The most undercovered story of the summer, and maybe the year, is the outrageous circumstances of the sale of the Texas Rangers.
(Protip: Do not lend this man money)
Before your eyes glaze over, understand that this story is very important as it pertains to the financial future of individual major league clubs. It also could dictate if the Texas Rangers exist this time next year - if MLB’s rhetoric is to be believed.
If you’ve read this site over the years, you know by now that MLB has done all it could to turn over franchises to owners who either lack the financial resources, as in the McCourts, or the willingness, as in the late Carl Pohlad, to invest Yankee-esque sums into player payroll.
Most recently, MLB handed over one of the crown jewels of its league, the Chicago Cubs, to a highly-leveraged buyer in Tom Ricketts. Ricketts was chosen to take over the team despite his lack of liquidity and inability to field the highest bid for the franchise.
Why? Because MLB doesn’t want the Cubs to end up with a $200 million payroll, which would drive up costs for other owners, contribute to further competitive imbalance and possibly lead to additional labor strife.
Of course, if MLB had a revenue sharing agreement like the NFL, Cubs fans wouldn’t have to worry about having an underfunded owner running their beloved team. (In the third-largest market!) Because of the petty greed of the league’s individual owners, no such revenue sharing plan exists - forcing league commissioner Bud Selig to jury-rig MLB ownership ranks to prevent another Steinbrenner-type owner. (See shooting down Mark Cuban in his bid for the Cubs.)
That brings us to Selig’s latest payroll-chopping opportunity: The Texas Rangers.
Thanks to years of irresponsible borrowing and a subsequent mountain of debt, Rangers Owners Tom Hicks was forced by MLB to put the franchise up for sale last year. 15 months later, the team has not yet changed hands because the folks who lent the Rangers untold millions actually expect to … *gasp* … get paid! How dare they!
Despite the dire financial condition of the Rangers, Selig was hoping he could railroad Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg into the Rangers ownership suite over a fully-financed bid from Houston businessman Jim Crane - among others - by forcing the franchise into bankruptcy.
But when a bankruptcy judge noted that Crane was willing to come a lot closer to making lenders whole than Ryan and Greenberg, he cut down Selig’s end run.
How far will Selig & Co. go in forcing their cronies onto clubs?
Today the NEW YORK TIMES has this reaction from MLB to the bankruptcy judge who refused to yield to Selig’s attempt to hand his buddies the Rangers - which would’ve immediately screwed lenders out of hundreds of millions:
One of Selig’s lawyers vowed profanely in a conference call that if the judge did not approve the team’s prepackaged bankruptcy plan, which would have sped approval of the Greenberg-Ryan bid, M.L.B. would terminate the franchise, according to a person on the call.
That’s right, MLB would shut down the Rangers if a bankruptcy judge did not allow them to give the team to Ryan and Greenberg. In other words, if you make Bud Selig & Co. actually follow the letter of the law, they’ll just take their ball and go home.
Rather than give the team to the current highest bidder, the bankruptcy judge now plans to put the club up for auction on August 4. The club’s creditors, like J.P. Morgan bank, think the team could ultimately fetch nearly $1 Billion, but with auction deadline just two weeks away and MLB threatening to “terminate” the franchise if its cronies aren’t gifted the team, can you see an outsider trying to crash Selig & Co.’s private club?
If Ryan and Greenberg do end up with the team, that’s good news for small market clubs who have less money to spend on payroll. But is end-running lenders out of hundreds of millions of dollars by manipulating the legal system really the way to make that happen?
I’m a Kansas City Royals fans, so I would stand to gain from the Rangers being unwilling or unable to field a nine-figure payroll, but somehow MLB’s underhanded methods don’t fill me with optimism.
3:12 pm on July 19th, 2010
Can anyone actually see this happening? Wouldn’t the MLB end up taking some seriuosly bad PR for a stunt such as this? I don’t put anything past Bud and his insanely loyal troop of baboons but really? I’ve been able to put up with being an Orioles fan for the past decade and spooning dollars into Pete Angelos’ wallet but this would severe my interest in the MLB. Down with Bud and Berman!!!!
