…I’m a Sixers fan now. While the Phillies brass sat on their thumbs, the Cubs and Brewers both went out and vastly improved their pitching staffs. But why should Phillies ownership care? After all, they have found the sweet spot. They can take advantage of three of their best players ever (Rollins, Howard, and Utley) to put people in the seats. Why pay money to improve when you are selling out games? Meanwhile, read this about the Brewers: Though the owner has infused financial life into the franchise which hemorrhaged money during the pre-revenue sharing days of the Selig regime, $90 million is still a fairly significant figure for a team that plays in Major League Baseball’s smallest media market.
“We’ll probably generate some measure of a loss this season,” Attanasio said.
It’s a loss Attanasio, an investment banker by trade, is willing — and feels somewhat obligated — to take in order to produce a championship.
Even though just one team during his time as owner finished with a winning record, attendance has been steadily growing each year. The team is on pace to draw nearly three million fans in 2008. Those numbers made the move possible.
“It’s a huge boost to the fans who have had a long drought here,” Melvin said. “Maybe they thought this kind of thing couldn’t happen. We felt we needed to go for it.”
So who’s the real winner here? The Phils, obviously. They are going to win 85 games this year and maybe or maybe not make the playoffs. But who cares? Ownership will make money hand over fist either way. Meanwhile, the multi-multi millionaire who owns the Brewers is actually going to lose money. And all he’ll get for his loss is a legitimate shot at a World Series title and generate unbridled excitement for an entire city.