30 MLB Owners, Ranked From Worst to Best

[HOF Coach]

LINK

29. Bob Nutting, Pittsburgh Pirates
Tenure: 24 seasons (1996-present)
Purchase price: $92 million
Current team value: $1.275 billion
Net worth of owner: $1.1 billion
Source of wealth: Ski resort, newspapers
Team record: 1,703-2,17 (.458)
World Series titles: 0

Bottom line: Bob Nutting is proof positive that it doesn’t take half a brain to make a fortune. Fact is, very few mid-market teams pack this kind of potential. Insanely passionate sports town. Great baseball tradition. Out-of-this-world ballpark.

If the 17th-richest team owner put the 17th highest-paid team on the field, it would be a fairly consistent playoff contender and even bigger money machine. But no, they opened the 2019 season with a puny $76.1 million payroll, 27th overall per Spotrac.

As long as this once-proud franchise is held hostage by the tight-fisted owner, it’s destined to be a chronic underachiever.

 

[PittPanthers90]

LINK

29. Bob Nutting, Pittsburgh Pirates
Tenure: 24 seasons (1996-present)
Purchase price: $92 million
Current team value: $1.275 billion
Net worth of owner: $1.1 billion
Source of wealth: Ski resort, newspapers
Team record: 1,703-2,17 (.458)
World Series titles: 0

Bottom line: Bob Nutting is proof positive that it doesn’t take half a brain to make a fortune. Fact is, very few mid-market teams pack this kind of potential. Insanely passionate sports town. Great baseball tradition. Out-of-this-world ballpark.

If the 17th-richest team owner put the 17th highest-paid team on the field, it would be a fairly consistent playoff contender and even bigger money machine. But no, they opened the 2019 season with a puny $76.1 million payroll, 27th overall per Spotrac.

As long as this once-proud franchise is held hostage by the tight-fisted owner, it’s destined to be a chronic underachiever.

Very accurate write-up.
My only quibble with this assessment is that Nuttin should have been #30. I had to click the link to see who they thought was worse, and I think that Peter Angelos, Baltimore Orioles is better than Bob Nutting easily!

 

[88Pitt88]

Ranking Nutting ahead of even a single other owner makes this set of rankings worthless to me. He is clearly rock bottom. I did like the line where he said the Buccos are held hostage by their owner and would be chronic underachievers though.

 

[PittPanthers90]

Ranking Nutting ahead of even a single other owner makes this set of rankings worthless to me. He is clearly rock bottom. I did like the line where he said the Buccos are held hostage by their owner and would be chronic underachievers though.

I think only because Angelos has owned the team longer they put him under Nuttin. And that is because how sleazeball Nuttin hid his ownership under that puppet he loaned money to to buy his stake (McClatchy)

About the same number of winning seasons during the ownerships of Angelos and Nuttin.

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/bal/history/year_by_year_results.jsp

Objectively I can see where someone MIGHT put Angelos under Nuttin, but speaking objectively it would have had to been a coin-flip decision.

They probably could have done a T.30 for it (not T.29 because neither one deserved to be ahead of anyone)

 

[pbrad]

I think only because Angelos has owned the team longer they put him under Nuttin. And that is because how sleazeball Nuttin hid his ownership under that puppet he loaned money to to buy his stake (McClatchy)

About the same number of winning seasons during the ownerships of Angelos and Nuttin.

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/bal/history/year_by_year_results.jsp

Objectively I can see where someone MIGHT put Angelos under Nuttin, but speaking objectively it would have had to been a coin-flip decision.

They probably could have done a T.30 for it (not T.29 because neither one deserved to be ahead of anyone)

If not for McClatchy the Pirates would be in another city. He had a terrible baseball mind and hired terrible people, but he knew the only way to keep the Pirates here was to build a new ballpark and he succeded in that.

 

[gourdt]

As an O's fan I have to agree. Angelos is trash.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I mean, winning isn't even a consideration. He gave these buffoons running this franchise an extension. Hell, I don't think they even try and maximize revenue streams. Nutting seems to take some perverse pride in being low payroll. But winning is never the goal. Never.

