Sam Arkwright Diary
October 1st, 2022
I got my standard four hours of sleep after flying into SFO late last night from Seattle. After a morning jog down the Embarcadero near the San Francisco waterfront, I caught a cab to the address John Fisher passed along to Dave Kaval that was ultimately passed on to me. The driver let out an audible gasp as we pulled up to the destination. We were in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco... the so-called “Billionaires Row.”
I have to admit, I was impressed. The homes — and the views — were stunning. Would I trade my Zion in Boulder City for one of these houses? Absolutely not. But you have to still admire the beauty of it.
I identified myself at the front gate through the intercom, and then came a buzz as the gate lurched open. I walked the brick path up to the front door. Before I could knock, the door opened, and a butler was there to greet me. He showed me in to what must be Fisher’s home office or study. Pictures of him and famous people adorned the walls. Presidents 40, 41, 43, and 45. I had heard a rumor that Fisher and his relatives had funneled a significant amount of funds into a dark money group during the 2012 election. So I guess this is what $10 million gets you. A bunch of 8x10 glossies.
Just as I was eyeballing a photo of a young John Fisher standing proudly next to Ronald Reagan, he entered the room. Fisher remarked that he worked in the mailroom at the RNC out of college, and then as a fundraiser for then-President Reagan and Vice President George H.W. Bush. Not exactly riveting stuff. The kind of humble bragging and name dropping rich men tend to do. But still, it would've been nice to record the conversation. Unfortunately I could not, since California is a two-party consent state. And it felt like it was the kind of dialogue Fisher wanted to keep strictly off the record.
He started fuming about Gaming & Leisure Properties and how they were trying to change the terms of the Tropicana property deal in Las Vegas. He feigned shock and disappointment that G&L would dare want a stake in any gaming revenue coming from the stadium if a new hotel and casino were constructed on-site. That part seemed like a no-brainer to me. Of course G&L would want a piece of the pie. Their name is
Gaming and
Leisure. That’s what they do. Still, I nodded in sympathy with Fisher and his constant grousing.
He then went off on a rant about G&L saying that if he didn’t like the deal, they had another offer on the table. But he said G&L wouldn’t say who the bidder was, only that it is for significantly more than what Fisher is paying. It would’ve sounded like the ravings of a mad man, if not for the fact that I knew it was true. Not only that, but also knew, of course, the mystery bidder was me.
Again, I nodded along with Fisher, trying to convey support and understanding for him and his predicament.
His tone then changed, suggesting revenge or sabotage might be in order. I cut him off, telling him even the mere mention of those things was dangerous. I tried to tell him it was just part of the negotiations, and that no deal is ever necessarily a done deal in Las Vegas. He wouldn’t have it, and then demanded I go “talk some sense into Carlino,” as in G&L Chairman, President, and CEO Peter M. Carlino.
I didn’t appreciate the tone, but obliged all the same, knowing that it would ultimately benefit me more than Fisher. Not once did he thank me or promise me anything in return. Just the way I wanted it.
I left Billionaires Row with plenty of time before the Giants’ 1:00pm game against the Diamondbacks, and decided to get some steps in by jogging the 3 miles from Pacific Heights to Oracle Park.
It was my first time at the ballpark. I’d seen plenty of pictures and videos, most of them involving Barry Bonds and splash home runs. But this was my first time seeing the stadium in person. It was everything I hoped it would be and more.
From the moment I walked through the turnstiles, I felt like I was in baseball heaven. Brickwork built a formidable wall in right and right center field. An oversized Coke bottle slide and mitt loomed large in left center. They were bookended by rows of palm trees and a giant video board and behemoth light towers. But the main attraction, of course, was what was beyond Levi’s Landing in right field — McCovey Cove.
The San Francisco Bay, and behind that, the Bay Bridge, connecting the City to Oakland and the East Bay. Not a bad backdrop for a ballgame. No wonder the A’s had been hell bent on building a stadium by the waterfront in Alameda County.
“Not bad, huh?” a voice said from behind me. It was none other than former Giants catcher Buster Posey. He told me he would be hosting me today on behalf of the Giants ownership group. He said he recently joined the team the franchise's 31st principal owner, with a seat on the board. I pulled out my transcription device and asked for permission to record. He gave a slightly puzzled look, then shrugged and smiled.
Quote:
[Begin Transcription, 12:59pm Pacific, October 1, 2022]
Arkwright: Not your first time seeing one of these, I would imagine.
Posey: Tape recorder? Seen a million of those after games in the clubhouse as a player. Is this an interview?
Arkwright: No. I just prefer to archive conversations so I can play it back if I need to remember something. So you’re part of the Giants ownership now? Must be strange owning the team you used to play for.
Posey: It’s definitely different. You see things from a whole new perspective as an owner.
Arkwright: Like what?
Posey: Just all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes that nobody really knows about. P&L’s. B2B. PDC’s.
Arkwright: That’s a lot of acronyms. What’s PDC?
Posey: Player Development Contract. Each Major League team has minor league affiliates, and we have PDC’s with each one for a certain number of years. We have a couple of markets right now that need to upgrade their facilities to MLB standards. Otherwise we may have to pull our PDC.
Arkwright: Do you miss it?
Posey: Playing? Absolutely. I miss the clubhouse. The dugout. The camaraderie. You know what I don’t miss, though? The travel. The grind. It’s a long season.
Arkwright: Especially this year.
Posey: Yeah. I mean, we — I mean, they — won 107 games last year. So naturally we all thought things would be the same this year. But we’re barely keeping our heads above water right now. 5-game winning streak, 10 wins in our last 11 games, and we’re still only one game above .500.
Arkwright: Baseball is strange like that. Must be nice to still be around the game though.
Posey: It is. Just a very different vantage point. I’m not pro-player. And I’m not pro-owner. I think I can see both sides fairly without bias.
Arkwright: Like an umpire.
Posey: But with better eye sight.
(Laughter)
[End Transcription]
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As for the game, it was a laugher, too. The Giants surrendered three runs in the 4th and five more in the 8th in an 8-4 defeat. The loss dropped San Francisco to an even 79-79 on the year.
It was one of the rare duds I’ve had on this trip. But I’m expecting fireworks tomorrow in St. Louis.
Pictured: Oracle Park