Attanasio the Next Commissioner?

[Jopal78]

55 minutes ago, BrewerFan said:

He didn't run them into the ground, Bando did(then family) and he didn't even slash salary, Bando didn't wan tto pay Molitor as he thought that money could be better spent elsewhere. 

But that's just my Selig defense as I think he gets too much blame.

 

Get Jimmy and Dee Haslem in there and tell them to let Arnold do what he wants, they write the checks. I'd eb happy. Probably add 50M to our payroll.

You really think Bando would let a player of Molitor’s stature walk without the owner okaying it first? 
 

It was Selig who hired Bando and kept him in the GM role for nearly a decade despite the lack of success on the field and dearth of minor league talent. 
 

It was Selig who made his daughter Board President and CEO when her qualifications alone would not have made her an obvious choice to run an MLB team. Again, there’s zero chance an inexperienced Nepotism CEO runs a team (into the ground) without consulting her father for advice. 
 

Selig brought Major League Baseball back to Milwaukee then nearly destroyed it, before cashing in his chips and hitting the exit. 

[RobertCrawley]

1 hour ago, BrewerFan said:

This is a poor representation of what he said. 

This infers his goal isn't to win a WS. 

I'm just reading what he said. He framed it as an either/or -- World Series or fan happiness.

I think most people believe he should try his best to do both. Maybe he misspoke and meant to say both. Or maybe he meant exactly what he said.

[RobertCrawley]

1 hour ago, Brian said:

Brewers had a 2.2% increase from last year to this year. That doesn't even cover inflation. So really we are spending less this season. 

Yeah. Again, it's not my money, but I think owners have responsibilities to fans.

Lots of professional franchises are money makers, whether the team wins championships or not. That's the reality.

[LouisEly]

9 hours ago, RobertCrawley said:

So I wish he'd convince the rest of the ownership group who, collectively, own more than half of the team to spend more money for better players, especially starting pitching. But it's not my money.

FIFY

[RobertCrawley]

3 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

FIFY

Yes, a strong leader could do that. Or he could spend more of his money or use revenue from the club. I've never seen an accounting, but given that taxpayers support the club, you'd think we would see something.

[Jopal78]

27 minutes ago, RobertCrawley said:

Yeah. Again, it's not my money, but I think owners have responsibilities to fans.

Lots of professional franchises are money makers, whether the team wins championships or not. That's the reality.

What responsibility do they have to fans?

I’m willing to bet you don’t view that responsibility as mutual. Meaning if it was an inconvenience or hardship to attend a game you’d still find a way to buy tickets and beer because you owe it to the owner to support him when he is doing all he can to win. 

It's foolish to think team owners "owe" fans anything because at the end of the day, their primary obligation is to their investment, not to the emotions of the fanbase. A fan might love the team, but the owner is running a business. When a team spends big, it’s not out of obligation—it’s because it aligns with their interests. That is true across all teams. 

 

[LouisEly]

7 minutes ago, RobertCrawley said:

Or he could spend more of his money or use revenue from the club.

What revenue from the club is he not using for their baseball operations?

And how would the accounting work for spending his own money to ensure that he isn't spending the other owners' money?

[RobertCrawley]

Just now, Jopal78 said:

What responsibility do they have to fans?

I’m willing to bet you don’t view that responsibility as mutual. Meaning if it was an inconvenience or hardship to attend a game you’d still find a way to buy tickets and beer because you owe it to the owner to support him when he is doing all he can to win. 

It's foolish to think team owners "owe" fans anything because at the end of the day, their primary obligation is to their investment, not to the emotions of the fanbase. A fan might love the team, but the owner is running a business. When a team spends big, it’s not out of obligation—it’s because it aligns with their interests. That is true across all teams. 

 

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. I agree that for some owners, it's all about money. That's a reality. But I believe that sports franchises are also a public trust, esp. when supported by tax dollars. That's an opinion. I understand that.

[RobertCrawley]

2 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

What revenue from the club is he not using for their baseball operations?

And how would the accounting work for spending his own money to ensure that he isn't spending the other owners' money?

