With his three-time all-star left-fielder locked up for the next 10 years, Brewers Chairman and Principal Owner Mark Attanasio didn't want to field the burning question, but still wanted to make something abundantly clear.
He's not going anywhere.
Attanasio's name has been linked to the Los Angeles Dodgers, a franchise in turmoil thanks to owner Frank McCourt's nasty divorce proceedings. The situation has gotten so bad that Major League Baseball is assuming day-to-day operations of the franchise and at some point, the Dodgers will have to be sold.
Thursday, several hours before the Brewers shocked the community with the news that Ryan Braun had signed a historic contract extension that would keep him in Milwaukee until 2020, the Los Angeles Times mentioned Attanasio as one of "two parties most often mentioned as interested buyers," along with Dennis Gilbert of the Chicago White Sox.
Attanasio, like Gilbert, lives in the Los Angeles area.
That, however, is as far as the connection/interest goes on Attanasio's end.
"This is very big news in Los Angeles so there's a lot of folks' names that seem to be coming up," Attanasio said Thursday. "I guess mine keeps coming up."
He answered point-blank when asked if he had inquired about the Dodgers, telling members of the local media that he had no interest in the iconic franchise had had no plans to look into it.
Earlier in the day, a team spokesperson issued a statement saying Attanasio was "thrilled" to be in Milwaukee.
"It's great to be here," Attanasio said. "My wife and family, we just moved into a new place in downtown Milwaukee. We're excited to be part of the city and what we hope is a championship team here."
Attanasio purchased the Brewers from the Selig family in 2004. He paid $223 million for the team which Forbes Magazine most recently estimated to be worth about $376. Since taking over as owner, payroll has jumped from $27 million in 2005 to approximately $84 million this season.
Under his watch, the Brewers have drafted, groomed and eventually inked young stars like Braun, outfielder Corey Hart, second baseman Rickie Weeks and starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo to long-term contracts. He's signed off on deals that brought stars like CC Sabathia and Zack Greinke – and their salaries – to Milwaukee and watched the Brewers snap a 26-year post-season drought.
Off the field, Attanasio and his wife, Debbie have entrenched themselves into the community. Attanasio holds a ownership interest in the Milwaukee Admirals. The couple has been active in the charitable sector, creating the Brewers Community Foundation.
And with his $105 million investment in Braun, Attanasio hopes he's shown that he's committed to Milwaukee for the long run. Posing for a picture with Braun and manager Ron Roenicke, Attanasio noted that all three of the men had something in common.
"You've got three L.A. guys here and we're all committed to Milwaukee," he said. "I think you've got your answer."