 

[HOF Coach]

I mean, winning isn't even a consideration. He gave these buffoons running this franchise an extension. Hell, I don't think they even try and maximize revenue streams. Nutting seems to take some perverse pride in being low payroll. But winning is never the goal. Never.

Oh, winning is certainly a goal of Nutting and here is personal scoreboard:
Purchase price: $92 million
Current team value: $1.275 billion

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Oh, winning is certainly a goal of Nutting and here is personal scoreboard:
Purchase price: $92 million
Current team value: $1.275 billion

that is nauseating..

 

[pittdan77]

You're not a real fan if you don't drive hundreds of miles and spend hundreds of dollars several times a year. Heck, you should probably be throwing a couple hundred more to make sure the club has the financial support to keep the running.

 

[PittSquared]

I mean, winning isn't even a consideration. He gave these buffoons running this franchise an extension. Hell, I don't think they even try and maximize revenue streams. Nutting seems to take some perverse pride in being low payroll. But winning is never the goal. Never.

Coonelly and Huntington are not buffoons. They aren't given the resources to succeed.

 

[str61166]

From living close to the area, I've heard how bad Angelos is. And their fall from the mid 2010's to now is harder than the Pirates'. But whether you win 82 games or 47 games, you're not making the playoffs either way. And at least the Orioles have won 3 playoff series under his ownership. The Pirates haven't won a single series since '79.

 

[Mikefln]

Coonelly and Huntington are not buffoons. They aren't given the resources to succeed.

IMO they cannot be judged because of the constraints given to them. Personally I think they are genius for collecting a nice paycheck without needing to produce results for that paycheck. Other than weathermen, who else can produce those results and still be employed?

 

[79panther]

Coonelly and Huntington are not buffoons. They aren't given the resources to succeed.

Then why stick around? If you are good then you should move on if you are not supported by your boss. Then you can prove you are not part of the problem.

 

[mike 301]

You're not a real fan if you don't drive hundreds of miles and spend hundreds of dollars several times a year. Heck, you should probably be throwing a couple hundred more to make sure the club has the financial support to keep the running.

I think you meant to say financial "flexibility" .

 

[PittPanthers90]

If not for McClatchy the Pirates would be in another city. He had a terrible baseball mind and hired terrible people, but he knew the only way to keep the Pirates here was to build a new ballpark and he succeded in that.

McClatchy was LOANED the money by NUTTING!

McClatchy was a Nutting puppet so Nutting could stay hidden in the background and that only changed after MLB called them out on how ownership was actually layed out.

McClatchy was just the better PR man for Nutting to swindle Pittsburgh for a great stadium for an inferior AAAA product

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Coonelly and Huntington are not buffoons. They aren't given the resources to succeed.

They are buffoons. Look at the drafting and developing. And why the hell would you give away 3 top prospects for a declining pitcher in a year you weren't going to really contend for a playoff spot?? That is stupid. Stupid. A trade like the Archer trade needed to be made in 2014 or 15 or even 16. Not last year. Neal's drafts have been horrible. The player development has been horrible. Pitching development has been horrible horrible.

They are horrible. They should have been fired, yet they were extended. On top of that, their obvious lies and doublespeak and BS has turned off the fanbase.

 

[McKee Place]

They are buffoons. Look at the drafting and developing. And why the hell would you give away 3 top prospects for a declining pitcher in a year you weren't going to really contend for a playoff spot?? That is stupid. Stupid. A trade like the Archer trade needed to be made in 2014 or 15 or even 16. Not last year. Neal's drafts have been horrible. The player development has been horrible. Pitching development has been horrible horrible.

They are horrible. They should have been fired, yet they were extended. On top of that, their obvious lies and doublespeak and BS has turned off the fanbase.

Yeah, but Archer set a Pirates record last night. So they've got that going for them, which is nice

 

[passedout]

"$pend Nutting, Win Nutting!"
What can the fans do to get rid of this horse's arse?
There was a petition filed by 60,000 fans -- 60,000!
Do fans (the little that show up) have to set their seats on fire to get some recognition that they are fed up with the product this turd puts out there?