The answer is: We don't know.

[Jopal78]

23 minutes ago, RobertCrawley said:

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. I agree that for some owners, it's all about money. That's a reality. But I believe that sports franchises are also a public trust, esp. when supported by tax dollars. That's an opinion. I understand that.

To be accurate the stadiums they lease are supported by tax dollars not the teams themselves. Otherwise yes your mind seems pretty made up on this one .

[owbc]

1 hour ago, RobertCrawley said:

I'm just reading what he said. He framed it as an either/or -- World Series or fan happiness.

I think most people believe he should try his best to do both. Maybe he misspoke and meant to say both. Or maybe he meant exactly what he said.

His analytics folks told him to let Yelich walk and he overrode them because the fans would be happier if they gave Yelich an extension. 

It’s basically a recognition that he is in the entertainment business and that winning a World Series is not the only goal. 

[JosephC]

Wait, I thought Nightengale had no credibility?

Nice little story, but I don't see it happening.  Attanasio has been out of lawyering for too long, and basically the job is now just to serve as the owner's top lawyer.

Look at the write-up of MLB's current deputy commissioner.  Does anyone think this guy won't get the job?  

https://www.mlb.com/official-information/about-mlb/executives/dan-halem

[Brian]

2 hours ago, Playing Catch said:

Does inflation factor into revenue?

Yes it would if they increased there prices, so we are even at best. 

[RobertCrawley]

18 minutes ago, Jopal78 said:

To be accurate the stadiums they lease are supported by tax dollars not the teams themselves. Otherwise yes your mind seems pretty made up on this one .

It sounds like you're one of those gotcha internet arguer guys. So I'll just leave it there.

[RobertCrawley]

2 minutes ago, Brian said:

***.  It wouldn't post, so I hit submit reply like 4 times and 5 min later there all up there. 

More hits than the Brewers against the Yankees.

[Brian]

2 minutes ago, RobertCrawley said:

More hits than the Brewers against the Yankees.

Very true LOL.  As Yogi Berra would say, "We made too many wrong mistakes." 

[Jopal78]

23 minutes ago, RobertCrawley said:

It sounds like you're one of those gotcha internet arguer guys. So I'll just leave it there.

Not at all, but your argument is flawed: essentially “they owe me something because tax dollars support them” .
 

Maybe indirectly, but tax revenue  certainly is notgoing to sign players on the field or for baseball operations. But I get it, you think teams are public trusts. You’re certainly not alone in that thought. 

[patrickgpe]

Isn't there a deputy commissioner that would be the favorite? Don't get me wrong, I'd love for new blood to come in, but with how strong the players union is, I don't see anyone changing the rules to be more favorable for the small market teams. 

[bigred]

Good God! I sure hope MA doesn't become the commissioner! No thanks!

[BrewerFan]

On 3/31/2025 at 9:58 AM, Jopal78 said:

You really think Bando would let a player of Molitor’s stature walk without the owner okaying it first? 
 

It was Selig who hired Bando and kept him in the GM role for nearly a decade despite the lack of success on the field and dearth of minor league talent. 
 

It was Selig who made his daughter Board President and CEO when her qualifications alone would not have made her an obvious choice to run an MLB team. Again, there’s zero chance an inexperienced Nepotism CEO runs a team (into the ground) without consulting her father for advice. 
 

Selig brought Major League Baseball back to Milwaukee then nearly destroyed it, before cashing in his chips and hitting the exit. 

Yes. And he did. Selig came back as interim Commish and tried to salvage the relationship, but it was too late.

It was absolutely ALL Bando. He was running the team. 

This has been  VERY-VERY well documented. 

[Jopal78]

1 hour ago, BrewerFan said:

Yes. And he did. Selig came back as interim Commish and tried to salvage the relationship, but it was too late.

It was absolutely ALL Bando. He was running the team. 

This has been  VERY-VERY well documented. 

Yes I’m well aware of the “just a DH” quote, the fact of the matter is if Selig wanted Molitor in Milwaukee beyond 1992 he would’ve been there, and you won’t find an article that says otherwise. 
 