3:18 pm on July 19th, 2010
unlikely. if they would even consider getting rid of one team and even if it’s out of spite, they’ll most likely have to get rid of another. who wants a 29 team league? especially with inter league scheduling? then again… being a long suffering oakland a’s fan, it could very well be my hometown team that may be eyed for contraction.
either way. that’s just over the top talk. now, the bigger issue is how this affects the antitrust status… going forward, that’s going to be interesting.
3:50 pm on July 19th, 2010
I would think that any threatened contraction of the front-running Texas Rangers (and there’s a rare combination of words!) would immediately bring the unwanted (in Bud Selig’s eyes) attention of the TX Senators and Representatives. Get the lawmakers involved on a personal level, and MLB’s antitrust exemption would be on the chopping block. Not even Bud is crazy enough, or dumb enough, to play chicken like that.
3:59 pm on July 19th, 2010
Brooks you may want to get a few facts straight here Buddy. Where the hell do you get this “resource-challenged” bullshit concerning Ryan-Greenberg? First of all, their group was the first to even bother to submit a bid when Hicks put the club up for sale. Secondly, their bid of $575 million was $50 million higher than the actual worth of the team. I wouldn’t call that “resource-challenged” by any means. Their fundamental issue is being saddled with debt accrued by Hicks Sports Group, the parent company owned by Tom Hicks that acquired debt from poor decisions concerning the Dallas Stars, FC Liverpool, as well as the Rangers. They have no issue repaying TEXAS RANGERS debt, not the other stuff, which is why the bankruptcy plan was inacted, to facilitate the sale of the Rangers and the Rangers debt only. As far as Jim Crane goes, his bid is laughable considering he balked at the 11th hour on a deal to purchase the Houston Astros recently, so his credibility is gone as far as MLB is concerned. Say what you want about Bud Selig, but the health of the Rangers organization is at the heart of all this. The Ryan-Greenberg group is the most viable group because running profitable, competitive sports franchises is what these guys do best. You do realize that Nolan Ryan owns two of the most succuessful minor-league franchises in baseball right? You do realize that Chuck Greenberg has also owned two successful minor league franchises of his own don’t you? It’s not always about who has the most money to spend to buy a new toy. It’s about who sees the big picture and will make prudent financial decisions to ensure the health of the franchise and if you think Jim Crane is the right guy because his bid was higher you’re insane. I’d also like to know where you get this nonsense of the Ryan-Greenberg group’s unwillingness to spend money on payroll? That’s an absurd statement. Chuck Greenberg has already said more than once that once he assumes ownership, money will never stand in the way of the Rangers acquiring talent. In fact, if they get the team, I assure you he’ll be standing in front of Cliff Lee with a 5-year $120 million deal. He also said he wants to lock up guys like Elvis Andrus, who will easily command $10-15 million in the open market once he hits free agency in two years. Josh Hamilton has played his way into a monster deal and if you don’t think Ryan-Greenberg don’t want to lock him up should they get the team you’re high. No one’s end running the legal system. Ryan-Greenberg are more than ecstatic that the bankruptcy judge finally solidified an auction date. They just want to get the process moving. This fiasco started in December 2009 remember? They won the exclusive bidding rights in January 2010 and here we are in July and the process has been mucked up only because of Tom Hicks’ convaluted financial web he’s woven. It’s not cronyism on Selig’s part, that’s just stupid. Selig’s issue is he’s tired of seeing clubs sold, only to have to re-sold a few short years later. He wants to have all clubs on solid financial footing, and if you think Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg are cash-strapped your chromosomes are out of whack. And where do you get that baseball doesn’t have a revenue sharing system? Are you kidding me? In 2009 $400 million dollars in revenue sharing money was distributed, with the Marlins receivng more money in revenue sharing than their payroll. Look it up. By the way, your Royals have a higher payroll than the Rangers do this year.
4:55 pm on July 19th, 2010
Mr. Lokey: tl;dr
As to the base issue - if MLB revokes the existing Texas Rangers franchise, they will immediately sell an American League expansion franchise to Greenberg/Ryan. And I suspect this is really what MLB wants — they want to establish this as a precedent to avoid future legal cases.
