Baseball Meetings : Owners Give Their OK to Sale of the Mariners

Baseball owners meeting in Milwaukee Thursday unanimously approved the sale of the Seattle Mariners to a group of investors headed by Indianapolis businessmen Jeff Smulyan and Michael Browning, who promised not to move the team.

Smulyan and Browning purchased the Mariners from George Argyros, who bought the team in 1981 for $13.1 million. The team was appraised at $76.1 million in June.

Newly elected Commissioner Fay Vincent said baseball had the assurances of Smulyan and Browning that they would not move the Mariners out of Seattle, which already has lost one baseball team. The former Seattle Pilots played the 1969 season in Seattle before moving to Milwaukee and becoming the Brewers.

“There is no question these two fellows love baseball and they made the commitment to me they will do everything in their considerable power to make Seattle a more successful franchise,” Vincent said.

Smulyan, 42, is head of Emmis Broadcasting Corp., the largest privately owned radio station chain in the country. Browning, 41, is president of Browning Investments, a real estate company.

Upon leaving Thursday’s meeting, Argyros declined comment. He was not popular in Seattle and often battled local officials over his lease and the Mariners’ lack of success.

A. Bartlett Giamatti will be honored by baseball on Oct. 31 at a memorial in New York’s Carnegie Hall, and the World Series will be played in his memory.

Giamatti, who died of a heart attack Sept. 1 after five months as commissioner, had a private funeral at the request of his family.

Vincent said the service in the 2,800-seat hall would be by invitation only.

Vincent spoke of his predecessor during the major league owners’ quarterly meeting.

“I started the meeting, obviously, with a tribute to Bart,” Vincent said. “I had written an essay about him and read the essay. I reminded the ownership that it was our judgment that the World Series should be dedicated to Bart. We obviously will be using the ball that has his signature. The players will be wearing black armbands. The umpires will wear suitable patches. The flags will fly at half staff. The World Series program will be dedicated to Bart and we will reprint in there that wonderful essay ‘Green Fields of the Mind.’ ”

Former Brooklyn Dodger pitcher Joe Black was appointed special consultant to the commissioner for player personal development. Black will help players adjust to their retirements, among other things.

“It’s important to make players aware that baseball is only one phase of their lives,” Black said. “I hope I can make a difference by helping players prepare for long, productive and decent lives once their playing careers are concluded.”

Black, the 1952 National League rookie of the year, recently retired as senior vice president for urban affairs of Greyhound Corp. and is president of JayBee & Associates in Phoenix.

Brewer owner Bud Selig was presented the August A. Busch Jr. Award for long and meritorious service to baseball.

The award was presented previously to Walter O’Malley of the Dodgers, John Galbreath of the Pirates, John Fetzer of the Tigers, and Lee MacPhail of the American League and Chub Feeney of the National League.