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January 16, 2004, at 06:09 PM ET
Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig owns the biggest share of the Milwaukee Brewers, but that may not be for long. Team chairperson Wendy Selig-Prieb, the daughter of the commissioner, announced during a news conference on Friday that the club will start looking for new ownership.
Selig's ownership is believed to be between 26 and 30 percent. He has owned a share of the team since 1970 and ran the club until 1998 when he officially was voted as commissioner. Selig held the commissioner's post for six years on an interim basis before that.
"Now it is time for me to formally sever my ties to the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club," Selig said. "It is the correct decision for myself, my family, and, while I have played no role in the administration of the Brewers since putting my ownership share in trust in 1998, I am convinced and have been for many years that it is in the best interests of the game. As commissioner, it is inappropriate for me to root for any one club, but I must admit, and I hope people will understand, that I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the Milwaukee Brewers." When Selig gained a share of ownership of the Brewers, they were known as the Seattle Pilots. They were then moved to Milwaukee for 1970 and had played at County Stadium until moving to Miller Park in 2001.
"I am in full accord and very pleased with the decision of the board of the Milwaukee Brewers to pursue the sale of the club," Selig added. "While it is personally difficult for me to bring to an end a 40-year association with Major League Baseball in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, this decision is one that I have seriously considered and strongly desired since I was elected Commissioner six years ago. With the future of Brewer Baseball solidified in Wisconsin, my overriding concern has been met.
"I have many wonderful and lasting memories of my time with the Brewers: from the five and a half-year struggle against seemingly insurmountable odds to return Major League Baseball to Milwaukee in the 1960s which ultimately resulted in successfully acquiring the Seattle Pilots in 1970, to our great teams from the late-1970s through the early-'90s and our trip to the World Series in 1982, to the difficult process during the 1990s of seeking approval for the construction of a new ball park and finally seeing Miller Park become a reality in 2001." The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports a source familiar with team valuations indicates the Brewers are worth between $180 million and $200 million.
The decision to sell the team doesn't mean the Brewers will leave Milwaukee.
In fact, they are expected to remain in Milwaukee since the team has a 30-year lease at Miller Park.
"We at Central Baseball have very mixed feelings about today's announcement, Major league Baseball president Bob DuPuy said in a statement. "All of us are of course gratified that Commissioner Selig will continue to lead the sport as he has done for the past twelve years, and will continue to make the game better for the fans of all thirty teams, including the Milwaukee Brewers.
However, the sale of the team will deprive baseball of the ownership of the Selig family which brought baseball back to Milwaukee in 1970, brought the fans of Milwaukee the 1982 American League pennant, worked tirelessly to realize the vision of Miller Park, and saw the Brewers return to the National League, original home of the Milwaukee Braves." During the time the Brewers have moved to Milwaukee, the team has appeared in the World Series once, falling to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games in 1982. The team has had 11 straight losing seasons and went 68-94 last year, finishing in last place in the National League Central.
"The Seligs and the Brewers' local ownership group are the longest-standing owners in the game, and their withdrawal as owners will be a sad day for all of us in Baseball," DuPuy added. "We of course respect the decision of Commissioner Selig and the other owners to take this step, and we will do everything we can to facilitate the sale, within the framework of Baseball's Ownership Guidelines to an owner or group who will serve the team, the community and Major League Baseball's long-term interests." Friday's announcement was the latest in a series of major developments for the Brewers. In November, team president and CEO Ulice Payne, Jr. agreed to leave his position with nearly four years remaining on his five-year contract. Payne had taken over as team president in September of 2002, assuming the position previously held by Selig-Prieb.
January 16, 2004, at 06:09 PM ET
Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig owns the biggest share of the Milwaukee Brewers, but that may not be for long. Team chairperson Wendy Selig-Prieb, the daughter of the commissioner, announced during a news conference on Friday that the club will start looking for new ownership.
Selig's ownership is believed to be between 26 and 30 percent. He has owned a share of the team since 1970 and ran the club until 1998 when he officially was voted as commissioner. Selig held the commissioner's post for six years on an interim basis before that.
"Now it is time for me to formally sever my ties to the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club," Selig said. "It is the correct decision for myself, my family, and, while I have played no role in the administration of the Brewers since putting my ownership share in trust in 1998, I am convinced and have been for many years that it is in the best interests of the game. As commissioner, it is inappropriate for me to root for any one club, but I must admit, and I hope people will understand, that I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the Milwaukee Brewers." When Selig gained a share of ownership of the Brewers, they were known as the Seattle Pilots. They were then moved to Milwaukee for 1970 and had played at County Stadium until moving to Miller Park in 2001.
"I am in full accord and very pleased with the decision of the board of the Milwaukee Brewers to pursue the sale of the club," Selig added. "While it is personally difficult for me to bring to an end a 40-year association with Major League Baseball in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, this decision is one that I have seriously considered and strongly desired since I was elected Commissioner six years ago. With the future of Brewer Baseball solidified in Wisconsin, my overriding concern has been met.
"I have many wonderful and lasting memories of my time with the Brewers: from the five and a half-year struggle against seemingly insurmountable odds to return Major League Baseball to Milwaukee in the 1960s which ultimately resulted in successfully acquiring the Seattle Pilots in 1970, to our great teams from the late-1970s through the early-'90s and our trip to the World Series in 1982, to the difficult process during the 1990s of seeking approval for the construction of a new ball park and finally seeing Miller Park become a reality in 2001." The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports a source familiar with team valuations indicates the Brewers are worth between $180 million and $200 million.
The decision to sell the team doesn't mean the Brewers will leave Milwaukee.
In fact, they are expected to remain in Milwaukee since the team has a 30-year lease at Miller Park.
"We at Central Baseball have very mixed feelings about today's announcement, Major league Baseball president Bob DuPuy said in a statement. "All of us are of course gratified that Commissioner Selig will continue to lead the sport as he has done for the past twelve years, and will continue to make the game better for the fans of all thirty teams, including the Milwaukee Brewers.
However, the sale of the team will deprive baseball of the ownership of the Selig family which brought baseball back to Milwaukee in 1970, brought the fans of Milwaukee the 1982 American League pennant, worked tirelessly to realize the vision of Miller Park, and saw the Brewers return to the National League, original home of the Milwaukee Braves." During the time the Brewers have moved to Milwaukee, the team has appeared in the World Series once, falling to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games in 1982. The team has had 11 straight losing seasons and went 68-94 last year, finishing in last place in the National League Central.
"The Seligs and the Brewers' local ownership group are the longest-standing owners in the game, and their withdrawal as owners will be a sad day for all of us in Baseball," DuPuy added. "We of course respect the decision of Commissioner Selig and the other owners to take this step, and we will do everything we can to facilitate the sale, within the framework of Baseball's Ownership Guidelines to an owner or group who will serve the team, the community and Major League Baseball's long-term interests." Friday's announcement was the latest in a series of major developments for the Brewers. In November, team president and CEO Ulice Payne, Jr. agreed to leave his position with nearly four years remaining on his five-year contract. Payne had taken over as team president in September of 2002, assuming the position previously held by Selig-Prieb.
