In Ft. Worth, Kerry Curry cites consultants as saying that the city of Arlington stands to benefit if residents on Nov. 5 vote "to allow the sale of liquor" in its city limits. The MLB Rangers "spearheaded the proposition, to expand wine sales" at Rangers Ballpark. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for the past two seasons "had issued a temporary waiver that allowed some wine sales in limited locations at the ballpark" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 10/14).
EARNING THEIR PINSTRIPES: Yankees GM Brian Cashman yesterday said that the goal of the team's self-imposed $189M spending threshold for '14 was to "use the money for the Yankees instead of spreading it around baseball in the form of luxury taxes and revenue sharing." Cashman said, "If we can reset the clock to some degree, without a doubt, that excess money that we are currently pouring into other franchises in Major League Baseball would then be able to pour into our player acquisition ... to be poured into this franchise over the next number of years. If we can reset that clock, it will be a benefit for the franchise, for the Yankees and for the Yankee fans" (ESPNNY.com, 10/13).
ROCKY MOUNTAIN LOW: A DENVER POST editorial stated Rockies Owner Dick Monfort last week, in what "apparently is becoming an annual ritual," worked to "assure fans that all is well with the organization and they must be patient." Monfort indicated that "nothing much needs to change, including the peculiar upper-management structure." Monfort said of Rockies Exec VP, Chief Baseball Officer & GM Dan O'Dowd and Senior VP/Major League Operations & Assistant GM Bill Geivett, "I really don't think either one has done a poor job." The editorial: "So what would Monfort consider a poor job?" The Monfort family "owes the community that has put so much into the sport something better than the miserable status quo." If they are not "prepared to deliver, and it is clear they are not, then they should sell the team to an owner who is" (DENVER POST, 10/12).
WINDS OF CHANGE: Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts in a letter to fans wrote the '13 season was a challenging one, and "it was a difficult decision to dismiss manager Dale Sveum, but a necessary move to fulfill the long-term vision." Ricketts wrote the Cubs' efforts to improve the organization have "resulted in promising advancement toward our family's organizational goals of winning a World Series, preserving Wrigley Field and being a good neighbor in the City of Chicago." Ricketts: "We continue to be optimistic about the future of this franchise and our plan for sustained success" (MLB.com, 10/11).
