Potential Buyer Puts Angels Third

An Alabama business magnate interested in buying a major league baseball team said Thursday that a Disney official has repeatedly invited him to bid for the Angels, but he prefers to pursue the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Minnesota Twins, with the Angels “a close third.�

Donald Watkins, 53, founder and chairman of Alamerica Bank of Birmingham, hopes to become the first African American with sole ownership of a major league team. While he acknowledges the social significance of his quest, he says his primary interest is in diversifying his business holdings by entering the world of sports and entertainment.

“It is not to make history or to be a pioneer,� Watkins said. “It is simply a business opportunity, something I could add value to and keep in my family to pass down among generations.

“I don’t think you make purchases which could be in the $100-million to $200-million range as a social experiment. When you’re investing that kind of money, you’re doing it for profit, and to invest in the community in which the enterprise is located.�

That price range could lead Watkins away from the Angels and toward the Devil Rays and Twins. Forbes magazine values the Devil Rays at $150 million and the Twins at $99 million.

Watkins said major league sources, who he declined to identify, told him Disney wanted $300 million for the Angels. Disney valued the Angels at $300 million during sale negotiations two years ago, but sources said the company recently told major league officials it would accept $250 million as part of a complex deal in which two teams folded, Montreal Expo owner Jeffrey Loria bought the Florida Marlins, and Florida owner John Henry bought the Angels.

That deal is on hold, with Henry reportedly joining one of several investment groups bidding for the Boston Red Sox. If that partnership--led by television producer and former San Diego Padre owner Tom Werner--does not prevail, Henry could revive negotiations to buy the Angels.

Tony Tavares, president of Disney’s Anaheim Sports division, said Thursday he had not spoken with Watkins. He also said that the company is not in negotiations with any prospective buyer for the Angels and said the chances were “very high� that Disney would operate the team next season.

Watkins said he has pursued an unrelated business opportunity with Disney and, within the last six months, has had “at least three face-to-face meetings� with another company official, whom he declined to identify. “In every one of them, the Angels were offered,� Watkins said.

Watkins said he applied in September for permission to examine the financial statements of the Devil Rays. He has not yet received permission, which would be granted only after major league officials scrutinize the financial assets of a prospective owner to determine whether he could afford to buy--and lose money on--a major league team.

He said he plans to amend his application so he can consider the Twins, too, prompted by what he called “an outpouring of e-mails and telephone calls� from Minnesota fans.

In the absence of a buyer for the Twins, Minnesota owner Carl Pohlad has said he is willing to sell to major league owners, who would then fold the team.

“My first preference is Tampa Bay,� Watkins said. “My second preference would be the Twins. The Angels are a close third.�

Watkins suggested Tampa Bay would be ideal as an “undervalued� team in a market with “significant potential for growth.� The Devil Rays play in a market with one NFL team, one NHL team and no major colleges; the Angels play in a market with two NBA teams, two NHL teams, two major colleges--and a traditionally successful baseball team up the freeway.

“The Angels, with all due respect, play in the shadow of the Dodgers,� Watkins said. “The Dodgers are the franchise out there.�

In addition to executive duties with his bank, Watkins’ biography lists him as an attorney, a trustee of Alabama State University, and a member of the board of directors of an investment banking firm and an energy investment company. He declined to discuss his net worth but said, “If I want to pay for the Angels, I can. I’ve been blessed.�

At a time when owners claim 25 of 30 teams lost money last season and corporations would rather sell teams than buy them, why would a successful businessman consider a baseball team a good investment?

“You have to be intimately involved in growing the value of the enterprise. It can be hard to do that as a corporation,� Watkins said. “As an individual owner, I can be intimately involved in the community. I love to be around people. My franchise will be a reflection of me. I like to invest whatever it takes to enjoy a good reputation. We have to work to earn the support of the market. We should not take the market for granted. That work is constant and vigilant, and I intend to do that.