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Friday, October 03, 2008

Bloomberg: Brewers Owner Attanasio Wants More Revenue Sharing From Yankees

The House That Paul Attanasio’s Brother Razed?

Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, seeking a ``fair fight,’’ said high-revenue clubs like the New York Yankees should share more with the other teams.

``It’s always amusing to me to hear the Yankees, they can’t get into the playoffs with $200 million, and they say, `well, we’ve done enough,’’’ Attanasio, the chief investment officer at money management firm TCW Group Inc., said in an interview with Bloomberg Radio’s ``On the Ball’’ program that will air tomorrow. ``The advantages that you’re given in the bigger market teams—if they really wanted to have a fair fight they would do more revenue sharing, but I guess the obvious battle lines are drawn on that.’’

...Cashman, during a separate ``On the Ball’’ interview, said he’s also operating under a budget.

``Things are different in our industry from 10-15 years ago, when the Yankees could just show up and outspend everybody,’’ he said. ``Everybody has a ceiling. There’s nothing limitless in any business equation.’’

He wasn’t specific.

Repoz Posted: October 03, 2008 at 06:07 PM | 19 comment(s)
Related News: General, Business, Milwaukee, NY Yankees

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1. JRVJ (formerly Delta Socrates) Posted: October 03, 2008 at 05:33 PM (#2966539)

Regardless of how long this thread may well be (and I'm assuming we'll get the usual arguments that (a) Attanasio is a rich fck who bought the Brewers knowing what the rules were; (b) Attanasio is a rich fck who should not be subsidized; (c) the Yanks are the devil and are ruining baseball by gobbling up FAs, etc., etc., etc.), if the small market franchises want to make an issue of this, there's going to be war with the big market teams AND with MLBPA.

Just saying.

2. robinred

Posted: October 03, 2008 at 05:51 PM (#2966550)

Leaving aside revenue sharing, I have noticed that when people say "X is amusing to me" ..." this is a just a way of saying, "I really want to be a #### about this issue and try to get under someone's skin without getting into much substance."

3. Walt Davis Posted: October 03, 2008 at 05:57 PM (#2966559)

ooh-ooh, me too! The Yanks ain't sending me squat right now. I'm not greedy, I'm only looking for enough to pay a ML minimum salary for a year.

4. Justin T Posted: October 03, 2008 at 05:59 PM (#2966561)

TCW Group sounds familiar. Is that the company that lost $1.35B that it sunk into WaMu or another bank that went under?

5. Justin T Posted: October 03, 2008 at 06:01 PM (#2966562)

Oops, no, it was TPG.

6. Yankee_Redneck Posted: October 03, 2008 at 06:46 PM (#2966593)

I understand there's an election going on; this is a fine time for Mr. Attanasio to go on record as supporting redistributionist policies beyond those that would just enrich him directly. I'd like to see him encourage his fellow welfare plutocrats to do the same.

7. AlouGoodbye Posted: October 03, 2008 at 06:59 PM (#2966603)

Waaa. I am not being given enough of other people's money. Waaa.

Of course, given that his day job is on Wall Street, this attitude is not surprising.

8. philly Posted: October 03, 2008 at 07:12 PM (#2966616)

``Things are different in our industry from 10-15 years ago, when the Yankees could just show up and outspend everybody,’’ he said.

But not that different given the, what, 60M payroll advantage over the 2nd place teams?

9. Ivan Grushenko of Hong Kong Posted: October 03, 2008 at 07:59 PM (#2966670)

Given the massive probable growth in Yankee and Met revenues next year, the cries by Attanasio, and the complaints by "real fans" that they're being priced out of Yankee tickets, what are the chances that Brooklyn becomes either an expansion or relocation candidate?

10. Biscuit_pants Posted: October 03, 2008 at 08:04 PM (#2966680)

I might begin to think about this being a good idea IF the money was actually spent on players. Again, might.

11. Dayton Moore is a Big Fat Idiot (AG#1F) Posted: October 03, 2008 at 08:44 PM (#2966730)

12. Charles Kinbote Posted: October 03, 2008 at 08:45 PM (#2966735)

What's incredible is that I believed, until just now, that his name was Astanasio, despite the, oh, at least dozen-ish times I must have read it since his ascension. Lysdexic much?