 

[BuffetParrothead]

LINK

29. Bob Nutting, Pittsburgh Pirates
Tenure: 24 seasons (1996-present)
Purchase price: $92 million
Current team value: $1.275 billion
Net worth of owner: $1.1 billion
Source of wealth: Ski resort, newspapers
Team record: 1,703-2,17 (.458)
World Series titles: 0

Bottom line: Bob Nutting is proof positive that it doesn’t take half a brain to make a fortune. Fact is, very few mid-market teams pack this kind of potential. Insanely passionate sports town. Great baseball tradition. Out-of-this-world ballpark.

If the 17th-richest team owner put the 17th highest-paid team on the field, it would be a fairly consistent playoff contender and even bigger money machine. But no, they opened the 2019 season with a puny $76.1 million payroll, 27th overall per Spotrac.

As long as this once-proud franchise is held hostage by the tight-fisted owner, it’s destined to be a chronic underachiever.

Purchase price: $92 million
Current team value: $1.275 billion

Nutting is a businessman and seems to have figured out how to make money without spending a lot of money.

I guess he doesn't need all of you Pittsburgh mal-contents to make money.

Some of you posters (especially one dope) wouldn't go to games even if he spent more on the Pirates spending the day complaining about things is what some people do.

As long as he makes money, meets his "hurdle rate" whatever that is, increases the value of the franchise Nutting will keep doing what he's doing! With a smile!

He and his management team aren't as stupid as some of you think they are!

Seems to me there's still a lot of happy people enjoying baseball at PNC Park one of the best baseball parks in the country!




​

 

[PittPanthers90]

Purchase price: $92 million
Current team value: $1.275 billion

Nutting is a businessman and seems to have figured out how to make money without spending a lot.

I guess he doesn't need all of you Pittsburgh malcontents to make money.

As long as he makes money, meets his "hurdle rate" whatever that is, increases the value of the franchise Nutting will keep doing what he's doing! With a smile!

He and his management team aren't as stupid as some of you think they are!
​

They are smart, but scumbags with no morals or conscience.
They make money off a TAXPAYER FUNDED facility, therefore they are MORALLY obligated to actually give back to the community by trying to legitimately field a competitive team!

Nutting is the embodiment of the soulless nature of the 1% and those who encourage their lack of morals along with the 1% are the reason why society is declining!

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Purchase price: $92 million
Current team value: $1.275 billion

Nutting is a businessman and seems to have figured out how to make money without spending a lot of money.

I guess he doesn't need all of you Pittsburgh mal-contents to make money.

Some of you posters (especially one dope) wouldn't go to games even if he spent more on the Pirates spending the day complaining about things is what some people do.

As long as he makes money, meets his "hurdle rate" whatever that is, increases the value of the franchise Nutting will keep doing what he's doing! With a smile!

He and his management team aren't as stupid as some of you think they are!

Seems to me there's still a lot of happy people enjoying baseball at PNC Park one of the best baseball parks in the country!




​

You're an idiot.

 

[pittdan77]

You're an idiot.

You understood that?

 

[lilspainishflea]

Purchase price: $92 million
Current team value: $1.275 billion

Nutting is a businessman and seems to have figured out how to make money without spending a lot of money.

I guess he doesn't need all of you Pittsburgh mal-contents to make money.

Some of you posters (especially one dope) wouldn't go to games even if he spent more on the Pirates spending the day complaining about things is what some people do.

As long as he makes money, meets his "hurdle rate" whatever that is, increases the value of the franchise Nutting will keep doing what he's doing! With a smile!

He and his management team aren't as stupid as some of you think they are!

Seems to me there's still a lot of happy people enjoying baseball at PNC Park one of the best baseball parks in the country!




​

The entire gist of your philosophy is "if he's making money, he must be right."

 

[DiehardPanther]

I basically checked out on the Pirates. I cannot remember the last time I bought tickets. I attended games over the past few years when comped, but won’t even do that anymore. I barely even watch them on TV anymore.

 

[lilspainishflea]

I basically checked out on the Pirates. I cannot remember the last time I bought tickets. I attended games over the past few years when comped, but won’t even do that anymore. I barely even watch them on TV anymore.

