azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Craig Harris
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 19, 2004 12:00 AM
CHICAGO - While Commissioner Bud Selig watches the sale of his family's Milwaukee Brewers hit the home stretch, he continues to hold up Jeff Moorad's appointment as the Diamondbacks chief executive officer.
Meanwhile, the Montreal Expos' move to Washington didn't make it out of the on-deck circle, as baseball owners tabled a vote on the transfer.
"We will get this done," Selig said Thursday at the conclusion of the quarterly owners meeting. "We would just like to have all the details done before we vote, nothing more than that."
Selig gave similar comments on the delay of Moorad's approval, declining to give any specific reasons.
"Those who know me well know I'm fastidious in a lot of ways in terms of process, because I was raised that way in this business," Selig said. "I don't want someone to say later, 'How did you guys do this, didn't you think about this or didn't you check something out?' If we will err, we will err on the side of being cautious."
Last year, Selig pushed through the sale of the Anaheim Angels to Phoenix businessman Arte Moreno.
Owners approved the sale in May 2003, just one month after Moreno agreed to buy the team. Selig moved up the vote at the urging of the Walt Disney Co., the previous Angels owner.
Los Angeles investor Mark L. Attanasio agreed to buy the Brewers for $220 million Oct. 4, and that sale should be completed in two to three weeks.
"I feel like I'm rounding third and heading home," Attanasio said Thursday.
Moorad and the Diamondbacks, meanwhile, applied for their organizational changes in August. Moorad also intends to become a part owner.
All ownership changes involve a process that takes time, Selig said, although he said the complexity of some sales causes them to take longer than others.
Bob DuPuy, baseball's president and chief operating officer, said one possible reason for the Moorad delay is that the Diamondbacks' plans changed. Originally, the team wanted Moorad to take over Jan. 1, when team founder Jerry Colangelo was scheduled to retire. Colangelo, however, quit Sept. 1, shortly after he was forced out as CEO.
Selig must give his approval for a team wishing to switch its "control person," who then needs the approval of the owners, DuPuy said.
Contrary to comments from a league spokesman this week, owners don't have to approve Moorad's planned ownership stake because he will not be the majority owner, DuPuy said.
Baseball's indecision keeps the Diamondbacks front office in limbo as the team tries to pursue Richie Sexson and other free agents and appease pitcher Randy Johnson.
Ken Kendrick, one of the Diamondbacks general partners, said he was not surprised no action was taken on Moorad, who did not attend the meetings, because nothing was scheduled to occur.
At least one owner, Steve Schott of the Oakland A's, said he didn't have a problem with Moorad becoming a co-owner or the team's control person.
Schott also said no other owners have expressed concerns to him.
But Chicago White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, a close confidant of Selig's, said he no comment on Moorad, a former player agent.
"I have enough problems with my own teams," said Reinsdorf, who also runs the Chicago Bulls.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/1119owners1119.html
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 19, 2004 12:00 AM
CHICAGO - While Commissioner Bud Selig watches the sale of his family's Milwaukee Brewers hit the home stretch, he continues to hold up Jeff Moorad's appointment as the Diamondbacks chief executive officer.
Meanwhile, the Montreal Expos' move to Washington didn't make it out of the on-deck circle, as baseball owners tabled a vote on the transfer.
"We will get this done," Selig said Thursday at the conclusion of the quarterly owners meeting. "We would just like to have all the details done before we vote, nothing more than that."
Selig gave similar comments on the delay of Moorad's approval, declining to give any specific reasons.
"Those who know me well know I'm fastidious in a lot of ways in terms of process, because I was raised that way in this business," Selig said. "I don't want someone to say later, 'How did you guys do this, didn't you think about this or didn't you check something out?' If we will err, we will err on the side of being cautious."
Last year, Selig pushed through the sale of the Anaheim Angels to Phoenix businessman Arte Moreno.
Owners approved the sale in May 2003, just one month after Moreno agreed to buy the team. Selig moved up the vote at the urging of the Walt Disney Co., the previous Angels owner.
Los Angeles investor Mark L. Attanasio agreed to buy the Brewers for $220 million Oct. 4, and that sale should be completed in two to three weeks.
"I feel like I'm rounding third and heading home," Attanasio said Thursday.
Moorad and the Diamondbacks, meanwhile, applied for their organizational changes in August. Moorad also intends to become a part owner.
All ownership changes involve a process that takes time, Selig said, although he said the complexity of some sales causes them to take longer than others.
Bob DuPuy, baseball's president and chief operating officer, said one possible reason for the Moorad delay is that the Diamondbacks' plans changed. Originally, the team wanted Moorad to take over Jan. 1, when team founder Jerry Colangelo was scheduled to retire. Colangelo, however, quit Sept. 1, shortly after he was forced out as CEO.
Selig must give his approval for a team wishing to switch its "control person," who then needs the approval of the owners, DuPuy said.
Contrary to comments from a league spokesman this week, owners don't have to approve Moorad's planned ownership stake because he will not be the majority owner, DuPuy said.
Baseball's indecision keeps the Diamondbacks front office in limbo as the team tries to pursue Richie Sexson and other free agents and appease pitcher Randy Johnson.
Ken Kendrick, one of the Diamondbacks general partners, said he was not surprised no action was taken on Moorad, who did not attend the meetings, because nothing was scheduled to occur.
At least one owner, Steve Schott of the Oakland A's, said he didn't have a problem with Moorad becoming a co-owner or the team's control person.
Schott also said no other owners have expressed concerns to him.
But Chicago White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, a close confidant of Selig's, said he no comment on Moorad, a former player agent.
"I have enough problems with my own teams," said Reinsdorf, who also runs the Chicago Bulls.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/1119owners1119.html
