HOUSTON – On the day Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane announced he had put his franchise up for sale, he acknowledged to FOX 26 Sports he has already had conversations with New York attorney Miles Prentice, who has expressed interest in buying the team.
Prentice is the owner of the Huntsville Stars minor league baseball team in Huntsville, Alabama as well as the Connecticut Tigers in Norwich, Conn. and he is also the co-owner of the Midland Rockhounds, a minor league franchise in Midland, Texas.
“I had known Miles Prentice,” McLane said. “He was trying to buy the Kansas City Royals a number of years ago. I was on the ownership committee and I first met him there and then he was involved in trying to buy the (Milwaukee) Brewers and did not make it.
“I did not know him well. He just contacted me and came down, seven-eight months ago, and he said if I could raise the funds to buy the Astros would you consider it and I said sure. He has a great reputation. He owns (three) minor league teams and has owned minor league teams for 15 years and has a good reputation in the minor leagues and people think highly of him and so I said if you can show me you have the financial wherewithal to do it, he hasn’t done that.”
McLane said Prentice continues to try to put together a group to buy the Astros franchise.
“My deal with him is if you raise a big some of money then you come talk to me,” McLane said. “He calls me from time to time and says he’s making progress, but he doesn’t have anything solid at this time.”
In an interview with FOX 26 Sports Prentice said he will follow the Astros situation, but said he will not get into a bidding war.
“We will not participate in an auction,” Prentice said. “We will see how the auction goes and see what happens.
“I love baseball. I really got into the game to bring the fan back and I felt the best way was through the minor leagues.