Of course, Hicks would probably sue MLB at that point, but I don’t think Selig and the MLB braintrust (ha!) are thinking that far ahead.
5:06 pm on July 19th, 2010
Dennis A. Lokey,
You may want to get a few facts straight here Buddy.
Does the so-called value of the team include what is owed creditors?
I’ll answer for you: No.
(Though if Ryan and Greenberg are able to skip out on all of Hicks’ debts, then perhaps you’re in the ballpark.)
Everything else you cite, while in some cases laudable, isn’t material to running a successful team going forward.
Not a single point.
Only thing I’ll grant you is that Ryan has, lately, overseen a franchise that is overachieving. He’s done a good job operationally. He’s also an enormous pr boost for the team. I’m not denying his value.
Ryan will get the team, with Greenberg, because MLB has poisoned the process so much that no one would dare buy the club now without being in bed with MLB. Nor without Ryan.
And Ryan ain’t jumping ship because he stands to make an enormous windfall from his new-found ownership stake with Greenberg. Ryan would never join another ownership group because he wouldn’t get the ownership stake he’ll get with Greenberg. ($$$)
5:16 pm on July 19th, 2010
Agree with everyone on antitrust. A very, very fine line here being walked by Selig.
6:04 pm on July 19th, 2010
who cares about baseball in Texas? Texas and TCU, maybe Rice alums care, but that’s just so they can go back and visit campus and their fraternity houses.
Arlington has a new stadium in town…it’s really big. The team that plays there has won championships and has an owner that spends.
Baseball in Texas does not matter and soon Selig will see baseball in the US does not matter.
9:25 pm on July 19th, 2010
A once great sport has fallen so far.
1. nfl style revenue sharing
2. salary cap
3. salary minimum
4. every player, even japanese, must go through the draft
5. all draftees 18+, no more bringing 15yr old kids from south america
6. eliminate guaranteed contracts
some impossible wish list huh? well it’s what baseball needs. MLB’s philosophy is that it’s made up of 30 separate unequal businesses. the NFL is one business with 32 equal franchises. anyg iven sunday
9:30 pm on July 19th, 2010
Dennis, actually the Greenberg/Ryan bid wasn’t the highest bid in the first place. I would love to see them win the auction, but there have been rumblings recently that a Jim Crane bid would be accepted by the owners.
Brooks, Mark Cuban has entered the fold as ‘financial backing’ to any group purchasing the team. The Cubes said that Nolan would be involved with the team. I heard him say this Friday afternoon on The Ticket. I used to work for them and now work for a sister station, so I’m pretty familiar with the situation.
I can’t imagine baseball contracting the Rangers b/c they would be sued rather quickly not by Mr Hicks but by the creditors. A large portion of this fiasco comes down to $75 mil worth of land that is being sold & Hicks is receiving the profits. Also, the bankruptcy judge & the restructuring officer can’t get on the same page.
Honestly, you could see this whole mess coming in December when the lesser bid was accepted & the negotiating period deadline was postponed several times.
9:44 pm on July 19th, 2010
Check out the seas of empty seats at ballparks … this sport is on life support, gentlemen … blame drugs, a long season, boring games, too few american players and the new york yankees … baseball is dying a slow death …
9:46 pm on July 19th, 2010
Actually, baseball has a pretty good revenue sharing policy. Its called the NY Yankees and Boston Red Sox. They contribute millions each year to jerks in Pittsburgh and KC who pocket the dough. The Yankees give over $100 Million per year in Rev Sharing, so don’t say the league doesn’t have a policy. The reason the NFL Policy is so great, is because of the TV money that is split equally. But since the TV deals in the NFL are with 3 networks and all done by the league and not individually, its a different scenario altogether. I happen to prefer the baseball model of business to the NFL. I think Salary Caps are horrible for the league in terms of on the field caliber of play. Completely waters down competition. I’d rather have 5 great teams like MLB, and 20 horrible ones with 5 decent, than 28 mediocre at best NFL teams, and 4 relaly good ones. But hey, thats just me, the eternal capitalist.
