More on the RICO Conspiracy Suit

The New York Times has additional details on the lawsuit filed by the 14 former minority owners against Bud Selig, Bob Dupuy, Jeffrey Loria, and David Samson, the Marlins' current and Expos' past president. Their attorney Sam Minzberg states, "We're here today to say to Major League Baseball and Jeff Loria you're not going to hijack this team from the city of Montreal."

Apparently, Loria was able to gain control of 94% of the Expos starting with only 24% by making a series of cash calls against the minority owners starting February 2001. Since they didn't have the necessary cash, their ownership stake was reduced as Loria's was increased. The suit accuses Loria and Samson of doing this "for the purpose of diluting the ownership interests" of the Expos. The suit alleges that Bud Selig was involved in a "secret plan" to swap the Marlins for the Expos. Further, Bob Dupuy demanded that the cash calls system be implemented or else they would not approve Loria as managing partner, even though Loria was the only option that the team had for that role. They also claim that Selig and Dupuy had by that point already secretly decided to abandon Montreal as a major-league city.

This past season Selig has reminded me of Tony Soprano's uncle Junior during the first season of The Sopranos. Smarter men put him in a position to take a fall. In Junior's case that was to be indicted under the RICO statutes. In Bud's, I thought it was for there to be a second strike on his watch, but his fate and Junior's may be more closely entwined.