Texas Rangers finally have new ownership

Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS

Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg have no more courtrooms to enter, no more briefs to file, no more bidding wars to win.

At long last, their pursuit of the Texas Rangers is over, and both are breathing big sighs of relief.

Major League Baseball owners unanimously approved the sale of the Rangers to an investment group led by Ryan and Greenberg on Thursday, marking the end of a months-long struggle to take control of the club. Ryan will remain team president while Greenberg becomes the managing partner and CEO of a group that also includes pipeline billionaire Ray Davis and XTO Energy founder Bob Simpson.

“It’s hard to comprehend that that is behind us because it dominated our lives so much, in that there were so many twists and turns during the process,” said Ryan, the Hall of Fame pitcher and Texas icon.

The group initially agreed to buy the team from Tom Hicks in January. But a messy bankruptcy case ensued and Ryan and Greenberg, a sports attorney from Pittsburgh, ultimately had to win a bidding war with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to secure the franchise.

Ryan and Greenberg won with a bid valued at $590 million.

“There were a lot of frustrations, a lot of setbacks, quite a few moments where we thought we had it only to feel it slip away again,” Greenberg said. “But there was never a moment where I thought this wasn’t going to happen.

“There were a lot of moments where it was hard to imagine it being completed, but I’m a pretty competitive guy. I don’t have to tell you what a competitive person Nolan is. Bob Simpson, Ray Davis, our whole ownership group, we like to win.”

Commissioner Bud Selig said the Greenberg-Ryan group had “demonstrated an unwavering commitment” to the Rangers through the long ordeal.