The Rangers, News Corp., And Fear
Another day, another round of bankruptcy-induced hand-wringing. It's maddening that we've spent so many months discussing the Rangers' Hicks-induced plight ad infinitum and yet know so little about the principal players involved. We still don't know anything. We can infer whatever we'd like to infer from Chuck Greenberg's impressive prose or Mark Cuban's NBA-side dealings, but none of it necessarily means anything in terms of their future ownership of a baseball team, and as much as we'd like to think that we know how next Wednesday's team auction will conclude, our best guesses amount to shots in the dark at this point.
Aside from Friday morning's strange developments on this matter, however, and the likely on-target speculation that this mess could stretch into the 2011 calendar year if the Chuck Greenberg/Nolan Ryan-led ownership consortium doesn't prevail, there's a newer wrinkle that has developed -- the forthcoming involvement of the News Corp.-owned FOX Sports, which has reportedly been preparing behind the scenes to obtain pre-approval from Major League Baseball to submit a bid next Wednesday. The apparent motivation? An overriding interest in ensuring that FOX Sports retains Rangers television rights beyond the 2015 expiration of the team's current television contract.
Of this latest twist in the Rangers' ownership narrative, Chicago-based sports consultant Marc Ganis stated the following: "It makes some sense to protect their broadcast but it's a bit like the tail wagging the dog. [...] Also Fox/News Corp. had owned the Dodgers at one point and that was not a positive experience." Indeed, this is the rare instance where we can point towards one of the Rangers' prospective owners, note that they have previously owned a major league ballclub, and analyze their previous M.O. ... and as Ganis alludes to, the precedent here is not particularly reassuring. In fact, one might go so far as to say that it's downright frightening.
In March 1998, long-time Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley sold the franchise to News Corp. for a then-record sum in the low-to-mid $300 million range, and soon thereafter resigned from his post of team chairman/CEO. Rupert Murdoch summarily installed FOX television executives with no baseball background into these high-level roles, laying the foundation for a significant payroll spike -- the Dodgers' team payroll rose from $47.9 million in 1998 (12th) to $90.3 million in 2000 (2nd) -- and a heaping dose of interference from the Dodgers' new overlords.
Then-elite catcher Mike Piazza entered the 1998 season with free agency looming at the end of the season, and was looking to re-sign for record eight-figure money; News Corp., however, had other plans, as they viewed Piazza as a "public relations problem" and, perhaps more disturbingly, wanted to position themselves to acquire the broadcasting rights of the then-World Champion Florida Marlins. News Corp. executives Peter Chernin and Chase Carey engineered a stunning seven-player May trade with the Marlins without the involvement of then-Dodgers general manager Fred Claire, who was dismissed five weeks after the trade's completion (as was then-manager Bill Russell), and the entire player personnel department was revamped.
Said Claire afterwards: "The trade of Mike Piazza was devastating to the Dodgers on a couple of counts, The Dodgers lost a great player who should have stayed with the organization forever. But also, the structure of the Dodgers got turned upside down, and that led to a number of other significant events, in my view. [...] Things that happened after that trade, it just turned everything upside down. It led to the firings of [coaches] Mark Cresse, Reggie Smith, Goose Gregson. It just had a tremendous impact on the entire organization. [...] It also made no sense. As bad as the deal itself was for the Dodgers, for a variety of reasons the timing of it was absolutely bizarre. It had nothing to do with the team itself or any type of normal move that's ever been made."
Remember that thing I said about us not knowing anything? Yeah, scratch that. I'm pretty sure we're not ready for something like this happening.
27 Comments | in Analysis, The Season
Reader Comments (27)
Please tell me MLB would not approve these jokers, with "just cause" being their previous ownership of the Dodgers and the cluster said ownership was...
Thanks for the update Joey. Believe it or not, reading about this actually helped my hangover. Or maybe it was the eggs.
God forbid we have a repeat of what happened to the LAD. I will try to remain confident that MLB will have the final say in this mess. I have to think Cuban has the most $ to throw at it, and maybe he can strike a post purchase deal with Ryan and Greenburg that will spare us the appeals process.
If Fox ends up owning the Rangers I would seriously consider shooting myself in the head. News Corp omg what a joke of a name. Fox News is the freakin anti-Christ. These people have absolutely no moral bone in their bodies. Dealing with Tom Hicks was one thing but this would push me over the edge.
