The American League owners Wednesday approved the sale of the Detroit Tigers, one pizza king buying out another, and in a bizarre development not likely to fly, touched on the possibility of switching a franchise with the National League-like moving the Milwaukee Brewers into the NL in exchange for the San Francisco Giants.
”If you look at the map it could be considered,” said geographer Haywood Sullivan, owner and general partner of the Boston Red Sox. ”But nobody is taking it very seriously, not at this time.”
Sullivan offered this observation after the moguls had concluded a special meeting at the O`Hare Hilton. The meeting didn`t last long, only 90 minutes, and opened with the rubber stamp approval of Mike Ilitch`s $90-million purchase of the Tigers from Tom Monaghan. Both are pizza barons stationed in Detroit.
AL president Robert Brown revealed that a straw vote was taken on the sale. The vote was unanimous in favor but formal approval can be expected Sept. 9-10 in St. Louis when the owners hold their quarterly meeting. A mere 8-6 majority approval is required from the NL owners who couldn`t care less.
Of considerably more concern, especially to the AL, is the impending sale and transfer of the Giants from San Francisco to St. Petersburg, Fla. San Francisco owner Bob Lurie has signed a conditional purchase agreement with the Florida group that could be nullified if the owners from one league or the other kill the deal.
Brown conceded the San Francisco move was mentioned at length during Wednesday`s meeting but refused to reveal whether or not the AL owners would approve.
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”There are many ramifications,” said Brown, ”but there were no definite conclusions.”
One AL owner, who asked for anonymity, was firm in his belief that the Giants are Florida-bound.
”It`s a done deal,” he said.
Another mogul, however, wasn`t so sure.
”If there is a buyer waiting in the wings who would be willing to keep the team in San Francisco we will tell Lurie to take that offer,” this owner insisted. But he quickly amended his observation with the statement, ”But I don`t think anyone is going to come forward.”
Whatever, it is clear that a majority of the AL owners would prefer that either the Giants stay put or be moved elsewhere-to Oklahoma or Montana, anywhere but Florida. By allowing the transfer to St. Petersburg, the NL would sew up the entire Southeast-the Giants in St. Petersburg, the expansion Florida Marlins, who will be based in Miami, and the Atlanta Braves.
And because of this some AL owners are flying a Florida kite: They want the St. Petersburg-Tampa Bay area in exchange for one of their established franchises. The AL, for example, would be delighted to dump its Seattle franchise.
It`s such a wild idea that it may not be discussed at the September joint meeting. Simply put, the NL owners aren`t likely to agree.
Nonetheless, owner Jerry Reinsdorf indicated there would be advantages if his White Sox were transferred to the NL.
”I`d have to give it a lot of consideration,” Reinsdorf said Wednesday. ”The possibility of being in the same league with the Cubs and playing them 12 to 15 times every season is very attractive. But I doubt it`s going to happen.”
It won`t happen, certainly not at this time, because the White Sox are among the AL`s anchor teams. Reinsdorf`s fellow moguls would oppose abandoning Chicago to the NL.
Bud Selig, the Milwaukee owner, was the last to arrive for Wednesday`s meeting and among the first to leave. He was not available for comment. Milwaukee, when it gained big-league status, was an NL club and it would be interesting to know if Selig is in favor of a return.
It seems to me that the AL owners are merely stirring the pot and filling the air with smoke in the hope it will hasten realignment. Whether they like it or not, the NL has won Florida.
Said Boston`s Sullivan, the AL`s new mapmaker:
”Sooner or later there will be realignment. It`s inevitable.”
Asked for a potential timetable, Sullivan replied:
”Maybe by the year 2000, or 2005.”