10:07 pm on July 19th, 2010
I would love to be a fly on the wall at MLBPA headquarters to see them planning on filing a collusion petition with the US Dept. of Labor.
10:31 pm on July 19th, 2010
This is all one heck of a way to treat the fans. Sure they have been fortunate to have a great year going inspite of the turmoil with the banks, Hicks, MLB and Bud Selig. But its about putting butts in the stands, no matter where they play. And it is America’s game. Baseball, Apple Pie, Mom, and in some cases Chevrolet. But if they burn the Rangers and the people of Arlington, yes, baseball will begin to fade. But as long as parents are willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on young Nolan Ryans, Pudge Rodriguezs, Chipper Joneses, Roger Clemonses, and more there is a desire to see these kids be the stars of tommorrow.
Sure this is a bummer that one guy could play this out this long and try to leave the fans holding the bag ultimately. This isnt Arkansas where a college team or a farm club (Arkansas Travelers) are the closest thing to professional sports available. But Texas has two teams in a world of hurt, and someone has to realize the California Angels, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and others are small market teams compared to the Yankees, Dodgers, and a few others.
Without common sense and the ability to offer continuity sport as a whole is lost. No matter what the sport — baseball, football, soccer, basketball–we lack the ultimate ingredient if we lose the fans.
10:37 pm on July 19th, 2010
Well, Marty, enjoy another shitty World Series this fall. Name a WS in like 8 years that was remotely watchable. The last one was 2002 by my count. Meanwhile, the NFL has recently trotted out some entertaining postseason games, which has made both the big market fans (e.g., NY Giants) and small-market fans (e.g., from Pitt, Phoenix, and New Orleans) happy. Sorry, but this rust-belt fan loves parity…and loves it when the little dogs can complete with the big ones.
Also loved your watered-down talent line: the MLB doesn’t suffer from that? Really? Have you watched the Triple AAA Baltimore Orioles or Cleveland Indians this year, dude? That’s what Bud Selig expansion in the 90s did to this game. It killed the talent pool for the game….and made owner overpay for their talent.
Whereas in the NFL, a team like the Dolphins can go from 1-15 to a playoff team in one year because they drafted well and pay the right free agents without bankrupting a franchise like Tom Hicks did.
I enjoy it when a league is NOT about who has the most money and is willing to spend. I’d rather see a league where it’s about drafting and trading for the right players and seeing them grow.
10:39 pm on July 19th, 2010
If we are about drafting and trading for the right players. Why are there so few real minor league football teams that ever make a go of it. Arena football is a summer sport. So where other than NFL Europe can we groom young players on the bubble to grow into tommorrows big time players.
We are asking way too many young players to come out early to take a chance at being that impact player. Staying in school seems to be a risk to way too many players, some who could have benefited from waiting another year or two; while some stay too long and can nearly cripple their value.
We got way too much emphasis on the draft in all sports, and not enough on getting the right mix for parity in the sport.
12:34 am on July 20th, 2010
So, Pontiac Lion, you’re saying that a team that is 1-15, with no hope, making the playoffs the following year is good for the game? I see that as the rest of the teams coming down to the pack. That to me is a slap in the face to the rest of the NFL. Now, there’s no doubt that expansion in the 90’s hurt all sports, baseball included, but lets be honest, that Dolphins team had no business being in the postseason. All they did was keep a better overall team, one that actually had a chance to win it all, at home.
And DON’T bring that WS not being watchable argument. Between 1981 and 1997 there was only 1 good Super Bowl and that was the Giants/Bills. The quality of play in the NFL, among the best teams (because nobody cares about the bad ones in any sport) is not as good as the quality in MLB. Its a fact. Colts/Pats, while great, is not nearly as good, with nearly the caliber of player that Yanks/Sox has. You take Peyton off the Colts, they win 4 games. You take A-Rod off the Yankees, they still win 90. Thats what I’m talking about when I mean watered down. Nobody cares about the Indians or Orioles or Lions or Raiders. Its not about them. They don’t matter. The big boys matter. They make everyone else survive.