13. David Nieporent (now, with child) Posted: October 03, 2008 at 08:59 PM (#2966768)

Leaving aside revenue sharing, I have noticed that when people say "X is amusing to me" ..." this is a just a way of saying, "I really want to be a #### about this issue and try to get under someone's skin without getting into much substance."

It's amusing to me that you would say that.

14. susan mullen Posted: October 03, 2008 at 11:06 PM (#2967260)

Dating from 1990, the Yankees didn't reach #1 in AL attendance until 2003. It took 8 consecutive years of being in the post season before they sold those seats. It wasn't because they were the Yankees, it was from being in the post season.In the mid and late 1990's the owner complained, 'no one will come to the Bronx.' New ownership in the 2007 off season has dramatically changed how things are done. No post season this year, not even close, and elements that lead to that do not promise to materially change. The Brewers have profited handsomely from taxpayer donations and have that swell pal of Selig's who's still part owner. A fair fight would be to list how you spent every dime given to you out of the Yankee fan's pocket--the ones who could afford the ticket and gas. The prospect of the Yankees losing for the next 10 years (or as long as the Steinbrenner sons run the team) is more enjoyable if it means less money for the Brewers.

15. Brian White Posted: October 03, 2008 at 11:11 PM (#2967276)

The value of the subsidy that the Yankees receive from MLB is much, much greater than the value of the subsidy the Yankees give to every other Major League team.

16. Maury Brown Posted: October 03, 2008 at 11:56 PM (#2967467)

Attanasio should be going after the likes of Loria, not the Steinbrenners. The Brewers are at least attempting to use the revenue sharing (and their own collected revenues... drawing over 3 million will do that for you) to improve the ML roster. Until there's a decent way to say how to best use revenue sharing, having the Yankees pour more into the pot isn't going to make clubs spend it any more wisely.

17. BeanoCook Posted: October 04, 2008 at 02:11 AM (#2967664)

It sounds like people are opposed to revenue sharing here. Considering how well the game has done since revenue sharing was added, that's an odd position.
---
As a Brewer fan, I am a little concerned that Attanasio, who has been a great owner, may start to get used to making baseball related decisions on a regular basis. His firing of Yost (excellent move) was vindicated by winning the wild card.

One journalist, forget who it was, suggested Attanasio will probably get more involved if the Yost firing worked out. I hope Attanasio allows Melvin and his staff to make the decisions. Of course when you have taken the Brewers payroll to levels previously unheard of, >$90 million, I guess you could say the owner has bought some baseball player decision making clout.

18. Jeff K. Posted: October 04, 2008 at 03:10 AM (#2967674)

The value of the subsidy that the Yankees receive from MLB is much, much greater than the value of the subsidy the Yankees give to every other Major League team.

The value of the "subsidy" that the Yankees receive from the anti-trust exemption is. Remember that a (the) major part of that is the restriction of where teams can move. You think one of the dozen teams that used Tampa as a threat to extort a stadium would have hesitated a moment to actually move to NYC? Not a chance. That subsidy isn't given by MLB though, it's given by Congress, who have chosen to let status quo reign for decades.

19. Frank Rook Posted: October 04, 2008 at 04:35 AM (#2967680)

One journalist, forget who it was, suggested Attanasio will probably get more involved if the Yost firing worked out.

Rosenthal wrote this:

"If the Brewers win the wild card -- and they remain only 1 1/2 games behind the Mets even after Thursday's crushing 7-6 loss to the Cubs in 12 innings -- their triumph only will embolden Attanasio to overrule general manager Doug Melvin on future moves.

In 1996, Orioles owner Peter Angelos refused to allow then-general manager Pat Gillick to trade Bobby Bonilla and David Wells for younger players. Angelos was vindicated when the Orioles won the wild card, and the team also reached the postseason in '97. But thanks in part to Angelos' lingering distrust of his "baseball professionals," the franchise hasn't had a winning record since."

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Bloomberg: Brewers Owner Attanasio Wants More Revenue Sharing From Yankees

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