Phillies buy majority share of Reading franchise

Craig Stein, who purchased the club 22 years ago for $1 million, finalized an 80 percent sale of the team to the parent club, according to sources cited by Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle. [Link]

Reading Phillies President Chuck Domino said the sale has already met Eastern League, Minor League and Major League approval and was closed on Dec. 4. While the total sale price wasn't confirmed, earlier in the month, Class AA Altoona, also of the Eastern League, sold for a reported $18-20 million, according to an Altoona paper. Eastern League insiders told Drago the Reading franchise is possibly worth more. Domino, who oversaw Reading’s transformation into a model minor league franchise and currently serves as president of both the Reading and Lehigh Valley franchises, expects business to proceed as normal. The Phillies are also believed to have a large financial stake in Lehigh Valley, which opened for business last season. Reading has been affiliated with the Phillies since 1967.

Comments

[king myno]

Too many lefties.

[rjm08]

It looks like Ibanez is our man, for better or for worse. We signed him for kinda cheap (3 years 30 million), so that is a positive. I don't really get it, but I guess things could be much worse.

Welcome to Philly, Raul. Now I must attempt to be productive.

[mvptommyd]

So now where do we go from here?

Re-Sign Moyer or go after someone, lets say younger since everyone is obsesed with age here. How about Ollie Perez or trade for a brandon backe or john lackey type whose contract is expiring this year?

Also, if i am not mistaken. We gave up a first round pick for Ibanez. But don't we get one back with Burrell signs elsewhere??

[Deutsche Phan]

My left field seats are just not the same without Pat...

Anyway, I enjoyed this article on Ibanez at least:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/87757-ibanez-more-intense-than-most-about-training

[CY]

Re: Ibanez

Give him a chance. At least we have an everyday LFer. Would you really rather have Rivera or Baldelli out there? 10 mil a year isn't bad for a LFer that can rake. BAt him 6th behind Werth and we have a great lineup. We will be nasty against lefties.

Its not the ideal signing, but it isn't the value village approach that would have met even more criticism.

RIP Burrell. I actually came to like you in the last couple years despite your flaws.

[curt]

Sure beats Rocky the Flying Squirrel...and Geoff Jenkins.

[thephaithful]

CY: yeah, i feel the same way. he got ripped and ripped for so many years(rightfully so), then got married, settled down and really showed heart these past two years. wish him the best.

[NEPP]

Let's give the guy a chance at least. At the end of the year if he has a .290 avg, 25-30 HRs and 100+ RBIs will you still be pissed?

[mvptommyd]

NEPP: knowing some people, they will be pissed. They will find some obscure stat out there (since every discussion here is based on stats) to prove that he had a mediocre year with those numbers.

[stjoehawk]

clout, in the previous thread said "You were using the Santana stat to try to make the case that Ibanez hits lefties well. My rejoinder was to show that your example is empty in that regard."

Actually, I was using the Santana stat to make the case that Ibanez, for whatever reason, hits Johan Santana well. I looked at Santana because he was the only pitcher mentioned by name by the original poster.

The other strange point is that in 2008, Ibanez's best year against lefties, he had his worst year against Santana.

[mvptommyd]

I personally like the deal. I said it yesterday. Pat was nice but Ibanez can actually hit lefties as a lefty. Age isn't a issue, people are pulling for a 46 yr old to get a new contract for 10 a yr, this guy is coming off 3 great years in a row and 4 out of 5 were good.

Also, we give up a pick to get him, but then we get one back when burrell signs so it washes out.

[NEPP]

***then we get one back when burrell signs so it washes out.***

Um, no we don't. We didn't offer Burrell arbitration.

[mvptommyd]

oh yea your right, i thought for some reason he was and turned it down.

[EastFallowfield]

Yo, new thread.

[Alby]

Tommy: The only people who don't like stats are the people who don't understand them. If you don't like them, perhaps you'd be happier on one of the many "rah, team!" sites out there.