Hot off the press: the Forbes figures

[Ytown_Tribe_fan]

Guess who made the biggest profit in baseball last year, according to Forbes magazine? The Milwaukee Brewers, followed by the Yanks.

Forbes looked at all the books and made their own study which conflicts significantly with what Kennesaw Molehill laid out before Congress.

Read for yourselves and see who YOU believe:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2002/0329/1360060.html

[Mistfit_MI]

I don't know who is right or wrong but what I wonder is why the Tigers haven't been able put a team together since the mid 80's if they are profitable...But thats kinda off the beaten track for this topic sorry..


Kevin

[KingStreetSquire]

Gambling? In Casablanca? I'm shocked!

[cubbieinexile]

I really don't believe the Cubs are only worth 287 Mil. When you look at the Yankees they factor in the park and the fact that they created a Yankee network. While it appears they did not for the Cubs. Plus every single team that has gotten a new stadium in the last 4 years or will be getting a new stadium soon has seen its value increased. While the Cubs don't even get it factored. Personally I believe if the Chicago Tribune ever sold the Cubs it wouldn't be for 287 million that is for sure.

[baseballwise]

WOW! Thanks for sharing this article, Tribe Fan. In addition to "revealing" accurate TRUSTWORTHY information.....it also reveals what a deceptive, slimey LIAR Bud the Brewer really is.

There's GOT to be a change in the system regarding the method by which the Commissioner is selected. Can't imagine what it could be, but there's got to be something and there's got to be some kind of an escape clause when the C. does more damage than good to the game.

Any attorneys here with any ideas?????

[researcher]

Why would you believe either one of them?.........both sides are con-
trolled by lawyers............nothing more needs to be said!

[LouGehrig]

Listen, Bud is the Commissioner. So what if he owns a team. So what if it’s a conflict of interest. So what if the Commissioner’s team made the most money. After all, boys and girls, he IS the Commissioner.

[Ytown_Tribe_fan]

"Yes sir, Mr. Steinbrenner, I'll get right on it!"

-Bud Selig

[Monarchs29]

Imagine that, Milwaukee made the most $$$. Surprise, surprise!!!
Think Bud had anything to do with that? Maybe he's dipping his fingers in the till.

I think now would be a good time to appoint an independent commission to do a full investigation including a forensic accounting of MLB.

Finding a few people to do this should be an easy task.
You might even get a few hundred applications wanting to get a
shot at Bud the Brewer. Figuratively speaking(pardon the pun), of course!

By the way, if it comes out that Bud lied to congress, can he be impeached?

[NickG]

Bud Selig??? Lie??? He would never!!! :-)

I found it very interesting that the Brewers made the most money in the Major Leagues last year, especially after it was brought out that Selig actually BORROWED money from Pohlad.

If this report-- coming from Forbes magazine, regarded as the top financial minds in the world-- isn't enough to get rid of Selig, along with the other things that have been talked about on other posts, I don't know what is.

[The Commissioner]

Lol, King Street. I was sitting next to my father when I saw the story mentioned on the evening news and my reaction was to turn to him and reference the same quote.

[trosmok]

>Gambling? In Casablanca? I'm shocked!
Your winnings, Captain Renault. ;-)

[VTSoxFan]

I just read that Bud says "It's a lie! Baseball's been audited by 3 of the top auditors in the country..."

Which immediately made me think of the scene in A Night at the Opera when Groucho was flim-flamming the police sergeant, hiding the stowaways in his apartment, and the sgt. asked him who he was talking to:

"I was talking to myself, and there's nothing you can do about it! I've been to 3 of the best doctors in the East..."

It's hard to believe that Bud can't see what an embarrassment, what a charicature he is.

Someone's lying, and Forbes has nothing to gain by lying. Who does that leave...?

--VT

[KingStreetSquire]

Speaking of accountants--Have you seen the MLB authentic commercials with the Don Mattingly baseball?

Did you fall on the floor laughing when the narrator says that the MLB authentic hologram sticker means that you can be sure an "Arthur Anderson" representative has verified the signature?

I'm willing to bet (not really, Pete) that good old Arthur Anderson is one of the auditing firms that Bud is talking about.

[KingStreetSquire]

I guess someone finally pointed it out to them, because I saw the ad again last night, and the voice over now says, "a certified major league baseball representative," instead of "an Arthur Anderson representative."

[trosmok]

After pouring over Bud puppet Selig's testimony before Congress, I found another gem that only Pinnochio could be proud of. When asked about the competition and proximity Milwaukee has from Minneapolis-St. Paul, the imitaion commissioner replied that St. Louis was closer to the Brewers than the Twins were. He was only off by about 100 or so miles.

[mikey_s]

So Bud the Slug never passed goegraphy, Math or inglish :)

Are those required skills for a commish. I don't thinks so!

In this day and age the most important skills for the commish is the ability to talk out of both sides of your mouth at one time and be able to wipe the brown stuff off your nose while doing it.

[mikey_s]

or typing!!!

[HDH]

I don't know who is right or wrong but what I wonder is why the Tigers haven't been able put a team together since the mid 80's if they are profitable...But thats kinda off the beaten track for this topic sorry..


Kevin

Although Monagham, founder of Domino's Pizza and UM alumni, purchased the Tigers in 1983 on the eve of the World Series 1984 season. Ultimately, he ruined the Tigers from the inside out for the next 15 years (10 of the years that he owned the team and then 5 yars after to recover). During Monagham's tenure, he significantly downsized the minor leagues and scouting. Its said that the Tiger scouts were paid $8k - $12k per year. What was remaining was severly neglected and few players came from the system. Players lost trust when he was caught being involved with collusion. In the end, just to show how inept he was as a baseball owner, to improve image, Monagham hired Bo Schembeckler, UM college football coach, as President. Bo promptly "fired" legend broadcasters Ernie Harwell and Paul Carey and declared that the Tigers would acquire "athlete's (football types) vs. traditional baseball players..."

Mike Illich, a once sure-hit prospect SS in the Tiger system before a career ending injury, founder of Little Ceasar's, purchased the Tiger's in 1994. Immediately after, the worst strike shortening two seasons, affected the new owner's purse strings. The financial situation and the already dilluted system made necessary rebuilding almost from the grave. Illich hired GM Randy Smith to build a minor league system. At first, Randy Smith started off trading away what they could to build a team centered on pitching, defense, and contact hitters. The desparation was so great, he gave big, long term contracts to fringe players after they had single season peak years which negatively effected the Tiger budget for as long as those contracts lasted (Tony Clark, Damion Easly, Bobby Higginson, Dean Palmer, and Dmitre Young). It almost appears that Illich began to assert a heavy hand at times conflicting with overall strategy. It seemed to moving gradually as can be expected, but, just as Comerica was to open, the team strategy was disregarded and half the team's youth was traded for Juan Gonzalez who rewarded the Tigers by refusing to play, refusing to wear certain uniforms, and ultimately refusing to sign unless the Tigers changed the stadium dimensions. Eventuall,Illich found a GM who he had confidence with and shared a similar agreement with overall strategy in Dave Dombrowski.

[BaseballDude89]

The Brewers? Didn't see that coming.

[GiambiJuice]

This was 5 and a half years ago. I wonder what the current figures are.