Pirates News

Flattered Pirates Say No Thanks to Penguins Overture

By Paul Ladewski

POSTED: January 30, 2010

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While fans played the popular Deal or No Deal at PirateFest on Saturday afternoon, Pirates officials confirmed that they would say no deal to any offer for the franchise by the Pittsburgh Penguins or any other prospective bidder.

In response to a local published report that said Penguins co-owners Ron Burke and Mario Lemieux had made an inquiry at a face-to-face sitdown with him four months earlier, Pirates counterpart Bob Nutting made it clear the franchise was not for sale at this time nor would it be in the foreseeable future.

"There has never been a substantive or formal offer for the team," Nutting said in an e-mail to Piratesreport.com on Saturday night. "I cannot reiterate strongly enough that the Pittsburgh Pirates are not for sale, nor have ever been for sale since I assumed control of the ballclub almost three years ago.

"We put in a solid plan at that time to return this franchise to championship form as quickly as possible. We have made significant progress in implementing that plan. We have brought the right people on board, invested heavily in our core baseball operations areas and aggressively acquired impact type talent through the draft, internationally and trades. As a result, we are a much stronger organization than we have been in many years."

Penguins officials were unavailable for comment.

Asked whether the Pirates organization was flattered by the inquiry, team president Frank Coonelly acknowledged at PirateFest earlier in the day, "Sure, it's flattering. Any time people that you respect as smart businessmen have an interest in purchasing your product, it's flattering."

"In addition to being one of the greatest hockey players ever to lace on skates, Mario Lemieux is a very good businessman," Coonelly went on to say. "Obviously, Ron Burkle is a very good businessman. Mario and Ron have done a tremendous job with the Penguins."

Regardless of how popular Lemieux may be among local sports fans, however, Coonelly said no amount of outside influence could convince Nutting to reconsider his stance.

"Mario Lemieux is an extremely popular individual in town," Coonelly said. "We understand that. So you can understand the fans saying, 'Wouldn't that be exciting to have Mario as a part of the Pirates?' He was a great hockey player. He has done a terrific job with the Penguins. But Bob Nutting is not selling the Pirates, and public pressure won't change that."

In the Pirates, Burkle and Lemieux undoubtedly see a mirror image of the Penguins of years ago. In 1999, they purchased the downtrodden NHL franchise for $107 million. Ten years later, it is valued at $222, an annual 7.6 percent return.

In 1996, Nutting bought the Pirates for $92 million. At the start of the 2009 season, they were worth $288 million, according to Forbes magazine. Despite harsh economic times, the figure represented a decline of only 1 percent from the previous campaign.

More than one industry source would tell you that the Pirates are a gold mine waiting to be discovered in the years ahead. They have built a core of young talent through the farm system, which ranks as one of the most improved in the major leagues in recent years. In PNC Park, they have what many consider to be the best baseball venue in the country.

What's more, large crowds have turned out for the Winter Caravan and PirateFest in anticipation of the season ahead, the sign of a solid fan base despite subpar attendance figures in recent years.

"Frankly, when you consider both the growing pains as well as the real progress that has been made over the past two to three years, it is easy to see why the Pirates are now an attractive franchise whose brand is on the rise," Nutting said. "However, I cannot be any more clear: The Pirates are not for sale. I remain deeply committed to seeing this plan through."

The only unexpected development was that such old news would make front-page headlines at the expense of more timely events.

"Was it a surprise that a story about a meeting that took place four months ago would come out on a day when we honored Bill Mazeroski with the announcement of a statue in his tribute? That's a surprise," Coonelly said. "Is it a surprise that the Penguins would have an interest in purchasing the Pirates? That's not a surprise to me."

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