Attanasio reportedly interested in buying the Dodgers

[logan82]

I am ready for a new owner.

[Nottso]

I am ready for a new owner.

Who owns you now?

 

[Patrick425]

I am ready for a new owner.

Why?

[Invader3K]

Overall Mark Attanasio has been a great owner for this team. Mark Cuban is a pipe dream, and I'm not sure he would be any better than Attanasio in the long run. I guess we might get to see him ejected from the owner's seats occasionally, which would probably excite some fans for whatever reason.

[RU Rah Rah]

Would this be at all like John Henry buying the Red Sox while he still owned the Marlins? IIRC, he wound up selling to Jeffrey Loria, who at the time owned the Expos.

[dlk9s]

I am ready for a new owner.

Why?

I'd like to know why, as well. If you're going to make a statement like that, logan, it would be nice if you would give some reasons.

[paul253]

I'm a little late to the show, but my first thought was this. If he has enough money to buy the Dodgers, why is our payroll still in the lower half of the league? I'm not sure how I'd feel about Mark Cuban as owner. I think we'd definitely be more aggressive with free agency, but that's not necessarily a good thing. I'd be a little worried we'd turn into the Cubs.....huge salaries with little success. I actually like the idea of building the team through the system because you really get excited to see these guys come up after following them in the minors so long. Overall though, I can't see Cuban settling for a losing team though, so I think probably it would be better to have him as owner than not.

[jhart05]

"Cuban would be fun, he has tons of money but I would worry a bit about his meddling. He seems like the type of guy who would throw ridiculous contracts around to try and win right away."

 

 

Are you saying this like it would be a bad thing? If he would want to throw money at Prince to stay, sign a Sabathia-type pitcher, it's his money, all the better for the fans.

 

I would take Cuban in a heartbeat. When I did watch the NBA, Dallas was my favorite team after the Bucks.

[kramnoj]

If he has enough money to buy the Dodgers, why is our payroll still in the lower half of the league?

 

The two aren't related in any way. Pohlad was a billionaire, wouldn't build a stadium for his team, and kept the Twins payroll low. A team can support a certain amount of payroll, but there aren't lots of people willing to lose millions of their own dollars to support a team.

 

Also, as discussed, Attanasio doesn't have the money to buy the Dodgers. He has enough money and enough business partners to put together a group that can buy the Dodgers.

[logan82]

I want an owner who realixes we are in a limited market and are going to have to give up a year now and then to rebuild. I don't think Attanasio is that guy.

[WestSideWillie]

Attanasio and his group have the financial wherewithal to finance anything, as that is there business. Leveraged buy-outs, high-yield bond fund, plus

his fortune was made when his company was bought by TCW. He is one of the best in the business, after Michael Milken, Drexel Burnham Lambert Bankruptcy and crash,

he was able to return to the markets and finance in a huge way. Yes, he can afford to buy the Dodgers, if not, he can find a way to. Take a look at his biography in the press

guide at his business history. Even now, he has bought back Crescent Capital from TCW, being part of his own company. Interesting. Certainly can afford to buy the Dodgers.

Plus a $100 million return on his Brewers investment? His partners should be ecstatic.

[BrewCrewForever]

I would hate to lose Attanasio as owner, but if someone else does buy it, that is just way it goes. As long as it is not Wendy Selig-Prieb.

[RockCoCougars]

I want an owner who realixes we are in a limited market and are going to have to give up a year now and then to rebuild. I don't think Attanasio is that guy.

I take it that you missed most of the 90's.

[logan82]

I want an owner who realixes we are in a limited market and are going to have to give up a year now and then to rebuild. I don't think Attanasio is that guy.

I take it that you missed most of the 90's.

Doesn't mean Attanasio is better, he has just spent more money.

[Invader3K]

logan, I think you're being a bit ridiculous. Is Attanasio a perfect baseball owner? No, probably not. But no small market team is going to make all the right moves all the time. We're certainly in a much better position than most comparable markets (CLE, KC, PIT, OAK, etc).

 

To say Attanasio hasn't been better than the Seligs were in the '90s, other than spending more money, is pretty laughable. This team was a second rate afterthought when Attanasio purchased it, and now they at least have the chance to contend regularly. I'll take that happily at this point.

[WestSideWillie]

From the Journal Sentinel August 07, 2010:

 

"The challenges the Brewers are facing also will show up on the financial spreadsheets. Attanasio, the team's principal owner, disclosed that the franchise will lose money this season."

"We are going to have 2.7 million this year and we are going to lose money," he said. "I think it's a foregone conclusion that we are going to lose money this year. I don't see any way that's not going to be the case. If you can't stand the heat, don't go into the kitchen. We are committed to putting a winning team on the field. We did everything we could to do that with a big push with pitching. We threw a lot of money at it and it didn't work. We are going to be back to the drawing board and figure it out."

 

No matter who is singing, seems like the same old song, Brewers will lose money...record attendance, record sponsorships, record merchandising, what more can the team do? I guess the team loses money regardless of the ownership. Curious if anyone ever leaked the Brewers financials, along with the Marlins, Pirates, Mariners?

