Sports: Naimoli says Rays would resist being nixed

Naimoli says Rays would resist being nixed

By JOHN ROMANO

PITTSBURGH -- If the Rays are a candidate for contraction, managing general partner Vince Naimoli said he is not aware of it. And despite the franchise's attendance woes, he said the ownership group is not in favor of it.

"Would we volunteer to be contracted? Absolutely not," Naimoli said at Major League Baseball's quarterly ownership meeting Wednesday. "All of us have fought too hard to get a team for the area."

Naimoli, however, would not rule out the possibility that the Rays are considered a candidate for contraction by commissioner Bud Selig.

"He's never talked to me about it," Naimoli said. "But he has his circle of advisers and I can't tell you whether they have or have not discussed that possibility."

Naimoli said the Tampa Bay market is too valuable to abandon quickly.

"The fact that we haven't been getting the attendance numbers we want doesn't mean the fans aren't there," he said. "It's incumbent on us to find any possible mechanisms to get the fans to the ballpark."

Both Naimoli and Selig said contraction was not a topic during Wednesday's session, which began with committee meetings in the morning and concluded with a three-hour session of all 30 owners later in the afternoon.

Putting aside their occasionally antagonistic relationships, owners appeared united on at least one front. They have agreed to keep their mouths shut.

One by one, owners walked out of meetings and declined to talk of any significant issues. Not about upcoming labor negotiations, or speculation of contraction, or revenue disparities.

All questions were referred to Selig, who managed to avoid uttering a meaningful word during his news conference.

"All I've said about contraction is that it's a viable option. A year ago, I didn't think it was. Today I do," Selig said. "I think the economic problems are so pervasive that they need a myriad of solutions. That is one we should consider, just like relocation."

Selig declined to go into detail when asked how the game might benefit from contraction.

"The benefit of whatever economic benefits one can assess from contraction," he said. "It's a very subjective judgment. That's something we'll look at."

The unwillingness to address contraction beyond a surface level does little to dispel the theory that owners are using the threat of job eliminations as a negotiating tool with the players union.

The Rays, who are last in the American League in attendance and reportedly have had ownership turmoil, have been mentioned as a candidate for contraction with the Expos, Marlins, Twins and Angels.

Selig would not go into depth about the Rays ownership issues, saying he needed more information from new chief operating officer John McHale Jr.

"John McHale is down there and I haven't had a chance to talk to him, I've been doing a lot of traveling," Selig said. "John will stabilize the situation."

Does that mean the Rays ownership group needed stabilizing?

"We just need everybody to go back to work and try to make it work," Selig said.

McHale, who attended with Naimoli, referred questions to Selig.

Houston was named host of the 2004 All-Star Game, and Phillies chairman Bill Giles and former Angels owner Jackie Autry were named honorary presidents of the National and American leagues.