The Mariners announced yesterday that Nintendo of
America Chair Howard Lincoln has been selected by the
ownership group as the team's new Chair & CEO. Lincoln will
replace John Ellis, who retired from the post last week and
was appointed the team's Chair Emeritus. Ellis will keep
his position on the Mariners Board of Dirs and continue as
the team's rep on MLB's Exec Council and Blue Ribbon
Economic Committee studying the future of MLB (Mariners).
Lincoln has been part of the team's ownership group since a
consortium headed by Nintendo Chair Hiroshi Yamauchi
purchased the team in '92 (SEATTLE TIMES, 9/27). In
Seattle, Angelo Bruscas writes that the move "is seen as
indication that" Yamauchi "is asserting more control over"
the Mariners, as Lincoln "is expected to put a face on an
ownership group that includes 15 other owners who have
various interests in the club." Lincoln must also try to
re-sign CF Ken Griffey Jr. and SS Alex Rodriguez. Lincoln
already said that the opening of Safeco Field has "increased
revenue and attendance to where the team can increase its
payroll" from $54M to between $65-70M (SEATTLE P-I, 9/28).
A LEADING ROLE? In Seattle, Art Thiel praises the
Mariners' hiring of Lincoln and writes that "from the
standpoint of accountability ... it looms large. The
endless loop finally ends" (SEATTLE P-I, 9/28). A SEATTLE
TIMES editorial stated that the team has "much work to do"
because "a lack of strong leadership at the top," and
stressed that "re-connecting with the community" is
Lincoln's "biggest challenge" (SEATTLE TIMES, 9/27).
