Naimoli was praised for leading the MLB-to-Tampa effort but criticized for his management of the RaysGETTY IMAGES
Former Rays Owner VINCE NAIMOLI, who "led the effort that finally brought" an MLB franchise to the Tampa area, died last night "after a long illness" at 81, according to Marc Topkin of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. Naimoli "operated with an aggressive and relentless but often confrontational style, leading many to suggest he was the right person to lead the fight for a team but the wrong person to run it." Naimoli "sold a large share of the franchise" to a group led by current Rays Principal Owner STUART STERNBERG in May '04 and "stepped down as managing general partner" in October '05. Naimoli was diagnosed in fall '14 with a "brain disorder called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, and his health has been in decline since." He had "spent the last several years in an assisted living facility in Tampa, making few public appearances." Naimoli "deserved to be lauded for his tireless effort in securing the franchise." But his "bottom-line mentality, tempestuous manner and short fuse in operating the team often resulted in controversy and acrimony" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 8/26).
MIXED OWNERSHIP RESULTS: NBCSPORTS.com's Craig Calcaterra writes while Naimoli was "successful in getting a team, he was unfortunately not successful in running it." The Rays during their first seasons did "very little to build the fan base or goodwill in the local community, primarily because of decisions Naimoli made as an owner." Naimoli was "equally lacking on the baseball side, often attracting talented people" like former Rays manager LOU PINIELLA, but "refusing to step aside and run the club and taking on an owner/operator role that (a) has not been successful in baseball for many, many decades; and (b) was not a role Naimoli was suited for" (NBCSPORTS.com, 8/26). YAHOO SPORTS' Ben Weinrib notes a large part of the Rays' struggles under Naimoli can be attributed to his "penny-pinching ways. The Rays' payroll for their inaugural season of '98 was $27.4M, ranking 23rd in MLB, and that "ballooned up to $62.8 million (10th) in 2000." However, after "years of finding no success, Naimoli slashed payroll down to a league-low $34.4 million, where it stayed at the lowest in the league for seven straight seasons" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/26).
