From today's Boston Globe...
 
Harrington denies rumor of Sox offer 
By Will McDonough, Globe Staff, 10/26/99 
John Harrington says that neither Harold Alfond nor anyone else is in line to buy the Red Sox. 
Harrington, the team's CEO, spoke out in response to a story making the rounds in Boston yesterday that Alfond, the 83-year-old former owner of Dexter Shoe Co. and a Red Sox limited partner, had made a serious offer to purchase the team. 
''I was with Harold last Friday night and he never said a word about any offer,'' said Harrington. ''And I think he would have said something if he was going to make an offer.'' 
Harrington added that the Red Sox cannot be sold to anyone without following a prescribed path. 
''The first thing we would have to do is get the approval of the commissioner [Bud Selig] to even talk to anyone seriously about bidding for the club,'' he said. ''That person, or persons, would have to be cleared by the commissioner's office first. 
''Any sale of this team has to follow a process. First, approval by the commissioner. And then second, a private auction. We have a fiduciary responsibility to Yawkey Trust to get the greatest value we possibly can for the team and all of its assets. Because when this team is sold, most of the money will go to the Yawkey Trust, and in turn be given to charity. 
''For more than a few years, I've had over 30 different people and groups contact me about buying the club. I told them all the same thing. When the time comes, they will be contacted about the sale. Right now, there is nothing going on, and I don't see anything happening in the near future. 
''If someone came to us tomorrow and said, `We will give you $500 million right now,' then we would have to do something. But that hasn't happened.'' 
Greg Powell, the attorney for Alfond, says there is no truth whatsoever to the story. 
''I don't have any idea of how this happened, but there is nothing to it,'' said Powell. ''Mr. Alfond thinks the world of John Harrington and what he is doing with the team. There is no story here.'' 
This story ran on page C05 of the Boston Globe on 10/26/99. 
© Copyright </globe/search/copyright.htm> 1999 Globe Newspaper Company.