While Jerry Colangelo acknowledged that he is exploring
whether to merge the Suns and D'Backs into one corporation,
he denied trade reports and "insisted he is not looking for
an outside equity investor who can help his baseball club
stay ahead of bill collectors," according to Nena Baker of
the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. Colangelo said that "his recent cash
call to the team's limited partners" that brought in $24M
"does not signal an emergency." Colangelo: "There isn't any
urgency. This call I had on the partners could have been
done over a period of time, but I chose to do it all at
once" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 9/23). While the D'Backs' magic
number rests at two to clinch their first division title in
just their second year of operation, Dan Bickley of the
ARIZONA REPUBLIC writes that "there is a curious lack of
energy and a shortage of commotion" in The Valley. Bickley:
"Where is the revelry? Perhaps we are feeling a little too
guilty to celebrate. We are like the high school senior who
receives a BMW for graduation. ... In other cities, a
baseball team would be printing standing-room-only-tickets.
At Bank One Ballpark, empty seats are a testament to the
prevailing mind-set" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 9/23).
D'BACKS FEEL THE NL WEST IS THE BEST: Responding to
Giants Managing Partner Peter Magowan's comments that MLB
will move the D'Backs to the AL for the 2001 season,
Colangelo said, "I didn't realize Peter spoke for the
league. I still thought we had a commissioner ... and
that's who I'm in communication with regularly on a lot of
issues" (CONTRA COSTA TIMES, 9/22). MLB Commissioner Bud
Selig: "There are many different scenarios we are thinking
about. ... I can tell you it's a long way away. There are a
myriad of alternatives, many of which include existing
clubs." One "highly placed major league source" told Pedro
Gomez of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC that the chances of the
D'Backs moving to the AL are "less than 50-50." The source,
"There are a lot of concerns with moving Arizona right now.
They just had a huge cash call and attendance is down.
There are a lot of reasons to keep them in the NL" (ARIZONA
REPUBLIC, 9/23). FSN's Keith Olbermann noted speculation
that the D'Backs would move to the AL West, while the Devil
Rays would relocate to the "NL South." Olbermann: "There is
no NL South, you say? There would be: Tampa, the Marlins,
Braves and somebody else, presumably whoever moves to
Charlotte by then" ("Primetime," FSN, 9/22).
