MLB Rangers co-Chair Ray Davis "literally winces at the thought of drawing attention to himself," but the 73-year-old consented to his first interview since purchasing the franchise in '10 and his answers "range from cordial to cheerful to introspective," according to Brad Townsend of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. Davis: “It was never my intention to be sitting in that chair. I didn’t think I was going to be this involved. I saw it as more of a financial investment and I could come to games and enjoy it. It didn’t work out that way, but that’s OK.” Townsend notes Davis’ "stature among MLB owners is growing." MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in January "appointed Davis to the eight-member executive council, as well as the international and game day media committees." Given the "criticism directed" at Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones and Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban "for being so hands-on, Davis would seem to be many fans’ idea of an optimal owner: deep pockets, limited delving in team matters and a spot at his sport’s head table." Davis said that he has "learned that the downside to not giving interviews is that it can leave unanswered questions to which fans want answers." Davis said that one of the questions Rangers fans "most often email to him is whether the team is purely a business investment that he intends to flip sooner than later." Davis: “I’ve always envisioned this as a legacy asset. If this were a flip, we would have already traded away a lot of our young prospects to make us look that much better." He added that he knows team co-Chair Bob Simpson "feels the same way." Davis said, “But if you look down the road two, three, four, five years, that’s where your lifeblood comes from. You have to take a long-term view of that" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/10).