I quit them 2 seasons ago after being a die-hard fan for over 30 years. Unfollowed them on social media, hid certain words ("Pirates, Buccos, Bucs, Nutting," etc.) and haven't watched a game, been to a game, or bought merchandise since. There's simply no reason to follow them. They're a sports team for whom winning is ancillary. What's the point of watching a team if ownership doesn't care if they win or lose and isn't dedicated to putting the most competitive roster it can on the field? Rooting for the Pirates is like rooting for Wells Fargo.

*Edit. The Pirates refusal to commit to winning has actually killed baseball for me altogether. My AL team was the Orioles but they're a mess. Dad likes the Phillies and I live in Atlanta so I guess I could follow one of them but it just seems so pointless. The MLB really needs to get control of this situation because they're going to lose an entire generation of fans from Western PA.

 

[Panther Holla]

LINK

29. Bob Nutting, Pittsburgh Pirates
Tenure: 24 seasons (1996-present)
Purchase price: $92 million
Current team value: $1.275 billion
Net worth of owner: $1.1 billion
Source of wealth: Ski resort, newspapers
Team record: 1,703-2,17 (.458)
World Series titles: 0

Bottom line: Bob Nutting is proof positive that it doesn’t take half a brain to make a fortune. Fact is, very few mid-market teams pack this kind of potential. Insanely passionate sports town. Great baseball tradition. Out-of-this-world ballpark.

If the 17th-richest team owner put the 17th highest-paid team on the field, it would be a fairly consistent playoff contender and even bigger money machine. But no, they opened the 2019 season with a puny $76.1 million payroll, 27th overall per Spotrac.

As long as this once-proud franchise is held hostage by the tight-fisted owner, it’s destined to be a chronic underachiever.

Nutting should have finished 31st.

 

[Mikefln]

The MLB really needs to get control of this situation because they're going to lose an entire generation of fans from Western PA.

The problem is it is just Western Pa and Maryland. Every other part of the Country is ok with their situation. Kansas City maybe also, but for the most part the rest of the country is fine. Boston/NY/Chicago/Philly/Atalanta/LA/Dallas/Houston/Seattle/SF/Toronto are the big dogs in big markets. The the mid market all those teams do enough to keep fans interested. St Louis is the poster child of how to do it but Cleveland/Cincy/ Milwaukee/ Minnisotta/Miami/Tampa/Detroit/ Denver/ all of them do enough.

It is basically Pittsburgh and Baltimore and TBD on Kansas City that has risk fans interest.

 

[Mikefln]

They are smart, but scumbags with no morals or conscience.
They make money off a TAXPAYER FUNDED facility, therefore they are MORALLY obligated to actually give back to the community by trying to legitimately field a competitive team!

Nutting is the embodiment of the soulless nature of the 1% and those who encourage their lack of morals along with the 1% are the reason why society is declining!

Must agree. I am a capitalist as much as the next guy, but they are scum who basically hit the lottery. They bought the team before all the big tv money made sport franchises worth what they are now. They did nothing to actually earn that money, and they lucked into it more than they were smart and earned it. Plus like you mentioned they did it off the back of the tax payers. I wish the city would kick them out of PNC park literally right before 1st pitch next season. Literally lock the gates and watch MLB sweat with the scheduling conflicts.

 

[PittPanthers90]

Must agree. I am a capitalist as much as the next guy, but they are scum who basically hit the lottery. They bought the team before all the big tv money made sport franchises worth what they are now. They did nothing to actually earn that money, and they lucked into it more than they were smart and earned it. Plus like you mentioned they did it off the back of the tax payers. I wish the city would kick them out of PNC park literally right before 1st pitch next season. Literally lock the gates and watch MLB sweat with the scheduling conflicts.

Now if you could talk some sense into your capitalist comrade, the one who is such a Nutting shill he named himself after the the literal head of the mascot that would be almost as impressive as Nutting spending money lol

A mayor standing up to Nutting should be able to easily win election.
The next guy running should make it his sole platform!

