Soccer Dad

Mora a good thing

In somewhat positive news from the Orioles, third baseman Melvin Mora wants to promote baseball in his native Venezuela.

Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora recently bought a 370-acre tract of land in his native Venezuela with the intention of improving baseball opportunities for his homeland.
...
So Mora, with the assistance of Ripken, is attempting to embark on an ambitious project near Valencia, Venezuela, that would include a 20,000-to-25,000-seat stadium, several little league fields and two or more Major League Baseball academies.

Mora said the plan would be to own the complex and then rent out the academies to select clubs, including the Orioles. There is no timetable for construction or completion at this time.

I don't know if this currently qualifies as out and out good news.

There are obstacles in building a presence in Venezuela, Stockstill said, adding that it can be more expensive to develop and sign players from there than from the Dominican Republic, the only foreign country in which the Orioles have a formal facility.

Mora said clubs also are concerned about the political and economic strife in the South American country.

It's interesting that more sports figures don't get into ownership and promotion of the sports they were involved with. Christian Laettner and Brian Davis recently made a bid to purchase the Memphis Grizzlies. Reggie Jackson has been mentioned as a potential member of groups buying Major League teams. And Cal who built and runs a minor league operation has been mentioned as being interested in perhaps having a hand in buying the Orioles.

Given the amount of money stars make over the course of their careers and the fact that they actually know (at least part of) the business it makes sense that more and more they'd have interests in owning teams, not just serving them on the field or the front office.

Blogdigger tags: Baseball, Melvin Mora, Balitmore Orioles.

Posted by SoccerDad at December 7, 2006 6:47 AM