1:23 pm on July 20th, 2010
Sptguy Brooks,,
I never said the Ryan/Greenberg bid was the highest, I realize that Jim Crane’s was higher, as was the bid by Dennis Gilbert. You guys need to realize that it doesn’t just come down to that. Any zillionaire can buy a team and then subsequently run it into the ground, i.e. Tom Hicks. You have to see the big picture and the long-term health of the franchise, which is why the Ryan-Greenberg group is the most prudent. I can’t understand Brooks your insistence that Nolan Ryan can’t run a team. Like I said earlier, he’s been doing that for 20 years already, not to mention he also owns banks. This guy isn’t just some hayseed ballplayer who bitch-slapped Robin Ventura once. Nolan Ryan is an extremely successful businessman who also has a pretty damn good grasp on how to put a winning product on the field. He came to Texas and immediately changed the culture of the Rangers organization, placing a priority on pitching and defense, rebulding the farm system, and making sure money is spent prudently on free- agent talent. Now to Chuck Greenberg: Without Chuck Greenberg you’d never be able to write another story about the Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Club because they wouldn’t exist. He practically single-handedly pulled them out of bankruptcy and so impressed Mario Lemieux that he became Lemieux’s personal attorney along the way. Is it a good PR move, yes, you are absolutely right on Brooks. Ryan is a hero in Texas without question and his presence has put people in seats. It goes much deeper than that though. Ryan is an outstanding businessman and team owner, as is Chuck Greenberg. How does that not make them the leading candidates to you? Do you think Jim Crane, a guy who’s never run a sports franchise of any kind, is more suitable because he bid more for the team? Seriously? I’ll take my chances with guys who have owned three baseball teams between them. There is absolutely no way in hell MLB would consider eliminating the Rangers, especially when there’s over a combined $billion worth of money on the table from groups lining up to buy the team. Selig couldn’t contract the Twins and Marlins in 2001 when their value was lower than the U.S. dollar, there’s no way he could do it to a first place team with a line forming to the left of people wanting to buy them. I also don’t understand where this Rangers “over-achieving” stuff comes from either. Yeah the Rangers play in a bad division, but this is damn good team. They fielded six all-stars this year at the all-star game. Josh Hamilton is a triple-crown candidate. They just traded for a Cy Yong pitcher in Cliff Lee. Their lineup 1 through 6 is as strong or stronger than any lineup in the American League. The Rangers have the fourth-lowest team ERA in the American League and the second highest team batting average in the American League. You think Josh Hamilton is an over-achiever? You think six-time All-Star Michael Young is an over-achiever? You think Vladimir Guerrero is an over-achiever? Cliff Lee is an over-achiever? You think the best young shortop in the AL Elvis Andrus is an over-achiever? This is good collection of talent. A strong mix of youth an veterans. It only seems like over-achieving because no one cares about what happens in baseball if it doesn’t happen in Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park. Yeah the same Fenway Park where the Rangers just took 3 out of four games. It’s no accident this team is in first place. It didn’t happen overnight. It’s the culmination of a plan set in motion by GM Jon Daniels and overseen by Nolan Ryan. Yeah you’re right, Nolan Ryan can’t run a team.
1:48 pm on July 20th, 2010
hey Lokey…..if you suck off Ryan and Greenberg any more, you should go work for them for free. Same for Selig, if you think for one minute this isn’t about Selig cronyism with Ryan/Greemnberg, youre the one smoking something funny. Name one thing Selig ever did for baseball that didn’t have him with a Selig agenda, not a baseball agenda. His baseball agendas have all been flops and so will this one, when the courts and laws throw him into foul territory, and the screwed lenders sue his butt off.
Oh, and Ryajn and Greenburg are “great ” businessmen bexcause they own profitable minor league teams ? Can you name one unprofitable minor league team ? duh.
get a clue Lokey and quit sucking Ryan and Greenberg, try for one minute to be objective.
