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BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 10:53 am
by Goldfan
“In June 2020, Bill DeWitt Jr. stated that Major League Baseball is not a very profitable industry for owners, claiming that increased operating costs like a larger front office staff and analytics departments consume revenue growth, making profits slim. This statement was made during MLB's lockout negotiations with the players' union. While the MLB has seen high revenue, DeWitt argued that this revenue is reinvested into operations, rather than lining the pockets of owners.
Quote: "The industry isn't very profitable, to be honest," DeWitt said in an interview on 590TheFan in St. Louis.
Context: He was speaking during the 2020 MLB lockout amid labor negotiations, and his comments were similar to those of other team owners.
Reasoning: DeWitt argued that rising costs, such as hiring more non-player staff (including front office and analytics personnel), offset revenue increases, making profitability low for owners. “
2 things
-The irony of all irony was that when BDW made this statement he and MO had been going CHEAP on organizational funding for years as we now know
-and Secondly, if BDW is in this for income and he acknowledges that this is a very poor income business then WHY doesn’t he take his LARGE (75mil>>>3bil) Cap Appreciation and sell the team???
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 11:19 am
by The Nard
How much would he save if the "Analytics" group is decreased to 1 geek??
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 11:32 am
by JuanAgosto
Hes always been in it for the $. He needed winning teams to draw fans after the early 90s debacle of Busch the 3rd. Those winning teams in the 2000s allowed Billy Boy to build BPV. And it all increased team value from $150 million to over $billion. Hes made his money and is now coasting.
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 12:08 pm
by Midrange Jay
The Cardinals are valued at $2.5 billion.
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/04/11/cn ... -2025.html
They were purchased, along with the 2 stadium garages, for $150 million.
https://thisdayinbaseball.com/1995-anh ... -st-louis/
That’s an over 1500% unrealized gain.
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 13:04 pm
by hugeCardfan
Good figures. That doesn't disabuse DeWitt's claim that baseball may not be a real good source of income for owners. I suspect that was a matter of fact response rather than a complaint. He has partners who may depend on the income more than he does.
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 13:22 pm
by Rojo Johnson
Yet, Cranny contends that a baseball franchise must perform exactly like a dividend stock that also has big equity returns annually. Interesting.
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 14:17 pm
by hugeCardfan
Rojo Johnson wrote: ↑03 Nov 2025 13:22 pm
Yet, Cranny contends that a baseball franchise must perform exactly like a dividend stock that also has big equity returns annually. Interesting.
What big equity return is an owner getting annually? What does capital appreciation have to do with operational income? Are you suggesting that an owner should sell down equity to fund increased payroll? What businessman finds that logical?
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 14:33 pm
by woofy25
Why are we rehashing comments from 5 years ago?
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 14:43 pm
by riff raff
woofy25 wrote: ↑03 Nov 2025 14:33 pm
Why are we rehashing comments from 5 years ago?
Gotta grind that axe
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 14:57 pm
by Goldfan
woofy25 wrote: ↑03 Nov 2025 14:33 pm
Why are we rehashing comments from 5 years ago?
Does it matter when he was quoted??
If your owner says that MLB is a poor income source and he’s constantly whining about payroll, revenue, stadium financing….
Perhaps your owner shouldn’t have his capital tied up in a business that isn’t returning his needs.
This is an Ego play among the multi billionaires unless it was a family business passed down through generations…..
They get into this game for competition and winning and perhaps Cap Appreciation….of which BDW has most likely realized his max lifetime return so, perhaps its time to pass this Pro Sports Civic entity to deeper pockets who want to compete and can afford it and who dont really required an annual income stream from it.
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 15:08 pm
by Cranny
woofy25 wrote: ↑03 Nov 2025 14:33 pm
Why are we rehashing comments from 5 years ago?
I guess because someone started this thread.
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 15:10 pm
by hugeCardfan
Goldfan wrote: ↑03 Nov 2025 14:57 pm
woofy25 wrote: ↑03 Nov 2025 14:33 pm
Why are we rehashing comments from 5 years ago?
