My business experience was with Horace, Chub and Speck. Please understand the context. Horace, Fran McCarthy and the City were hoodwinked by Charlie Harney into building a "State of the Art" ballpark at Candlestick Cove. No EPA then, no wind studies and in a horrible part (barely) of San Francisco. Horace and Chub were blessed with the game's greatest all around player in history and the magnificent (and historically overlooked) farm director and scout supervisor Jack Schwartz. Jack had built up baseball's best farm system with stars emerging like McCovey, Cepeda, Jim Ray Hart, the Alous, Marichal, Perry, Leon Wagner, Willie Kirkland, Jose Cardenal and Manny Mota, albeit with not enough pitchers. The Giants were early heavy hitters in the Caribbean and the first team to extensively scout the Dominican.
Once the euphoria of the Mays in SF era ended and amidst scores of negative press reports about the wind and cold Horace (with no outside business) faced a money crisis with Chub Feeney in New York as the president of the NL.. Ironically Schwartz had rebuilt the system with Gary and Gary, Kingman, Goodson and others once again making the Giants competitive just as the Stonehams' went broke. The scuttlebutt in the office at CP was that Kingman was unloaded to make the monthly payroll. The Giants became an NL receivership operation while buyers were encouraged to take a tumble. I was involved with a Saudi group as an "advisor" but they never made a bid and as far as I knew the press never learned of the interest. Doubt that Baseball would have even allowed a bid.
So I bring my commercial plan to the leagues appointed GM, Spec Richardson. I would estimate that it took Spec about a minute and a half to scrutinize my abstract before he just said, "We don't desire your services." In fact a lucky break because it forced me back into a full time role as a DP at age 27.
From those dismal days Bob Lurie (great guy) emerged and then the group that still own the franchise. A great ballpark was built and the team ascended the mountain. Then another dip and a new savior emerged, Farhan. He has a way and right now it means no mega deals. So far it's working and that is just fine. I am still a die hard and proud of it although as a North Beach native my heart belongs to the Seals and the Bay Bombers both RIP.
Once the euphoria of the Mays in SF era ended and amidst scores of negative press reports about the wind and cold Horace (with no outside business) faced a money crisis with Chub Feeney in New York as the president of the NL.. Ironically Schwartz had rebuilt the system with Gary and Gary, Kingman, Goodson and others once again making the Giants competitive just as the Stonehams' went broke. The scuttlebutt in the office at CP was that Kingman was unloaded to make the monthly payroll. The Giants became an NL receivership operation while buyers were encouraged to take a tumble. I was involved with a Saudi group as an "advisor" but they never made a bid and as far as I knew the press never learned of the interest. Doubt that Baseball would have even allowed a bid.
So I bring my commercial plan to the leagues appointed GM, Spec Richardson. I would estimate that it took Spec about a minute and a half to scrutinize my abstract before he just said, "We don't desire your services." In fact a lucky break because it forced me back into a full time role as a DP at age 27.
From those dismal days Bob Lurie (great guy) emerged and then the group that still own the franchise. A great ballpark was built and the team ascended the mountain. Then another dip and a new savior emerged, Farhan. He has a way and right now it means no mega deals. So far it's working and that is just fine. I am still a die hard and proud of it although as a North Beach native my heart belongs to the Seals and the Bay Bombers both RIP.