Former Tampa Bay Devil Ray owner Vince Naimoli

[Kyyle23]

http://deadspin.com/#!5779887/the-devi...f-vince-naimoli

 

One of the Devil Rays' biggest Naimolified public relations disasters involved the St. Petersburg High School band. The team invited the band to perform the national anthem—only to have the appearance canceled after band members were told at the last minute they would have to pay to get into the ballpark.

 

"Vince became his own worst enemy," said WTSP-TV reporter Mike Deeson. "He became a tragic figure, almost like a Shakespearean play. The hero who couldn't get out of his own way."

 

Most of Naimoli's PR disasters were driven by an obsession with money. These weren't your typical concerns over eight-figure player salaries either. Some of the stories about Naimoli's cheapness defy belief—until you hear the same tales told by former employee after former employee.

 

The most famous yarn involved his contempt for technology. Naimoli thought email was a fad. He insisted on reading and signing off on the smallest documents. Naimoli wouldn't buy Internet access and by extension wouldn't arrange for email for Devil Rays employees. Tom Whaley, director of corporate sales from February 1999 to December 2000, recalled the steps he had to take to convince clients he worked for the Devil Rays and could be trusted.

 

"I set up my own email account: [email protected]," Whaley chuckled. "I thought it would be three weeks and then I'd get rid of it and get a Devil Rays account. Never happened. I remember one conversation in particular with a national food company. The guy on the other end said he felt odd sending information to a private email account. 'Don't you have company email?' he kept asking me."

 

Naimoli's Internet boycott continued for several more years. As late as 2003, if a Devil Rays employee wanted to sell group tickets or negotiate sponsorships, he had to buy his own Internet access and send emails from [email protected]. According to data compiled by Northwestern University's Media Management Center, 62.4% of U.S. households had Internet access in 2003. The vast majority of businesses with more than a few employees had access. Every team in baseball was wired. Every team but the Devil Rays.

 

Naimoli looked for all sorts of ways to squeeze an extra dollar. The Devil Rays' owner initially planned to name the upscale watching area behind home plate at the Trop the Clearwater Mattress Club. Aides talked him out of that name, convincing Naimoli that a local mattress chain was not an appropriate title sponsor for the team's elite seating area. The Devil Rays came up with a marginal upgrade, secured sponsorship from Kane's Furniture, and called the area the Kane's Club. Ticket-holders took an elevator down to their exclusive seats. When the doors opened, they revealed . . . couches. Yes, for the thousands of dollars you had to pay for the best seat in the house, your reward was a pitch from a furniture salesman in a cheap suit who thought you might be interested in a sofa.

[Dick Allen]

Considering the hoops people have to jump through to buy a MLB franchise and then be approved for membership, its amazing guys like this get through and a guy like Cuban has no chance.

[Kyyle23]

I only quoted a part of the story too, there are a few more Naimoli stories that are mindblowing

[southsider2k5]

So the idea that our ownership is cheap, is a joke.

[Milkman delivers]

I just read that whole article. Damn, the line about him being almost Shakespearean was right on.

[Swingandalongonetoleft]

I like the one about the raccoon.