ESPN reports that Bud Selig and family will be selling the Milwaukee Brewers.

Before you naively reply that Selig's shares have been in trust during his time as commissioner, Let me say, "Ha!" I think that statement speaks for itself, but in case it doesn't: Does anyone believe that the Selig family would be selling the Brewers unless Big Daddy Bud wanted them to do so? And if he calls the shots, then what difference does it make that his shares are in trust? (Not to mention that every decision he has made as commissioner has been to help out the Milwaukee Welfare Brewers.)

Earlier this offseason, the Brewers announced that they were cutting payroll from the already low $40 M total in 2003 to $30 M. To that end they traded All-Star Richie Sexson. The Brewers have a municipally funded stadium that they can no longer fill (but at least it no longer leaks).

So what is really going on here? Bud, the man who allegedly bemoaned the loss of the Braves when they pulled up spikes and headed to Atlanta, has been slowly eroding any concept of the Brewers as a major-league team. But that practice has been accelerated since attendance at the new stadium dried up. Now, he is doing what any good, incredibly myopic business man would do. He is cutting payroll to make his bottom line look good to a prosective buyer. This has been going on at least since the end of the 2003 season if not earlier.

At least the Braves were allowed to move and develop a new fan base in a new city. They have gone on to be one of the more successful teams of the last dozen years. But Bud takes the moral high ground while creating a welfare recipient of the highest order in his team at the same time that he is selling off any reasonably talented player. Doesn't this seem a bit disingenuous? Meanwhile he is still steering the Expos...towards contraction in 2007.