 

[Black_Man_Panther]

1/3 of payroll is dead money. By far highest in the league. Great part is Chisenhall is likely to collect $3 million for not playing at all. Cheapskate Nutting is probably losing his mind over that alone.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

LINK

29. Bob Nutting, Pittsburgh Pirates
Tenure: 24 seasons (1996-present)
Purchase price: $92 million
Current team value: $1.275 billion
Net worth of owner: $1.1 billion
Source of wealth: Ski resort, newspapers
Team record: 1,703-2,17 (.458)
World Series titles: 0

Bottom line: Bob Nutting is proof positive that it doesn’t take half a brain to make a fortune. Fact is, very few mid-market teams pack this kind of potential. Insanely passionate sports town. Great baseball tradition. Out-of-this-world ballpark.

If the 17th-richest team owner put the 17th highest-paid team on the field, it would be a fairly consistent playoff contender and even bigger money machine. But no, they opened the 2019 season with a puny $76.1 million payroll, 27th overall per Spotrac.

As long as this once-proud franchise is held hostage by the tight-fisted owner, it’s destined to be a chronic underachiever.

Inarguable.

 

[Pitt-fan-in-Charlotte]

When I realized I was probably more upset than the owner of team I decided to find a new team to watch since I still love baseball. I’ll be back if there is a new owner in my lifetime but till then I’ll watch the braves.

 

[pittdan77]

The problem is it is just Western Pa and Maryland. Every other part of the Country is ok with their situation. Kansas City maybe also, but for the most part the rest of the country is fine. Boston/NY/Chicago/Philly/Atalanta/LA/Dallas/Houston/Seattle/SF/Toronto are the big dogs in big markets. The the mid market all those teams do enough to keep fans interested. St Louis is the poster child of how to do it but Cleveland/Cincy/ Milwaukee/ Minnisotta/Miami/Tampa/Detroit/ Denver/ all of them do enough.

It is basically Pittsburgh and Baltimore and TBD on Kansas City that has risk fans interest.

It's just not the same as when we grew up. Kids have access to watch any game, anywhere. So if a kid from the Mon Valley loves baseball, he adopts a team from somewhere else and will only want to see the Pirates when "his/her team" comes to town. It's not much different in the NFL. We just don't see it in Pittsburgh because the Steelers are a popular, winning franchise.

You guys tend to forget that attendance is like bonus money for any big-time sport. CFB included. TV is where the real money comes from. In a lot of ways, it would be cheaper to play games in an empty stadium. But crowds are part of the "show" and cities can't get their piece of the pie without the games.

 

[Cmart2004]

As an O's fan I have to agree. Angelos is trash.

I’m an O’s fan too. Both Angelos and Nutting are garbage, they’re probably interchangeable as the worst two owners.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I am not a fan of this team not just under this ownership, but this management. Until at least one of the two are in charge, I will continue to laugh, make fun of and root for the Pirates to lose. Every game. I don't care how nice the ballpark is and how nice of a time it is. I can order a pizza and eat on a park bench.

Oh for the record, I have attended a game this year, took a customer who wanted to go.

 

[Mikefln]

I am not a fan of this team not just under this ownership, but this management. Until at least one of the two are in charge, I will continue to laugh, make fun of and root for the Pirates to lose. Every game. I don't care how nice the ballpark is and how nice of a time it is. I can order a pizza and eat on a park bench.

Oh for the record, I have attended a game this year, took a customer who wanted to go.

I was in need of a new Hat with the P logo this year. Must admit it was tough knowing ownership was going to profit from it. Wish the money made on that hat went to the city instead of the Nuttings.

 

[OriginalEther]

I’m an O’s fan too. Both Angelos and Nutting are garbage, they’re probably interchangeable as the worst two owners.

I have no idea how bad Angelos is on a day to day scale
The story on him that stands out to me was in the mid 90’s, when the gap between big market/revenue teams and the small market/revenue was really starting to widen, his position was in favor of it widening, and maybe even a whole bunch of teams go under

Why was he that way? Because he had Camden Yards before anyone else, and he was - at the time - one of the large revenue teams. But then Camden Yards was no longer the bright shiny toy and pretty quickly the Orioles became like everyone else. And now he’s stuck in a division with the Yankees and Red Sox that he has no hope of regularly competing with.

It was an incredibly shortsighted position on Angelos’ part