Sale of the Marlins Is Finally Complete

Weeks of acrimonious negotiations between multimillionaire John Henry and billionaire Wayne Huizenga ended with a hug and a sale.

Henry completed a $150-million agreement to purchase the Florida Marlins on Friday, less than 48 hours after he said the deal was dead.

Following two days of public feuding over stalled negotiations, Henry and Marlin owner Huizenga put aside their differences, resumed talks and quickly closed the sale.

“I signed documents tonight, so the deal is done,” Henry said while attending a team fund-raising banquet. “The process is over with. This has been a dream I’ve had for a long time. I’m just a little overcome by the whole thing.”

Major league baseball must approve the sale, which could take months but is considered a formality. Henry is already well-known within the sport because he owns 1% of the World Series champion New York Yankees. He’ll sell his share of that team.

Henry, a 49-year-old commodities trader from Boca Raton, Fla., bought the troubled Florida franchise for $150 million cash and agreed to pay $8 million for renovations at Pro Player Stadium.

Weary of Huizenga’s gamesmanship in negotiations, Henry this week said the deal was off and scheduled a news conference for today, presumably to announce he was withdrawing his offer. That news conference was canceled late Friday.

“Wayne and I met a couple of hours ago in his office,” Henry said. “We hugged each other, and we had some laughs.”

The sale comes 17 months after Huizenga put the team on the market, and more than two months after he reached a handshake agreement with Henry on Sept. 1.

Huizenga claims the Marlins lost $34 million in 1997, when they won the World Series, and lost money again this year while finishing with the National League’s worst record since 1969.

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Scott Brosius became the first free agent to sign, agreeing to return to the New York Yankees for a $15.75-million, three-year contract.

The World Series MVP, obtained from the Oakland Athletics after the 1997 season for Kenny Rogers, had wanted to remain with New York. The third baseman will get $5.25 million in each of the next three seasons, up from $2.75 million this year, when he hit .300 with 19 homers and 98 runs batted in.

The Yankees didn’t announce the deal, but the terms were confirmed by several sources who spoke on the condition they not be identified.

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Sammy Sosa didn’t disappoint the Japanese fans who came out to see a demonstration of the swing that resulted in 66 home runs last season for the Chicago Cubs.

He connected leading off the second inning, accounting for the first run as a team of touring major league stars defeated the Yomiuri Giants, 4-1, at Tokyo.

“I hit a home run not only for me, but for the people of Japan,” Sosa said. “The pitch was up and away, and I wasn’t sure it was going to stay fair.”

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Manager Johnny Oates and General Manager Doug Melvin of the Texas Rangers were given one-year contract extensions through 2000.

Oates, 329-301 in four seasons as the Rangers’ manager, helped lead the team to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

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Center fielder Darryl Hamilton of the Colorado Rockies agreed to a $10.5-million, three-year contract.

The Rockies also agreed to a two-year deal with outfielder Lenny Harris, who finished the season with the New York Mets.

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Lee Mazzilli, who managed the Class-A Tampa Yankees the last two seasons, was promoted to manager of the double-A Norwich Navigators.

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The Houston Astros are raising ticket prices for most seats in their 35th and final season in the Astrodome. In all, 36,435 of the stadium’s 54,370 seats will be more expensive next year, with the best seats behind home plate and around the dugouts increasing $3 to $26.