@JFitz
Leave your political views at the door big guy. Our concern shouldn't be whether you like Bill O'Reilly or not, it should be whether they can successfully run a MLB franchise. We have strong evidence that they failed in their first attempt.
Ditto what WSGJ said.
I'm with Jfitz. There's no way I buy tickets for any NewsCorp owned franchise, whether they're competitive or not.
Don't forget the emails that came out during the Mitchell report about Piazza, steroids and their decision to move him.
I have a hard time ownership forced the move when at the GM level it was discussed to move him over his steroid use.
new report the yanks almost done getting kerry wood ..... dont the rangers have to try for some1 else now if they want a chance at a WS?
"Going to Class AAA is Justin Smoak, who looked overmatched the past couple of weeks at the plate. Milton Bradley heads to the DL with a sore left knee that's bugged him for a while."
Davis & Smoak both down.
What is it with the Rangers catchers and 1B players. They need to rethink either drafting, development, or both.
So Chase, you never watch NFC football on Fox and Mavs or Ranger games on FSSW. I'm sure you never flip through Fox television, one of the 4 major network, for any television viewing such as the Simpsons, 24, Married With Children, Family Guy, etc. I'm sure you've avoided Avatar, Borat, Star Wars, X Men, Big, and Home Alone... all 20th Century Fox Productions. So they purchase the Rangers and you'll quit watching them? Even though you watch the bankrupt Rangers on a Fox Network already? Hope the Rangers don't make it to the World Series this year because I think it's on Fox.
to Jon - it happens.
Ken Rosenthal via twitter: Red Sox get Saltalamacchia.
Wow, I wondered how long the Salty thing would last.
@WSJC - You say leave your politics at the door but isn't this something that should be considered when thinking of someone buying your team? If any ownership group is controversial to the point of costing fans (and therefore money) then it should be a cause for concern. I'm a liberal and I would be upset if Michael Moore we're putting in a bid. The last thing I want while trying to enjoy a baseball game is people protesting O'Reilly or that fat guy that cries a lot, just leave political extremism of either side out of baseball please.
Where do the Fox News haters draw the line? Do you boycott all of Fox? Does that include the NFL? Everybody here already watching the Rangers on Fox Sports are already supporting News Corp. Why would it change if they purchased the Rangers?
Look... I am not a fan of their possible ownership of the Rangers. I understand why they are doing it though. Mark Cuban can personally destroy Fox Sports Southwest if he gains control of the Rangers. If he put the Mavs and the Rangers on his station (HDNet), then it's church for FSSW.
Out of all the options, NewsCorp is probably the worst possible outcome (in my opinion). I split my time about 80-20 between Fox News and MSNBC. I know what I'm getting when I watch both. I tend to lean conservative, but not exclusively. If NBC Universal were purchasing the Rangers, I wouldn't go crazy about "those liberals" running my baseball team. I like Law & Order, Biggest Loser (gay I know). I can differentiate between a news group of an organization and a sports group. I just want an owner that can keep the thing on track while being able to afford having a DSL team AND being able to trade for Cliff Lee.
Me thinks the FO has lost patience with repetitive non-performers.
Davis down and now Salty traded.
It appears that a lot of past discussions concerning the future at C and 1B were wasted time.
So who will be the C and 1B this time next year?
This could be just some dude posting from his parents basement in his underwear, but...
http://www.soxprospects.com/moreprospects.htm
The pitcher Mendez was the Red Sox 21st rated prospect and McGuiness was their 30th ranked prospect, according to this dude.
Mendez Scout Report 6-24-10
http://news.soxprospects.com/2010/06/book-roman-mendez.html
McGuiness Write Up 7-8-10
http://news.soxprospects.com/2010/07/ladder-7810.html
LOL @ Salty trade...that's definitely a bad move
@ Pryor
Because..............
...we have absolutely no depth at catcher now, assuming we can't resign Molina and Treanor.
Not in 1,000,000 years -- or 38 years, whichever seems longer -- did I imagine hearing the words "the Rangers have no depth at 1B."