HH
2:08 pm on July 20th, 2010
this sport sucks exactly for reasons like this. as far as i am concerned, i wish this group (ryan-greenberg was trying to buy the pirates. grennberg is a pittsburgh guy and there have been many articles in the pittsburgh papers about his attempts to buy the rangers. he is a very intelligent man. he has been involved, in some capacity, with every major franchise in the city of champions (piitsburgh for you out-of towners).
i guess what pisses me off is that baseball and those who lead the mlb are so clueless and have been for so long, that the game sucks now.
seats are empty (not just here in pittsburgh), players make absurd amounts of money, the season is too long, and the sport is still trying to shake a terrible drug problem.
it’s a shame because i used to love baseball, but until selig is gone i see no hope for america’s past time. he is constantly robbing peter to pay paul, as well as turning his head away from poor spending habits by small market clubs (Bob Nutting). he isn’t interested in the long term health of the sport. none of these commisioners are. they all just want to survive their next contract and keep doing so until retirement.
i can’t say i wouldn’t do the same thing, but as a pirates fan first and foremost it has to make you sick.
baseball is a flawed system and i really cannot give a flying crap about the game until it fixes itself.
salary cap would be a HUGE step 1 for the MLB.
2:14 pm on July 20th, 2010
Chuck Greenberg knows 3 things
1. Bankruptcy
2. The Law
3. Owning a prefessional sports franchise.
He is a good guy with a better mind than probably anyone (including myself) who posts on this sight.
Do your research before you trash him Harry Hut
What professional sports need are billionaires backing sports minded people e.g. Lemieux-Burkle
Billionaires don’t make their billions in sport. The use the billions in other industries and businesses and then buy a franchise and piss a lot of it away.
Cuban and Steinbrenner are exceptions, but they are 2 of the brightest business minds ever.
2:50 pm on July 20th, 2010
I’d be upset too Piratefan if I had to endure Pirate baseball. Let it out. Clutch your Lasting Milledge card close to your chest and let it out. You tell me what’s objective here Piratefan. I’m not shilling for Bud Selig. This has nothing to do with Bud Selig. It has to do with the right group getting the team, not the one who bids the most money. Let me ask you something genius; if you bought a car from a friend, would you pay for the price of the car, or all the debt your dumb ass friend accrued along the way? You’d only pay for the car of course. That’s what we’re dealing with here. Hicks Sports Group (the parent company who owns the Rangers, Dallas Stars, and FC Liverpool) acquired all this debt being tied up in the court case, not the Texas Rangers exclusively. If you bothered to investigate the story and not spend your time worrying about Andrew McCutchen’s OBP, you’d realize that Ryan/Greenberg’s bid has $75million dollars of payments of Rangers accrued debt heading right back to the lenders. The problem is the lenders who are indeed owed more money from Hicks Sports Group want whomever buys the Rangers to settle that debt becase they know they can’t obtain it from Tom Hicks. And as far as minor league teams not being profitable, there are several. In fact there was the team in New Hampshire who was evicted from their ballpark. Do you know who the GM of that team was? Dan Duquette, the former GM of the Red Sox. No one becomes a multi-millionaire owning minor league teams. Ryan and Greenberg became multi-millionaries by being excellent businessmen. Nolan Ryan’s business expertise ranges from banking, to baseball, to cattle. Like I said, anyone with a shitload of money can buy a club. Yeah I’m a Ranger fan and I’ve seen that. Tom Hicks did that. Now the team is financially crippled because guys like Tom Hicks, Jim Crane don’t solve problems, they just throw money at them. When the money runs out what do you have? No money and the same problems and you are forced to sell. Is it a fucking coincidence to you that Hicks is selling the Rangers, Stars, and FC Liverpool simultaneoulsy? I’m not sucking off anyone, I’m just using reason and logic and concluding that Ryan-Greenberg are what’s best for the long-term health of the team. Hey, if there were other bidders out there that looked like they knew how to run a team that wins and makes money, I’d champion them too. Show them to me Piratefan. I’m still waiting. If I had Nutting/Huntington running my team I’d be bitter too.
2:53 pm on July 20th, 2010
My bad pirate fan. I was so distracted by HH’s comment I thought it was yours. Forgive me. I do feel bad for you though as I Pirate fan. Accept my apologies.
