally, MLB is on the verge of settling on an owner for the Washington Nationals, and though eight groups are said to still be in the running, knowledgeable sources say it's really down to two - ex-Braves president Stan Kasten's group and one headed by former Mariner owner Jeff Smulyan. It is significant that both of those groups added substantial local investors in recent weeks, thus satisfying MLB's most-stated criteria for approval. What Smulyan and Kasten have that the other six groups do not is a close relationship with commissioner Bud Selig. And as one inside source put it: "Bud's not going to turn that team over to someone he doesn't know and trust. On that you can bet the ranch."
During the 1994 player strike, Kasten was Selig's "hawk" on the Player Relations Committee, while the personable Smulyan was one of the most popular owners in baseball during his stormy four-year tenure as owner in Seattle. He was hated by the citizens of Seattle because he maintained baseball could not make a go of it any longer there if the Mariners had to continue playing in the dreary Kingdome. He won points with his fellow owners for his promotions and marketing efforts in Seattle and, by and large, they were all sorry to see him leave the game. As it turned out, Smulyan was proven right. The owners to whom he sold the team - Nintendo - likewise threatened to move the franchise if they didn't get a new stadium, and only when Safeco Field became a reality did the Mariners finally become a financial success.
Maybe if Smulyan loses out to the Kasten group, Mr. Smulyan would consider being central in friendly city located 3000 miles to the West for his next chance to be in the fraternity that is MLB.
He might like making a go of it again, back here in the Pacific NW.
BB
Posts: 452 | Location: Gresham, OR, USA | Registered: February 21, 2003
Originally posted by Big Boomer: Maybe if Smulyan loses out to the Kasten group, Mr. Smulyan would consider being central in friendly city located 3000 miles to the West for his next chance to be in the fraternity that is MLB.
He might like making a go of it again, back here in the Pacific NW.
You certainly want to think in this fashion. Malek and Lerner would seem extreme outside shots at anything here. I'd say almost zero.
If Smulyan loses out to Kasten, would it be worth trying to "recruit" him to join our group out here, maybe work with Kahn and Kanter and Mahalic and everyone else associated with the effort, as sort of a "spearhead" for the MLB2PDX movement? Let's face it, several of these other places have had very vocal and visible mouthpieces who have attracted a lot of attention, even if they didn't have the framework in place as much as we've had, but they drummed up lots of good publicity. We need someone like that, don't you think?
Posts: 3729 | Location: Newberg, OR, USA | Registered: January 10, 2001