The number of fans that stay at home, sitting on their thumbs in protest of the owner & their politics, is countable with two hands. The past weekend's sellouts should hip you to that, here in the time of the worst ownership situation I've ever seen in MLB. Just thank your lucky stars that it's not Air America cleared for bidding.
You can try as you might to find a reason to complain about this team, but there has never been a more exciting time in Rangers baseball. Ever.
Name one team that has EVERY position locked up with a gem for the next 3 years.
I'll take this team as is for the next two years, but I think it will get even better, even at C.
@ WSJG:
Listen man, I recognize the bias of any news organization. What offends me is the fact that organizations like MSNBC and Fox make no bones about the fact that they have an agenda. An opinion leading "news" organization such as Fox has a journalistic responsibility to give its audience an objective portrayal of events. The choice of organizations such as NewsCorp to pander to any particular group is either licentious promotion of a political agenda or shameless capitalization of a group too ignorant or fanatical to notice or care that they are being pandered to. Regardless how prevalent Fox is, their blatant affront to the most basic standards of journalism is reason enough for me to avoid them.
I hate Fox. I cringe everytime I see their logo on a TV screen, movie screen or in print. Does that stop me from watching the Super Bowl? Of course not. It hasn't stopped me from watching the Rangers on FSSW. It didn't stop me watching most of the movies you listed above, and it won't stop me watching the cowboys on Fox NFL Sunday. But when I have a choice, I avoid NewsCorp products. So you ask me where I draw the line. Well, I draw the line at being a fan, that is to say consciously supporting one organization above all others, of a NewsCorp owned entity. Handing my money over to NewsCorp to watch Rupert Murdoch ruin my favorite baseball team is where I draw the line.
So no, I'm not going to pay to watch a NewsCorp owned baseball team. If that sale goes through, I'll grit my teeth and get my baseball fix at LaGrave field. Cats FTW!!
The Greenberg/Ryan group is the only sensible group to be awarded ownership of the Rangers and that is for the sake of the business side of the team and the baseball side. The vast majority who care want Greenberg/Ryan.....keeping Nolan actively involved running the baseball side of the operations is of the utmost importance, without his leadership at this point in time the team will begin to slide! Question to Jim Crane, why don't you just stay in Houston and buy the Astros? Maybe it is because you already had that chance and stiffed Drayton McClaine and MLB!! We don't want you at the helm of the Ranger organization period! Please go away......many of us season ticket holders may have to rethink spending our hard earned money for a organization that you will lead into oblivion!
Fox New Corps......what a joke.......you had your chance in Dodgerland and blew it and imploded that organization.......you would be the worst of all possible ownership groups!
Dennis Gilbert would simply make this team a minor league group for his real benefactor, Jerry Reinsdorf and the ChiSox.........lots of our players would be siphoned off to Chicago...Ozzie would be happy!! Gilbert is nothing more than a puppet of Reinsdorf! End of the Ranger franchise as a MLB team for sure.
And one of the metroplex's own..........Mark Cuban.......you have made the Mavs a laughingstock across the country with your silly antics please don't bring them to the Rangers. We don't want you either with your foolishness and bizarre behaviors!
Folks, the culprit is Tom Hicks..........he could make things right, get this thing done with Greenberg/Ryan and let the Rangers and the fans go on with all our lives............Chuck Greenberg/Nolan Ryan are the future of the Rangers.....not these other rich clowns who will take the team and the fan base down the road to oblivion!!
All we are going to get now is another owner like Hicks...someone simply looking to make a buck while putting a team on the field just good enough to sell tickets. Glad the Cowboys are about to begin play. That will at least help me forget what almost was for the Texas Rangers.
Uhhhh...so the Dodgers made a bad trade under Fox ownership, therefore Fox ownership of the Rangers would be bad?
Sounds like they invested in resources and payroll and it didn't work out. It happens.
Awfully broad strokes here.
Give me the best captilized ownership group-- whoever that is-- every time
Uhhhh...so the Dodgers made a bad trade under Fox ownership, therefore Fox ownership of the Rangers would be bad?
Sounds like they invested in resources and payroll and it didn't work out. It happens.
Okay. So you don't find it the least bit concerning that network executives with essentially no baseball background came in, imposed their will on the Dodgers' baseball operations department, forced a ill-conceived trade with the Marlins, and ultimately tore apart the entire player personnel department?