The group behind Vancouver’s MLB bid is credible and connected enough to give Canada a second pro franchise

Open this photo in gallery:Vancouver’s mayor says he will bring forward a motion aimed at exploring a Major League Baseball expansion bid, though the stadium’s current configuration presents challenges for the sport.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian PressShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountImagine a grand baseball stadium on a prime piece of waterfront property near downtown Vancouver surrounded by a thriving purpose-built entertainment district.Envision, too, this being the home of a new Major League Baseball franchise.That is the dream of the group behind the MLB expansion bid recently revealed by Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim. Last week, city council approved a motion directing staff to initiate a formal procurement process for the unsolicited bid proposal.To this point, everything about that proposal, including the identity of those behind it, has been shrouded in secrecy. All the mayor has said to this point is the group is credible. It is.After The Globe and Mail talked to three sources with direct knowledge not only of who is leading this project, but what it might involve, a clearer picture has emerged of just how far along plans are in terms of making this MLB fantasy a reality. That said, this goal is far from a sure thing.The Globe is not naming the three sources because they were not authorized to discuss the plan’s details.The person leading the project is Zack Ross, president of the Cape Group, a Vancouver-based residential and commercial real estate company, according to the three sources. Ross is a relatively low-key figure in the city’s establishment firmament. He did not respond to e-mail and phone messages sent and left by The Globe requesting an interview.Mr. Sim’s office also declined an invitation to talk about the project.It’s understood that Mr. Ross’s interest in pursuing an MLB franchise began several years ago when he was asked by the then-owners of the Vancouver Canadians minor-league baseball team to find a site for a potential new stadium for the team to play in. That process apparently sparked the idea in Mr. Ross of pursuing an MLB franchise, according to one of the sources. (The Canadians never did move from their existing stadium.)Here are some of the things we now know about the bid and some of the people involved in it.Two of the sources said that Mr. Ross has employed the services of Jac Sperling to help recruit potential investors and put together a credible MLB pitch. There may not be a better-connected sports executive in the U.S. than Mr. Sperling, founder of Grit Rock Ventures. He’s been involved at the highest levels in all the major professional sports leagues in the U.S. He was instrumental in helping Seattle land its NHL team. Especially key is the fact that he knows the people who have the kind of money in America that might be interested in investing in an MLB franchise in Vancouver.Among the groups that have apparently expressed an interest are the owners of the San Francisco 49ers, said one of the sources. An investment arm of the team called 49ers Enterprises already owns English soccer team Leeds United and has a controlling stake in the Scottish soccer giant Rangers FC.The owners of the Seattle Kraken is another group linked to the bid, the source said. The NHL club is owned by One Roof Sports, and led by majority owner and chair, Samantha Holloway.Others who have apparently expressed enthusiasm in becoming part of the endeavour include Vancouver-born…

This excerpt is published under fair use for community discussion. Read the full article at The Globe and Mail.