Think about it: if ownership wanted a player who meant more than just wins and losses,  but also defined brand and was good for marketing, yet the GM jettisoned that player anyhow; how on earth would a GM keep their job? 

[BrewerFan]

On 4/2/2025 at 10:35 PM, Jopal78 said:

Yes I’m well aware of the “just a DH” quote, the fact of the matter is if Selig wanted Molitor in Milwaukee beyond 1992 he would’ve been there, and you won’t find an article that says otherwise. 
 

Think about it: if ownership wanted a player who meant more than just wins and losses,  but also defined brand and was good for marketing, yet the GM jettisoned that player anyhow; how on earth would a GM keep their job? 

I thought about it. AGAIN, Selig game in town to try and offer Molitor the arbitration he originally hoped to get, he offered him a 2 year deal. 

But in the meantime, Bando had made a trade for Dante Bichette and called HIM their new DH.
THEN when crying poor(They had spent pretty wildly the previous few years) but Bando offers Jesse Orosco a 1M a year deal and he offered Molitor, who'd made 3.2M 1.3M.

Molitor, who repeatedly said, he desperately wanted to stay in Milwaukee said he'd have taken anything even remotely competitive. 

That offer, again, didn't come until right before the deadline when Selig tried to get Molitor to agree to arbitration. 

By this time, Molitor had already signed the 2/9M deal that was ~4X the offer the Brewers made. 

 

 

If you want to blame SELIG for this...have at it. It just doesn't line up with history. 

[Jopal78]

5 hours ago, BrewerFan said:

I thought about it. AGAIN, Selig game in town to try and offer Molitor the arbitration he originally hoped to get, he offered him a 2 year deal. 

But in the meantime, Bando had made a trade for Dante Bichette and called HIM their new DH.
THEN when crying poor(They had spent pretty wildly the previous few years) but Bando offers Jesse Orosco a 1M a year deal and he offered Molitor, who'd made 3.2M 1.3M.

Molitor, who repeatedly said, he desperately wanted to stay in Milwaukee said he'd have taken anything even remotely competitive. 

That offer, again, didn't come until right before the deadline when Selig tried to get Molitor to agree to arbitration. 

By this time, Molitor had already signed the 2/9M deal that was ~4X the offer the Brewers made. 

 

 

If you want to blame SELIG for this...have at it. It just doesn't line up with history. 

Interesting version of history you follow. Paul Molitor and Dante Bichette were teammates on the Brewers in ‘91 and ‘92. Jesse Orosco was their teammate in ‘92.
 

Bud is that you? Go ahead, and believe Sal Bando went rogue in his boss, and dropped a franchise icon who wanted to stay, without Bud having any knowledge of his actions 😆

[BrewerFan]

4 hours ago, Jopal78 said:

Interesting version of history you follow. Paul Molitor and Dante Bichette were teammates on the Brewers in ‘91 and ‘92. Jesse Orosco was their teammate in ‘92.
 

Bud is that you? Go ahead, and believe Sal Bando went rogue in his boss, and dropped a franchise icon who wanted to stay, without Bud having any knowledge of his actions 😆

Quote

 

On November 30, the Brewers made their first offer: a one-year deal with a base salary “far less” than his 1992 pay of $3.2 million with various incentives and deferred pay that, taken together, still amounted to pay cut. Three days later, Molitor rejected the offer and said he would not take a reduction in pay. Meanwhile, the Brewers resigned reliever Jesse Orosco, who had pitched all of 39 innings in 1992, to $1 million pact

 

https://shepherdexpress.com/sports/brew-crew-confidential/messy-divorce-brewers-paul-molitor/

[Jopal78]

1 hour ago, BrewerFan said:

https://shepherdexpress.com/sports/brew-crew-confidential/messy-divorce-brewers-paul-molitor/

Whatever Bud. Jesse Orosco took a pay cut after the ‘92 season as well, so I don’t get the relevance. It’s okay though, I realize you are approaching 91 years old and are concerned about legacy. Nonetheless I still think you were one of the crappiest owners the last 15 years of ownership.