THE SIDELINES : Japanese May Buy Baseball Club
The Birmingham Barons minor league baseball club reportedly is close to being sold to a Japanese financial interest, but a team official says there won’t be any wholesale changes if a deal goes through.
“Whatever happens, you can be sure of two things,” said Art Clarkston, chief executive officer of the Class AA Southern League club. “One, I’ll still be the general manager. And two, the team will still be in Birmingham.”
Clarkston confirmed that he is negotiating a possible sale of the club, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, and the Birmingham News said a news conference tentatively had been set for today.
Sources told the Birmingham newspaper that Clarkston’s negotiations are with an American representative of a Japanese financial interest. According to the News, he first met with the group in Nashville, and they have met at least twice since then in Birmingham to continue negotiations.
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