 

 

[logan82]

logan, I think you're being a bit ridiculous. Is Attanasio a perfect baseball owner? No, probably not. But no small market team is going to make all the right moves all the time. We're certainly in a much better position than most comparable markets (CLE, KC, PIT, OAK, etc).

 

To say Attanasio hasn't been better than the Seligs were in the '90s, other than spending more money, is pretty laughable. This team was a second rate afterthought when Attanasio purchased it, and now they at least have the chance to contend regularly. I'll take that happily at this point.

We had a good year under Attanasio because the team was built up by moves made by the Seligs. All Attanasio has done is infuse the team with more money. We can't go for it every year like Attanasio has pushed for so far. Making moves like trading Fielder for long term young pitching this offseason and not wasting money on the FA pitching market this year will go a long way towards changing my opinion but so far we have had several offseasons where the focus was on competing the next year instead of the future. In my opinion, that directive comes from Attanasio. Even with the moves over the last offseason we were a low 80 win team talent wise.

 

Of course every team makes mistakes. I am not criticizing any particular moves, just the overall philosophy. None of the moves last offseason should hurt us much in the future but none are going to help us either. Everything helping us at this point so far has been because of the MiLB system.

[Buckylovesbeer]

To start a new discussion on our owner.....

 

Does anyone out there feel like Attanasio sees the Brewers as an investment, and when the time is good to sell, he is going to get out? Just wondering.....I would be curious to know how much he really cares about baseball/Brewers or if its just another investment in his portfolio. (That is how he made his fortune) If this is the case, I could see how LA being nearer to his home and a bigger market would look like a better option to him.

 

He doesent strike me as an all-in "baseball-guy" type of owner.....yes I know, he spends more money than any previous owner, but then again, dont most of the MLB owners do the same? I dont think he loses much sleep over the day to day results of the team.....maybe no owners do.

 

 

I sure like how the Crew has pushed to be competitive in the last few years, and definately want them to stay that way. Will a new owner help/hurt this? Who knows.....but I know having a mega rich owner (Cuban) would certainly help to keep this team competitive.

[Buckylovesbeer]

(BTW I just want to start this discussion......I dont have any dislike of Mark A or anything, I just want to see if others wonder the same thing)

[carniesandrubes]

To start a new discussion on our owner.....

 

Does anyone out there feel like Attanasio sees the Brewers as an investment, and when the time is good to sell, he is going to get out?

Of course he does. I don't think anyone doubts that. The guy is a businessman first. Of course owning a baseball team is a lot more "fun" than owning other assets but he's probably looking to make a significant amount of $ on the deal. I have no doubt that once he feels like he's reached the point of diminishing returns as far as the value of the club, he'll sell and move on.

[PilprinBuddha]

I wonder if that time has come. Mark has been a very good owner....I fear who his replacement might be someday. Mark Cuban would be fun....just don't see him having interest in a team from MKE. Doesn't seem his style.

[Brewer Fever]

I gotta admit this has all caught me off guard. Both the criticism of Attanasio and the resignation to the premise that he's not in for the long haul. And I'm really surprised that some think our "next" owner will be right on par if not an upgrade. Deep pockets aren't exactly in abundance around here. And outsiders who have 'em don't always think very highly of Milwaukee. Besides, all the money in the world doesn't make a good owner. Look at Daniel Snyder or the guy who was the runner-up the last time the Brewers were sold.

[PilprinBuddha]

That is my fear as well. There are many owners who are far worse that Mark A. - - I am hoping he keeps the Brewers.

[Never Outhustled]

"We are going to have 2.7 million this year and we are going to lose money," he said. "I think it's a foregone conclusion that we are going to lose money this year. I don't see any way that's not going to be the case. If you can't stand the heat, don't go into the kitchen. We are committed to putting a winning team on the field. We did everything we could to do that with a big push with pitching. We threw a lot of money at it and it didn't work. We are going to be back to the drawing board and figure it out."

 

No matter who is singing, seems like the same old song, Brewers will lose money...record attendance, record sponsorships, record merchandising, what more can the team do? I guess the team loses money regardless of the ownership. Curious if anyone ever leaked the Brewers financials, along with the Marlins, Pirates, Mariners?

He said the same thing last year, but they ended up making money. Since he made the most recent statement, they already saved $2 million by not signing their 1st round draft pick. Forbes has the Brewers as one of the most profitable teams in baseball on a yearly basis.

[Never Outhustled]

He doesent strike me as an all-in "baseball-guy" type of owner.....yes I know, he spends more money than any previous owner, but then again, dont most of the MLB owners do the same?

He spends more money than previous owners? He hasn't spent a dime of his own money since buying the team. They've been able to raise the payroll because we built Miller Park, and Wisconson demographically is a great baseball state. The people here are the right age and in the right financial standing to make a baseball team profitable, which is why Attanosio bought the team. it has helped the teams profitability that he's a far more like-able personality than the Seligs.