3:30 pm on July 20th, 2010
Maybe one needs to understand that where states and cities have a population of more than 50% Latino, baseball will flounder. I look at the Marlins that has a major issue with attendance and a city that has a very high Latino population. This is not only trend but one that seems to make me wonder why AROD could not fill the stadium like Ruth and Gehrig did in NY during the 1920’s. Pittsburgh has other issues besides almost no Latino population like having a person at MC D’s that actually understands what you are ordering any way I digress. Pittsburgh has enough old money that if they meaning the establishment wanted a winner, they would have one. Those robber barons still make billions off those folks so they could take a loss on the team and allow the city to enjoy baseball again. Texas Rangers built the stadium in a housing development, dumb idea and to prove it they brought W on board to get the zoning permits for it approved . Does the housing crisis have anything to do with the sale and can anyone explain the details if it did?
4:44 pm on July 20th, 2010
This whole story is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen in my life. In the VERY first place I still can’t see how Bud the dud is stil the commisioner. He has done more to destroy the game by not doing anything when it counted than he’s ever done to help it by doing something to make it better. He hides behind a mask of insipid stupidity that is beyond comprehesion. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him give a straight answer to any controversial subject concerning baseball. And for those who think baseball means nothing in Texas, you have NO idea how long we have supported and continue to supprort both the Rangers and Astros through some VERY tough times as well as great times. Baseball is a sport to the real fans where winning and losing aren’t always everything. It’s the times at the park with you parents or kids or just friends that makes baseball such a unique sport, unlike anty other. It’s the smells, the sounds, and the excitement of just being there that makes the game what it is. Baseball needs new leadership worse than anything and it will flourish!!
8:50 pm on July 20th, 2010
Marty Funkhauser my friend…you are a total IDIOT!
8:06 am on July 21st, 2010
Selig is a douche.
10:31 am on July 21st, 2010
I agree somewhat that baseball wants the owner in there that they think will provide the best management not necessarily the highest bid, but this thing is in bankruptcy now. It doesn’t matter as much who the best owner will be but who will pay off the most debt. The creditors don’t care about who will run the Rangers the best and the bankruptcy courts are not going to either. Bud is playing a dangerous game by threatening to circumvent the bankruptcy court. MLB is essentially threatening to ruin a significant asset. Creditors could file an against MLB to stop this. If for some reason, the case is heard in bankruptcy court, then MLB will be in trouble.
5:27 pm on July 26th, 2010
All you need to know about Bud Selig is that he is so gutless, he let the World Series continue in a monsoon, until the Rays had a chance to tie the game. (And let’s not forget the brilliant decision to have the Astros playing “home” games in Milwaukee, and the Blue Jays playing “home” games in Philadelphia, among other things.) He has handled baseball’s ownership with the same craven MO. Steinbrenner ran the show, and the small market owners (who Selig represents) did not like it. Whether they were just whiners or had legitimite gripes is debatable (probably somewhere in between), but the outrageous way Selig has handled the problem is not. Instead of trying to push back on The Boss, Selig’s “solution” was to sell teams in big markets to suitors that didn’t have any money, so that it wouldn’t be repeated in other markets. As a result, you see the messes we have now in Los Angeles, Texas, and probably with the Cubs, as well. Meanwhille, baseball has not recovered in image since the strike or steroid fallout, and also a result, we have the masses talking about LeBron James and Chris Paul in the middle of July.
I used to say the Selig was the best baseball commissioner the NFL ever had. Now I’d add the NBA, as well. You’re next, NHL!
8:47 pm on July 28th, 2010
CRANE IS THE BEST BIDDER PERIOD.. The lenders can count and Cranes bid was far superior to that of Seligs boys Greenberg and Ryan. Mr. Crane did not get where he is at by being anyones dummy either and the Astros deal fell through when their current owner tried to raise the number after having a deal in place. Ou try selling a car to someone for say 10,000 dollars and then when they are ready to sign the contract you tell them oh because I owe someone some dough it will have to be $25,000 now. Go Crane Go time to bring some new blood to baseball and get the old time gangsters led by Selig out of the way. Rangers will rule with a new cash rich ownership group.