MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL - OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER
NEWS RELEASE
350 PARK AVENUE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK l0022 €(212) 339-7860
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 11, 1997
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEEKING RIGHT GROUP FOR DAYTON
Major League Baseball,and the Cincinnati Reds agree that Dayton, Ohio is a community deserving of a minor league baseball team and are committed to making that happen, it was announced today.The Reds, within whose territory Dayton is situated, has conditionally waived its territorial rights providing a group that brings baseball to Dayton is capable of being approved by Major League Baseball and has appropriate minority representation
"We would like to see a group bring a minor league team to Dayton," said Allan H. (Bud) Selig, chairman Or the Major League Executive Council, "but so far the group that applied has not demonstrated it meets baseball's requirements. We will approve any group that does."
One group, Dayton Professional Baseball, led by Sherrie L. Myers, was asked for more information as recently as last Friday and has yet to respond to MLB's inquiry.
Ms. Myers proposed to purchase the Rockford Cubbies of the Midwest League and move it to Dayton. Meyers' husband, Thomas J. Dickson, however, owns the Lansing, Michigan franchise, also of the Midwest League.
Such an arrangement is a violation of Major League Rule 20 that prohibits anyone, directly or indirectly from having an ownership interest in two clubs in the same league. This violation of baseball's dual ownership rule strikes at the heart of the integrity of the game.
In an effort to facilitate bringing minor league baseball to Dayton for the 1999 season, the Cincinnati Reds have given another group, Sports Spectrum, Inc., a qualified waiver of the Dayton territory similar to the one that was previously granted to the Downtown Dayton Partnership.
Contact : Richard Levin or Patrick Courtney (212-) 339-7860