Miles Prentice's "bid to purchase" the Royals "took a
blow" yesterday when MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said that
"it's time to consider `additional alternatives,'" according
to Steve Rock of the K.C. STAR, who notes that Selig's
message was "ambiguous" and "it's not clear what those
alternatives are." Rock, on Selig: "He stopped short of
eliminating Prentice as an ownership candidate." Prentice,
on Selig's announcement: "Frankly, I'm disappointed." Rock
reports that MLB owners voted 29-1 to "delay any definitive
decision." Selig, on whether the Royals should "explore
different ownership options": "We're going to talk to the
Royals about a number of things." Meanwhile, Lamar Hunt
said that he's "not interested" in buying the Royals: "Our
plate is full." Rock adds that most MLB owners "chose not
to discuss the Prentice situation." At least one owner
"indicated" the owners were "sworn to secrecy" (K.C. STAR,
9/16). In K.C., Joe Posnanski: "Prentice won't ever own
this baseball team, not as long as the arrogant, conceited,
pretentious, snobbish, out-of-touch baseball geniuses run
this game." More Posnanski: "Poor Miles. He just doesn't
know. He's like the guy who wanders into the men's
department at Nieman Marcus wearing shorts and a 'World's
Greatest Dad' T-shirt and can't figure out why no sales
clerks will help him. ... It's time to face up to this: The
owners don't like him" (K.C. STAR, 9/16).
OUT OF THE RUNNING: Also in K.C., Jeffrey Flanagan
reports that Metro Sports/Time Warner "informed" the Royals
yesterday that it "would not put forth an official proposal"
for the Royals' TV rights. Time Warner spokesperson Carol
Rothwell: "We have determined that the Royals' TV rights
would not be a good financial investment for us. ... The
advertising potential is insufficient to support the costs."
The Metro Sports/Time Warner "retreat" means the Royals and
Fox Sports Net Midwest "will renew the option on their
contract" for the next three years (K.C. STAR, 9/16).
