Cincy group to buy Reds

By wire services
Published November 3, 2005

CINCINNATI - Carl Lindner agreed Wednesday to sell the controlling interest in the Reds to a group of area businessmen, keeping baseball's first professional franchise in local hands.

The group is headed by Robert Castellini, chairman of a Cincinnati produce company, and relatives of a family that owned the team when it became the Big Red Machine in the 1970s. The sale must be approved by Major League Baseball.

Most sales take between three months and a year to get approval from owners, the timeframe usually depending upon the number of parties involved.

Several groups showed an interest after three limited partners put their shares, representing 51.5 percent of the team, up for sale in March. Lindner said then he wanted to keep control.

He changed his mind and agreed to sell his controlling shares to a group headed by someone familiar. Castellini owned a produce warehouse on prime riverfront land that he sold for more than $30-million in the 1990s to build a football stadium for the Bengals.

Castellini's group was one of the last to show an interest in purchasing the team, the Associated Press reported. Major League Baseball has barred comment pending approval.

When the Reds played at Riverfront Stadium, clubhouse attendants would get cabbage leaves from Castellini's nearby produce warehouse and soak them in ammonia so players could wear them under their caps and keep cool.

GILLICK ON BOARD: Pat Gillick has turned losing teams into winners everywhere he has been. His job now is to build a champion from a team that hasn't been able to get over the top.

Gillick, whose resume includes two World Series titles and nine playoff appearances with three teams, signed a three-year contract Wednesday to become Phillies general manager. He replaces Ed Wade, fired after failing to get the team into the playoffs in eight years on the job.

Philadelphia went 88-74 this season and finished one game behind NL wild-card winner Houston. It was the Phillies' third consecutive winning season and fourth in five years, but they missed the playoffs for the 12th straight season and 21st time in 22 seasons.

"The challenge here is to win five more games than last year," Gillick said. "Ed Wade put together a good foundation, and they've been winning in the 80s the last four years. Usually you come to a club that needs major rebuilding, reconstructing, remodeling, whatever you want call it. That's not the case here."

GOLD GLOVES: Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux won his 15th award, one shy of the record shared by pitcher Jim Kaat and third baseman Brooks Robinson. Maddux set a record for NL Gold Gloves; Kaat won 14 in the AL.

Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel won his 10th, his first in the NL. Braves centerfielder Andruw Jones won his eighth straight and Cardinals centerfielder Jim Edmonds his eighth, including six in a row.

Giants catcher Mike Matheny won his fourth overall and third straight. Marlins second baseman Luis Castillo won his third straight and third baseman Mike Lowell his first. Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee won for the second time, and Phillies outfielder Bobby Abreu was a first-time winner.

EPSTEIN DENIES CLASH: Outgoing Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein dismissed reports that a power struggle with team president Larry Lucchino led him to walk away from the organization this week. Epstein, 31, reportedly rejected the team's offer of a $4.5-million, three-year extension.

"Larry and I like each other," Epstein said in his first public comments since he walked away from the bargaining table Monday. "As with any other working relationship there are complexities, there are ups and downs."

The decision to leave, he said, was a personal one.

Meanwhile, right-hander Mike Timlin, Boston's only reliable reliever much of the season, agreed to a one-year contract worth about $3.25-million. Timlin was 7-3 with 13 saves and a 2.24 ERA in 801/3 innings.

UMP TAX: A Missouri lawmaker and Cardinals fan says umpires should pay for what he sees as bad calls made during the NL Championship Series, when St. Louis lost to the Astros. Rep. Jeff Roorda wants to expand the state athlete and entertainer tax to cover officials such as umpires and referees. The tax is charged to out-of-state residents who earn money in Missouri while performing in such events as baseball games and concerts. The revenues are supposed to go to the arts, public libraries and other cultural programs.

STEROID SUSPENSION: Former All-Star outfielder Matt Lawton was suspended for a positive steroids test, becoming the 12th player penalized for violating Major League Baseball's policy. Lawton, a free agent, would serve a 10-day suspension at the start of next season.

ANGELS: Pitching coach Bud Black agreed to a two-year deal, meaning all of Mike Scioscia's coaches are under contract for next season.

DODGERS: The team is "making considerable progress" in its search for a general manager but wouldn't elaborate beyond that. "There are a number of highly qualified candidates for the general manager's position, and no shortage of people who have expressed interest," the team said in a statement. "All this will remain a confidential process."

MARINERS: The team exercised left-hander Eddie Guardado's $6.25-million option for next year, choosing to keep its closer rather than explore an uncertain free-agent market.

RANGERS: Former World Series MVP John Wetteland was hired as pitching coach for Double-A Frisco.

YANKEES: Former Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli rejoined New York as Joe Torre's bench coach. Mazzilli was first-base and outfield coach from 2000-03, then was Baltimore's manager until he was fired Aug. 4.

[Last modified November 3, 2005, 01:07:13]