Does it matter when he was quoted??
If your owner says that MLB is a poor income source and he’s constantly whining about payroll, revenue, stadium financing….
Perhaps your owner shouldn’t have his capital tied up in a business that isn’t returning his needs.
This is an Ego play among the multi billionaires unless it was a family business passed down through generations…..
They get into this game for competition and winning and perhaps Cap Appreciation….of which BDW has most likely realized his max lifetime return so, perhaps its time to pass this Pro Sports Civic entity to deeper pockets who want to compete and can afford it and who dont really required an annual income stream from it.
So things said 5 years ago constitute constantly whining? Sounds more like a CT psychosis. Hopefully Chaim and Co give BDW a reason to splurge somewhere down the road.
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 15:22 pm
by ScotchMIrish
Goldfan wrote: ↑03 Nov 2025 10:53 am
“In June 2020, Bill DeWitt Jr. stated that Major League Baseball is not a very profitable industry for owners, claiming that increased operating costs like a larger front office staff and analytics departments consume revenue growth, making profits slim. This statement was made during MLB's lockout negotiations with the players' union. While the MLB has seen high revenue, DeWitt argued that this revenue is reinvested into operations, rather than lining the pockets of owners.
Quote: "The industry isn't very profitable, to be honest," DeWitt said in an interview on 590TheFan in St. Louis.
Context: He was speaking during the 2020 MLB lockout amid labor negotiations, and his comments were similar to those of other team owners.
Reasoning: DeWitt argued that rising costs, such as hiring more non-player staff (including front office and analytics personnel), offset revenue increases, making profitability low for owners. “
2 things
-The irony of all irony was that when BDW made this statement he and MO had been going CHEAP on organizational funding for years as we now know
-and Secondly, if BDW is in this for income and he acknowledges that this is a very poor income business then WHY doesn’t he take his LARGE (75mil>>>3bil) Cap Appreciation and sell the team???
He made his plenty money in a couple of business ventures and he and some Texas politicians got the voters to approve $200 million in sales tax to go to the Rangers. Forget that happening in St Louis unless they strike oil under ballpark village.
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 15:28 pm
by Cranny
hugeCardfan wrote: ↑03 Nov 2025 13:04 pm
Good figures. That doesn't disabuse DeWitt's claim that baseball may not be a real good source of income for owners. I suspect that was a matter of fact response rather than a complaint. He has partners who may depend on the income more than he does.
It's an LLC. Profits and loses flow to the owners' personal tax returns every year.
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 15:59 pm
by Goldfan
Cranny wrote: ↑03 Nov 2025 15:28 pm
hugeCardfan wrote: ↑03 Nov 2025 13:04 pm
Good figures. That doesn't disabuse DeWitt's claim that baseball may not be a real good source of income for owners. I suspect that was a matter of fact response rather than a complaint. He has partners who may depend on the income more than he does.
It's an LLC. Profits and loses flow to the owners' personal tax returns every year.
Can you let us know how much has flowed to BDW the last decade?
Re: BDW in his own words
Posted: 03 Nov 2025 16:10 pm
by Cranny
Goldfan wrote: ↑03 Nov 2025 15:59 pm
Cranny wrote: ↑03 Nov 2025 15:28 pm
hugeCardfan wrote: ↑03 Nov 2025 13:04 pm
Good figures. That doesn't disabuse DeWitt's claim that baseball may not be a real good source of income for owners. I suspect that was a matter of fact response rather than a complaint. He has partners who may depend on the income more than he does.
It's an LLC. Profits and loses flow to the owners' personal tax returns every year.
Can you let us know how much has flowed to BDW the last decade?
Of course not. But what’s interesting is that the members have to pay taxes on their pro rata share of the profits. It’s a flow through. Often a company will distribute to each member enough to cover the tax due, even though they haven’t distributed the profits.