Lance Berkman Levels Extortion Claims At Commissioner
Bud Selig doesn’t strike me as a conniving, evil, ruthless extortionist. Maybe it’s because of the way he looks. Lance Berkman disagrees.
The former Houston slugger and current first baseman in St. Louis told Scott Miller of CBS Sports that he thought the Commissioner’s Office “extorted” the Astros by making the move to the American League a part of their sale.
If Jim Crane wanted to own the team, they’d be playing in the AL West in 2013. Crane acquiesced, Major League Baseball discounted the buying price to $615 million (from $680 million) and a franchise with fifty years of National League history has one more season to savor it.
Berkman elaborated his extortion claim with a salient point:
“Yeah, because I think that’s exactly what it was: “We’re going to hold the sale of the team up until you guys agree to switch’,” Berkman said. “And it just so happens that the Astros were being sold right at the optimal time for that to happen.”
His last sentence is the kicker. This could have been any number of teams save the true signature franchises. Drayton McLane’s desire to further his estate planning, coupled with his sons not wanting to handle the ownership and Bud Selig seeing an opportunity to even the number of teams in each league created a perfect storm.
One that didn’t go over well in the Bayou City initially but likely becomes less of an issue when different clubs are visiting each home stand rather than the same Pirates, Brewers and Rockies nights that fail to spike attendance.
And even if it remains an issue, it’s not changing.
Never one to mince words, Berkman voiced what many in Houston felt:
“I just think when you have a franchise that has 50 years as a National League entity, and then you switch over to the American League, I just don’t like it. I’m not in favor of it. I don’t like the AL style of baseball to begin with. That plus the history element of it makes it … I don’t like it.”
That’s the seminal phrase, “I don’t like it.” It’s unknown, it’s forced and unfortunately, looking way, way down the road, the path to October baseball is much more strenuous in the AL West.
The Milwaukee Brewers have American League ties but a franchise connected to the Commissioner wasn’t switching back. Losing one hundred games and watching attendance dip probably made it easier for Selig to argue that the move could help generate new interest early in Crane’s tenure.
Berkman was beloved in Houston for his honest attitude and obvious loyalty (as a native Texan) to the Astros. He had plenty of supporters last fall as he finally earned that elusive championship ring.
Basically calling the Commissioner’s Office extortionists won’t do anything to diminish that shine.
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