It is a "safe bet" that the winning bid for the Yawkey
Trust's 53% stake in the Red Sox will "exceed" $400M,
according to Sean McAdam of the PROVIDENCE JOURNAL. While
the team owns Fenway Park, Harrington "apparently intends to
sell the ballpark -- or to the point, the land on which it
sits -- to developers. In that way, he can maximize the
trust's take" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 10/8). In Boston, Dan
Shaughnessy wrote, "The Red Sox need an owner with a name
and a face. Most of all, the Red Sox need an owner with
some money" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/7). The Bonham Group Chair
Dean Bonham: "Expect a regional individual or company that
knows the community and will have a game plan to accomplish
what the current ownership couldn't get done" (ESPN.com,
10/6). Game Plan Inc. Chair Robert Caporale said the Red
Sox' interest in NESN makes a media company a good fit for
the team: "The Red Sox own the largest ownership share of
[NESN], so they're even more attractive to someone in that
industry. The winner would be getting a significant piece
of an existing sports network as well as a baseball team"
(BOSTON GLOBE, 10/10). Also in Boston, Gerry Callahan notes
Harrington "has a fiduciary responsibility to sell" the team
to the "highest bidder." One MLB front office exec said,
"One guy will step in and outbid everyone else by $100
million" (BOSTON HERALD, 10/10). In Boston, Meg
Vaillancourt wrote the "roster of potential bidders reads
like a local Who's Who" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/7).
NAMES IN THE NEWS: Prospective suitors include
FleetBoston Financial CEO Terrence Murray; Boston
philanthropist David Mugar, (once interested in the A's); MA
concessionaire Joe O'Donnell; and developer Stephen Karp.
O'Donnell and Karp both "are expected to join Mugar" in a
bid. Sources close to limited partner Aramark said the
company "may make its own bid" to buy the majority share.
Limited partners, HP Hood CEO John Kaneb and Thomas
DiBenedetto, are "also viewed as potential bidders." Other
possible suitors include Modern Continental Construction
Owner Les Marino, former Cablevision exec Amos Hostetter and
author Stephen King. Speculation surrounds Delaware North
Chair Jeremy Jacobs, while Celtics Chair Paul Gaston is
"also said to be interested." Cablevision Chair Charles
Dolan could also be a bidder, and one source close to him
said, "Dolan hates [Yankees Owner] George Steinbrenner, and
this would be a great chance to compete with George."
Sources said that Viacom Chair Sumner Redstone is not
interested (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/7). But Cablevision VP Charles
Schuler is quoted as saying, "Cablevision has no ambition to
own the Red Sox. And Mr. Dolan has no reason to buy the
team." Meanwhile, it is "unclear" whether AT&T would have
an interest in the team, but some analysts feel the company
could use the Red Sox brand as "a cornerstone in its newly
expanded cable system" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/10). Team limited
partner Harold Alfond said he has "no interest" in a bid
(Portland PRESS-HERALD, 10/9). Patriots VP Jonathan Kraft
did not rule out his family having an interest in the team
(BOSTON HERALD, 10/9). Lycos CEO Bob Davis took his name
out of the running, while GE declined comment on its
interest (BOSTON HERALD, 10/10). ESPN.com's Peter Gammons
put Disney in the mix, as the Red Sox and an RSN "make a lot
more sense than the Angels." Also, Warren Buffet has said
that the "only team in which he's interested" is the Red Sox
(ESPN.com, 10/8). Other names: John McMullen and WWF Chair
(and New Englander) Vince McMahon (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL,
10/8). A spokesperson for Staples CEO Thomas Stemberg said
the company does not plan a bid, nor does Stemberg, who
"doesn't have the resources." On Friday, John Hancock
Financial Services CEO David D'Alessandro "took himself and
his company out of the running." Sources say that EMC
Founder and former Penguins Owner Roger Marino and former
SFX Chair Robert Sillerman are interested (BOSTON HERALD,
10/8). The N.Y. POST lists the N.Y. Times, which owns the
Boston Globe, and "might want to pump up its presence in the
local market," as a possible suitor (N.Y. POST, 10/10).
THE FANS WHO LOVED STEPHEN KING: In a Boston.com poll,
almost 50% of the 2,510 voters would like to see Stephen
King buy the team, with Mugar at 17% and Kraft at 14%.
