Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
April 24, 2006
Unseemly Bidding

The top three groups in line for buying the Washington Nationals are using African-Americans instead of dollars to bid for the team. Somehow usings blacks as currency seems like a step backwards to me.


Posted by David Pinto at 08:23 AM | Owners | TrackBack (0)
Comments

Bob DuPuy was in the Mets' broadcast booth on Jackie Robinson Day and he made it pretty clear that the racial composition of the ownership group was a priority for MLB. One thing that's been clear for some time - and not just in this deal, and not just on issues of race - is that Selig's criteria for selling teams is highly political in many senses of the word. Selig wants other owners who will enhance rather than inhibit MLB's negotiating position with the players' union, municipalities, and Congress, and other considerations - the highest bidder, the best baseball people - are secondary. I'm sure MLB's main interest here is in currying favor with DC and Congress.

Posted by: Crank at April 24, 2006 10:45 AM

I could not agree more. This request for African-American partners seems to be the ultimate form of tokenism on the part of MLB.

While I agree that minorities need to be represented better in all areas of the front offices in baseball, this effort by MLB seems to be driven by the politics in DC and not a quest for the best partners necessary to run a team.

I thought (or hoped) we had come further that this.

Pete

Posted by: Pete Morrison at April 24, 2006 12:01 PM

Certainly politics and loacality must enter into the ownership debate, right? I mean, that's what makes the current Dodgers so unsuccessful - a complete lack of understanding of the market and region. And any owner - even Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling and Dick Cheney - would be preferable to MLB continuing to own the club.

Posted by: david at April 24, 2006 01:02 PM

If Bud really wanted to do something, he'd make Frank Robinson commissoner. (or get the owners to o it.)

Posted by: rbj at April 24, 2006 02:10 PM

Well if MLB wants blacks represented in the ownership of the National's I don't see anything wrong with these groups acquiescing.

However, I do agree that the Smulyan's group promise of a black team president does cross the line into unseemliness.

Posted by: Mike L. at April 24, 2006 05:26 PM

Mike L. I agree. Put together the group from the begiining. Don't go racing at the last minute to see who can be the most racially correct.

Posted by: David Pinto at April 24, 2006 05:45 PM

Why would he make Frank Robinson baseball commissioner?

Posted by: abe at April 24, 2006 07:42 PM
Post a comment









Remember personal info?