Scott not the real Smiley

This doesn’t feel close to the end of Pohlad ownership. In 1997, Carl had a signed letter of intent to sell the team to a NC businessman only to be thwarted by voters there who were not willing to fund a new stadium. And then 4 years later Pohlad agreed to kill the franchise but for a sketchy legal ruling on the Metrodome lease agreement. Now we are to believe they will get an inflated valuation that they will find a buyer willing to pay after getting 1.) the most significant concession in history from the MLBPA and 2.) a fundamental structural change in revenue sharing. Whether it’s the hope that kills you, or you believe in miracles, being rid of the Pohlads anytime soon feels like the longest of shots much less the closest it’s ever been in the last 40 years.

1, 3, & 4 involve cutting margins. I don’t see it happening, and I think there’s a lot more going on in Denver than fan experience. Historically, 2 has not been much of a boost if you look at Hrbek’s run at ROY in ‘82, the anticipation of Guzman & Hunter in the lineup in ‘99, nor even the absolute hype of Sano & Buxton arriving in 2015 produced meaningful bumps in attendance. The only thing that hasn’t been tried is 5, but I don’t know who would trust it without verification. Winning likely is the only way with this regime.