After spending 17 months as the "reluctant" owner of
the Blue Jays and Argonauts, "eagerly searching for buyers
during the entire period," Interbrew SA "now wishes to
remain involved," according to Marty York of the Toronto
GLOBE & MAIL. MLB's ownership committee is studying a
purchase proposal that would give Belgian brewer Interbrew
20% of the Blue Jays and make them a "significant partner"
in the consortium led by Toronto real-estate developer and
retired dentist Murray Frum. A source involved in the
negotiations: "Interbrew realizes now that owning a
franchise such as the Blue Jays is a good asset. They've
seen the light, you might say." Reports have "suggested"
that Frum and his partners, which includes producer David
Mirvish and TVOntario Chair Peter Herrndorf, have been
prepared to pay C$230M for the Jays, Argos and part of the
SkyDome. But MLB sources say there are "serious questions"
as to whether the Frum consortium "has sufficient funds to
own and operate the Jays," and the ownership committee will
not even "recommend" the sale to the Frum group "unless it
is satisfied in the near future that the would-be owners are
affluent enough." In a move "that could help" with MLB's
ownership committee, Frum is selling a stake in nine
shopping centres for C$46M (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 12/13).
