Bush’s Son’s Group May Buy Texas Rangers

Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth has given his personal stamp of approval to a group of Texans, headed by the President’s son, George W. Bush, trying to buy the Texas Rangers from Eddie Chiles.

Bush, the President’s eldest son, and Edward Rose met with Ueberroth on Thursday, but Chiles said he has not talked with the commissioner about the deal.

Others in the partnership include Ft. Worth businessman Richard Rainwater, the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reported today. The newspaper said the Bush-Rose group has emerged as the most viable candidate to purchase the American League team.

“I met with this partnership today and they have shown us a group of Texans with roots who are their group and we find them to be satisfactory,” Ueberroth told reporters Thursday at Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport. “They will be moving forward toward the purchase of Mr. Chiles’ ownership position.”

Second Trip to Area

It was the commissioner’s second trip to the area in the last nine days in connection with the sale. He said the ownership switch could gain approval at the next regularly scheduled owners’ meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., March 10-11.

A second Texas-based group, “an amalgamation of several different interested parties,” also is in the picture should something happen to derail the Bush-Rose partnership, the commissioner said.

“I’m asking them (the second group) to take a standby position,” Ueberroth said.

Bush, a possible Texas gubernatorial candidate in 1990, has tried to maintain a low profile during the negotiations. But he said Thursday night that he is optimistic about his group’s chances of purchasing the team.

He wouldn’t give a timetable for completing the transaction, but said it will be done “as soon as possible.”