Tuesday, February 12, 2002
Baseball notebook
Franchise vote comes today
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig called off an owners' meeting set to approve the sales of the Florida Marlins and Montreal Expos and instead scheduled a telephone conference call for today's vote.
John Henry, whose group was given approval last month to buy the Boston Red Sox for $660 million from the Jean R. Yawkey Trust, is selling the Marlins to Jeffrey Loria for $158.5 million.
Loria is selling the Montreal franchise to Baseball Expos LP — a Delaware limited partnership owned by the other 29 teams — for $120 million, with baseball loaning him the difference between the prices.
Both sales were expected to gain overwhelming approval, and baseball intended to announce a new management for the Expos following the call.
Tony Tavares, who quit last month as Anaheim Angels president, will become president and chief executive officer of the Expos and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, Selig's vice president in charge of on-field discipline, will become manager.
Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief legal officer, offered the general manager's job to Omar Minaya, senior assistant general manager of the New York Mets. Minaya spent Monday at the commissioner's office in New York negotiating the job's salary and responsibilities. While he had pretty much decided to accept, he told baseball officials he would not give his final answer until today, a person familiar with the talks said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Baseball's plan to fold the Expos and Twins was blocked by a Minnesota injunction, causing the commissioner's office to take over operation of the Expos, a team that appears to be in its final season in Montreal.
Selig at first contemplated having owners meet today in the Chicago area, but some teams didn't want to travel to a meeting for a vote where the outcome was certain. Some teams already have mailed in their votes, and the rest will vote during the conference call, several baseball officials said Monday.
Owners are approving these deals with a speed unprecedented in recent decades. The Red Sox sale, agreed to on Dec. 20, was approved at a Jan. 16 meeting in Phoenix by a 29-0 vote, with the Yankees abstaining.
As of Monday, Henry's agreement to sell the Marlins to Loria had not even been signed.
But the start of spring training put pressure on baseball to speed the transactions. The Marlins and Expos open camp Friday, and Loria intends to take much of his staff to Florida, including manager Jeff Torborg, interim general manager Larry Beinfest and executive vice president David Samson.
After the vote, baseball will give Loria permission to switch his staff. Closings on the Marlins and Expos sales could take place later this week.
YANKEES:
Jorge Posada wants to be behind the plate on opening day.
The catcher said Monday he is making good progress following shoulder surgery on Nov. 29.
“I'm shooting for April 1st,” Posada said. “My goal is to start the year. I'm going to do everything possible. If there's no setbacks, no problems with my arm, I want to be back there on the opening day.”
Posada has been working out at the Yankees' minor league complex. He reported no problems after making 60 throws from around 90 feet on Monday.
“It feels good now,” Posada said. “I was snapping a couple throws at the end. There's no pain, and it's getting stronger.”
Posada, who agreed to a $51 million, five-year contract earlier this month, might be limited to hitting and bullpen catching during the first part of spring training.
ROYALS:
Kansas City avoided arbitration with second baseman Carlos Febles, agreeing Monday to a $775,000, one-year contract.
Febles, 25, had a knee injury last season and played only 79 games, hitting .236 with eight home runs and 25 RBI.
Febles, who made $310,000 last year, had asked for $1.1 million in arbitration and had been offered $675,000.
Shortstop Neifi Perez is the only Royals player remaining in arbitration. He has asked for a raise from $3.55 million to $5 million. Kansas City has offered $4.1 million.
RANGERS:
Infielder Ed Sprague agreed Monday to a minor league contract and was invited to spring training as a non-roster player.
Sprague, 34, spent most of last season with Seattle, hitting .298 with two homers and 16 RBI in 45 games.
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