Disney, Angels Still Talking, Ueberroth Says

The Walt Disney Co. is quietly continuing discussions about the purchase of the California Angels, holding talks with both the ballclub and city officials despite the expiration of the entertainment giant’s exclusive rights to buy the team, former baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth said Tuesday.

Ueberroth, who heads a group also interested in buying the team, said he is waiting in the wings with his investors but is reluctant to begin talks at this time.

“We’ve been made aware that [the Angels, Disney and Anaheim] are continuing discussions, and we’re choosing not to step forward until these discussions have concluded one way or another,” Ueberroth said. “Otherwise, we remain fully funded and ready to step forward.”

But Disney Sports Enterprises spokesman Bill Robertson was adamant Tuesday that talks between Disney and the city had ended.

“This deal is dead,” he said. “We are not negotiating. We are moving forward with getting our hockey team into the playoffs.”

Anaheim officials met in closed session for more than three hours Tuesday and discussed the matter at length, but emerged without making any public comment.

“We’ll be talking to the Autrys and look to them for where we go from here,” City Manager James D. Ruth said. “But we’re not negotiating with anybody. At this stage, we’re not sure where this is headed.”

Still, Ruth did not rule out the possibility that talks with Disney might be revived.

“We have never, ever ruled it out,” Ruth said. “Any time there’s a possibility of reconciling things, you never rule it out. We have a public responsibility not to.”

Angels Executive Vice President Jackie Autry, who owns the team with her husband, Gene Autry, said Monday she would be open to talking to other potential buyers and that Ueberroth would have “first rights” to discuss buying the team. But Autry was not available for comment Tuesday and Angels spokesman John Sevano said she had requested that the team make no statement at this time.

Since Disney walked away from negotiations with the city last week, officials have remained in close contact with Jackie Autry. Disney Chairman Michael Eisner hosted her at the Mighty Ducks’ game in Anaheim on Sunday.

Mayor Tom Daly declined to comment Tuesday. Last week, Daly said “the parties owe it to themselves to keep talking and to keep working toward solutions.”

Councilman Lou Lopez said, “Any time anyone wants to talk, I’m always open to discussion, whether it’s Disney or someone else.”

Disney officials announced last week that they were walking away from negotiations with the city over a $100-million renovation of Anaheim Stadium and an extended lease for the baseball team. The two sides had tentatively agreed to split the costs 70-30, with Disney picking up the larger share of the costs.

But several issues prevented them from finalizing a deal, including the length of a proposed lease; parking at the stadium; revenue streams from the Big A and a possible new football stadium; and the city’s proposed Sportstown Anaheim, a sports, entertainment and retail complex envisioned for property around the Big A. The complex would link the stadium to the Pond nearby.

Disney’s 25% purchase of the Angels, approved by major league baseball in January, was contingent on the company reaching an agreement with the city over stadium issues within 60 days. When the March 18 deadline was not met, Disney was free to walk away from the deal, which it elected to do.

Disney officials have expressed reservations about Sportstown, saying they aren’t sure how the development would affect the baseball stadium and its operations.

In the wake of the canceled negotiations, an irate Jackie Autry has threatened to move the team from Anaheim, blaming city officials for the deal’s failure.

Ruth said Tuesday he has spoken with Autry and described their conversation as “very general.” He said the city would continue to work with her and the Angels organization.

City officials have said that if given more time, they felt they could resolve the issues that kept the two parties from reaching agreement. But several days before the March 18 deadline, Disney broke off the talks.

“It wasn’t the city’s deadline,” Ruth said. “As far as we’re concerned, there is no deadline.”

Angels President Richard Brown said this week that the deadline’s passage does not rule out Disney coming back as a buyer. It merely means the company no longer has exclusive rights to the team.

Autry has made it clear that she wants Disney to buy the team, citing its proven marketing ability and the money it was willing to invest in renovating Anaheim Stadium. Ueberroth, however, was negotiating with the Autrys before Disney announced in May that it intended to buy the team.