Peter Magowan?

[Bear]

There are rumors that Peter Magowan maybe on his way out. I am not sure how I feel about this but if it happens I hope he finds someone who will do even a better job than he has done. Remember he is the one who saved the Giants for San Francisco, got the Park built, and signed Bonds to help pay for much of it. So before you start slinging the mud remember what good things he did for the team.

I will post the info. I have read from two sports writers Blogs. in the following 2 posts. I will be interested in your thoughts.

[Bear]

Ray Ratto writes about the Giants' front-office future:

Rumors that Peter Magowan may be ready to retire from his job as the Giants' managing general partner have been circulating for more than two weeks, but they picked up steam Wednesday night when a Chicago Tribune blog on the White Sox-Twins rain delay included a reference buried at the bottom to "a change in control coming soon" for the Giants.

Neither Magowan nor Larry Baer answered requests to confirm or deny either the Tribune entry, written by Mark Gonzales, the paper's White Sox beat writer, or the growing number of rumors about Magowan's future, but Senior Vice President for Communications Staci Slaughter told our John Shea, "He's 66, and has thought about it from time to time, but no decision has made at all. At this point he has no decision on that."

This can be parsed in any number of ways, but it is clear that the fun has pretty well been drained out of Magowan's role as the MGP. He has dealt with the team's current on-field difficulties, the unpleasant publicity over the BALCO scandal and the Giants' role in granting clubhouse access to Barry Bonds' trainer, Greg Anderson, and he's even dealt with being mentioned as a focus for sanctions by Rep. Henry Waxman in the second round of the Roger Clemens hearings.

Because Magowan's retirement would likely involve him selling his shares back to the rest of the ownership group, a price tag would likely exceed $70 million, assuming that Magowan's stake is around 15 percent and that the most recent Forbes valuation of the franchise of $494 million is relatively accurate.

Magowan's stewardship has had its profound highs and lows since he and a consortium of other investors bought the team for an announced $100 million in late 1992. Of those original 20 partners, 10 remain, including Magowan and Sue Burns, the widow of Harmon Burns, who is the largest single investor. The value of the team has more than doubled, according to Forbes valuations, since the opening of Pacific Bell/SBC/AT&T Park in 2000, and revenue has nearly tripled. The high point was 2002, when they came within a bullpen implosion of winning the World Series.

More recently, though, the team has been defined in considerable part by the strange unraveling of the club's relationship with Barry Bonds, the so-far-disastrous Barry Zito signing, and the Congressional hearings on drugs in baseball, which may explain Magowan's occasional interest in stepping down.

Even the statement that Magowan "has made no decision" may mean that the process of his departure has begun but is not yet close to fruition. In short, Magowan's tenure as the owner with the third longest tenure in the major leagues (behind Carl Pohlad of Minnesota and Jerry Reinsdorf of the White Sox), may be coming to an end. Just not right away.


This is the first Blog. by Ray Ratto of the SF Chronicle. I agree that silence speaks volumes.

[Bear]

By Tim Kawakami
Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Sorry, have got to do some A’s soon, soon, soon. This is awful, all this focus on the bad Giants over the good A’s.

And yet… The Giants are so ridiculously funky interesting!

I have to point you to the Great Raynaldo T. Ratto, who works at some other paper from the Deep South, I believe and who has produced–at quite high speed, I’m sure–a fascinating piece about the possibility Giants Managing General Partner Peter Magowan could retire.

Ratto’s writing it, so I believe every word of it–there’s a live chance that Magowan steps down, sells out, gives up, wanders off into the sunset… very, very soon.

Read the blog posting, please. Then get back to ripping me, and please don’t rip Ray. I’ll do enough of that when I see him.

Anyway, the summary: Peter’s 66, he has been thinking about stepping away for a while, nothing’s happened yet, no decision yet, but you’ve got to wonder with the Giants so determinedly awful and no more Bonds to celebrate… how much zest for this is left in PMags?

I think there’s a little. I’ve talked with him enough–we are not best pals–to know Peter still can get revved up about his Giants and his stewardship.


By the way, as RR pionts out, this latest wave was started by a (former Merc Giants writer) Mark Gonzales item in the ChiTrib about a possible ”change in control” with the Giants (Gonzo is a GREAT reporter)…

Interesting that it percolates now, coincidentally I’m sure, just as the Giants were swept in Pittsburgh, a day after Zito went to 0-7, as the Giants return for a homestand… and as the false rush of optimism (hey maybe the Giants DON’T STINK!) ebbed once again.

No, they do stink. They’re 14-21, and they’ve over-achieved to get to that. They’re getting outscored 165-117 (tied for worst run-differential in baseball with San Diego–fire Sandy Alderson!).

They have some pretty decent young pitchers. Fred Lewis is a nice player (BETTER THAN BONDS) and then…

They stink. They’re slightly more watchable than I expected, and they might not lose 103 like I expected… but I think 96 to 101 losses is almost a lock. They’re trending towards 97 losses right now.

Has Peter started to lose faith? I think he might’ve been tempted to try to stick around closer to 2017, when the stadium turns over to the Giants free and clear of the banks, and so he doesn’t leave the franchise in the middle of a downswing…

Traditional and deserving note: Peter and Larry Baer made that stadium happen. Peter shall always get credit for that.

But what if the downswing lasts until 2010 or 2011 or God forbid, longer than that? Does PMags want to be 69, 70, 71 and still going on KNBR and fending off Ralph and Tom? Or having to see my smiling face in the tunnels of AT&T Stadium, readying more questions?

Maybe not. Maybe Peter was up for a year of this, maybe two… but he looks (added to the last three bad seasons) to three more bad seasons… and he’s not too juiced up about that.

I have no idea who’d replace Peter. It’d probably be somebody who is either already part of the ownership group and buys PMags’ interest or somebody familiar to the group and buys in big time.

I have no candidates. I don’t know. Barry Zito has some money lying around. Ratto is flush with cash. Carmen Policy? Gavin Newsom?

One thing I’d advise, not that Giants people ever listen to me: Now that this is out in the open, you had better either DENY IT completely (doubt you can) or get the transition in place.

You do not want to go into next off-season with question marks–because Brian Sabean will be on a one-year deal then, Bochy might be gone by then, you have a lot of money potentially to spend on free agents… and who’s in charge?

I know, that’s not any worse than the leadership Magowan has shown the last three of four years, but still…


The second Blog from Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. Your thoughts?

[McCovey]

Magowan is really old. Maybe it's time for new blood. He did a fabulous job overall since 1993. Yes, the whole BOnds/PED fiasco sucked but Magowan did much good for the Giants franchise. People forget the Giants were headed for Tampa/St. Petersburg in December 1992 and MAgowan's group saved the team.

[Bear]

Magowan is really old. Maybe it's time for new blood. He did a fabulous job overall since 1993. Yes, the whole BOnds/PED fiasco sucked but Magowan did much good for the Giants franchise. People forget the Giants were headed for Tampa/St. Petersburg in December 1992 and MAgowan's group saved the team.


Be careful what you are calling really old, sunny. The Bear may need to kick some serious butt if you keep this up! :eek::spank: