Royals directors yesterday "all but anointed" N.Y.
business exec Miles Prentice as the next owner of the team,
but also said his $75M bid must be composed of at least 50%
local financing, according to Charles Crumpley of the K.C.
STAR. While the board did not eliminate other bidders,
Royals President Michael Herman said, "The board is
challenging the citizens of Kansas City to step up to the
plate and support the Prentice bid." Crumpley reports that
Prentice's bid "has cleared contract negotiations," and that
the deal will be signed "as soon as" he hits the 50% level.
Prentice "would not say how close is to that level, other
than to say he's close." In a meeting with the STAR
yesterday, Prentice said he was "surprised" about the 50%
requirement and that he hadn't heard about it until
yesterday. Royals spokesperson Rob Merritt said that the
50% amount was disclosed to bidders in May. The mixup
"apparently was a misunderstanding." Meanwhile, the Lamar
Hunt-Western Resources group "has been working behind the
scenes to try to boost" its bid (K.C. STAR, 8/21).
IS BRETT IN? In K.C., Jeffrey Flanagan writes that
George Brett "may wind up part of" Prentice's group. Brett:
"It's possible. We've talked several times. ... We've
discussed several scenarios" (K.C. STAR, 8/21).
SMOKE AND MIRRORS? In K.C., columnist Jason Whitlock
writes that the Royals board "would still be more
comfortable selling the team to Hunt-Western or even [Royals
Chair] David Glass. ... I think if Herman and the board had
not endorsed Prentice's bid, the board risked Prentice
dropping out of the bidding process. That would have given
Hunt-Western too much leverage" (K.C. STAR, 8/21). But
columnist Joe Posnanski writes, "This thing has gone on long
enough -- too long. Prentice is here, he's willing, he's
passionate, he's played fair, and he's earned this.
Everybody had their chance. ... If he can get the local
investors, he should get the team" (K.C. STAR, 8/21).
