M's Ownership/Management Stuff

Just thought I'd share what I've been hearing about the M's management and ownership. I don't have my own canvas on which to paint this sort of thing anymore, but I still can't help but have conversations and exchange emails and text messages with those well connected to the situation.

I've talked for almost two years about the idea that minority owner Chris Larson, formerly of Microsoft, has the right of first refusal should Nintendo of America choose to sell some or all of their majority shares in the ball club.

Gathering the very latest I could on the idea has revealed rumors (shocked this isn't in the mainstream media yet) that NOA and Howard Lincoln have been negotiation with Larson and potentially a group Larson has put together to join him, since earlier this summer.

I have had more than one person mention to me that their belief is that Lincoln and NOA are trying to milk Larson for absolutely every penny they can which would explain why nothing has gotten done to this point.

Lincoln has his own shares as well, but apparently is leading the negotiations for both his shares and at least a portion of NOAs shares.

The best source I have on the matter had this to say:

"I think there is a real possibility that the team is sold before Opening Day 2009, but selling a profitable business takes time and it would not surprise me if this dragged into next offseason as well. Judging by the way talks have started and stalled over the past 18 months, who knows when at this stage.

"But it is just a matter of when, ya know?. Nintendo is no longer interested in retaining controlling interest in the club. That's a fact."

While any change in management and ownership is probably a win for fans, there are mixed reviews on what kind of owner Larson would be. Some have called him a "baseball geek" that passionately loves the game, but apparently Larson is not someone who would likely step in front of the mic much, if ever. Maybe he's more of a Paul Allen type owner in that manner, which is probably a good thing.

But others have heard that he's a bit of a know-it-all and has his own ideas about how a baseball team should be built, and that's not what this organization needs right now. Clearly, they need an ownership group - no matter who that is in the end - that is going to hire smart baseball people and leave them alone.

If Larson is ever the majority owner of the Seattle Mariners, there is a good chance that Pat Gillick is brought aboard to serve as CEO and/or President, and perhaps as part owner as well. Some of you have mixed emotions on Gillick, because he's been a hired gun GM the past 15 years and isn't known as a personnel man that builds long-term success stories.

But as someone with connections to Camp Gillick, I can assure you that Pat Gillick the CEO/Pres. is very different than Gillick the GM. As General Manager, he's been hired - three times in a row now (Balt, Sea, Phil) to come in and get a winner on the field as quickly as possible and go as far as he possibly can.

That was his job, he was hired to do whatever it took to get to the playoffs and give that city a chance at a World Series.

He always does that.

It's important to know that because Gillick is often shredded for ignoring the farm system and drafting high-risk, high-reward talents. Part of that is true. During these hired-gun gigs, Gillick finds areas in the draft and amateur/international signings to save money that he can put toward the big-league roster.

In Seattle he was given a payroll and once the draft came each year he was a generally short, and since the ownership was never willing to bust their self-imposed payroll at the deadline during the Gillick era, they sure as hell weren't going to do it for amateur players.

Hence the reaches in the draft. Gillick was not void of mistakes in the draft, but Roger Jongewaard and Frank Mattox deserve as much or more of that blame as anyone. And remember, Gillick didn't trade away key future members of the organization for risky veterans.

In fact, when he had deals in place to trade the likes of Joel Pineiro, Clint Nageotte and others, the owners denied him the extra mil or two in cash to get such a deal done.

One of those would have landed the Mariners a certain star power hitter in 2000.

Gillick knows how to build a sustained winner. In Toronto he was not allowed to spend league-average money on payroll until after 1982, five years into his tenure as Jays GM, and he followed up those freer reigns with seasons of 89, 89, 99, 86, 96, 87, 89, 86, 91, 96 and 95 wins before he left TBJ after the lock out season in 94.

In those 11 season (1983-1993), Gillick's Jays clubs won five division titles and two World Series titles, finished second three more times and had at least 86 wins every year.

If that's not sustained success, I don't know what is.

The word I get is that Gillick would most likely hire someone with a mixed background in scouting/player development who had a great understanding and "respect" for the analysis side of talent evaluation. Pat believes, and his track record proves this, that a strong support group is very important to a GM and his potential success, which is a good sign that he'd being in more than one prominent front office type to give the Mariners credibility, creativity and experience.

it's not a sure thing that Larson would bring in Pat, at least to my knowledge, but it seems like too easy of a match for it not to be probable.

Just trust me and don't jump to conclusions on Gillick the CEO/Pres if he indeed is brought aboard. The guy knows how to win and is as connected around baseball as anyone in the sport.

The important thing here is obviously getting Lincoln and Chuck Armstrong out of power. Both has proven time and time again that they have no business making any baseball decisions, including hiring the new GM.

They're already missing the boat, and rumor is they have already lost out on the opportunity to hire one candidate that has received good reviews from those I talked to about the best candidates. I won't name names, but that candidate is in the NL West and his name is not Sabean or Towers.

I'd be shocked if the local media doesn't start picking up on this sometime fairly soon. But if that doesn't happen or I find out something that isn't reported, I'll be sure and come back and share that.

I'd say the chances of a new ownership taking over before 2009 is about 50-50. I think the chances are greater that either Lincoln or Armstrong, or both, are out by the time the calendar year is up is probably higher than that, though not a guarantee.

I was told a few months ago that Armstrong is "retiring," but nothing else has come out about that yet.

Anyway, that's all I have for now.

Jason A. Churchill

Few more things, actually.

I have a rather large (50-inch) piece in Saturday's Seattle P-I on the Top 25 prospects in the Seattle Mariners organization, offering a paragraph or two on each in the list, and I have completed a Top GM Candidates piece for the P-I as well, one that is updated from what I published at Prospect Insider earlier this season.

You might be surprised by one or two names on that list - I'll let everyone know when that's going to be printed.