"Dave Stewart is being used by Jerry Reinsdorf" - Ex-Marlins president dampens White Sox bid of ex-Dodgers star to become first majority Black owner

Former Miami Marlins President David Samson expressed criticism against Jerry Reinsdorf on Thursday after reports emerged of the Chicago White Sox owner's intention to sell his MLB team. As per other reports, former LA Dodgers World Series winner Dave Stewart is one of the names in talks to buy the team.

If Stewart becomes the owner of the White Sox, it will create history as he will become the first majority MLB team owner of Black ethnicity. However, Samson doesn't believe the three-time World Series winner will succeed.

"He (Dave Stewart) doesn't have the financial backing to be a serious bidder for a Major League Baseball team," Samson said on his podcast 'Nothing Personal.' "I give him credit; he's wanted to be the first Black majority owner of a Major League Baseball team. [14:11]

"There is no chance that he will ever be able to be a controlling owner of a team. And this is not yucking on Dave Stewart; it's the reality of the financial situation where you've got to own a certain percentage to be the control person in Major League Baseball, and Dave Stewart will never be that."

The former Marlins president also feels Jerry Reinsdorf is using Dave Stewart as a pawn to achieve his goals.

"Dave Stewart is being used by Jerry Reinsdorf," Samson said. "The leak is that Dave Stewart is the main possible buyer, and he's leading the group in Nashville. These are just amazing coincidences. It almost seems impossible to believe that we're not hearing the truth out of Jerry Reinsdorf or the White Sox. It's a bunch of horse hockey."

Samson alleges Reinsdorf plans to pressure the Chicago government to build a new stadium for the White Sox through public funding. As such, the former Marlins president believes Stewart is just a small part of Reinsdorf's broader strategy to achieve it.

Samson feels Stewart could follow Derek Jeter's path with White Sox bid

Derek Jeter was the CEO of the Miami Marlins from July 2017 to February 2022. Although he only owned a 4% stake in the Marlins, the controlling owner, Bruce Sherman, entrusted the New York Yankees legend to oversee the workings of the club.

Despite not being confident about Dave Stewart potentially becoming a controlling owner of the White Sox, David Samson believes the former Dodgers star could be what Jeter was to the Marlins.

"He (Dave Stewart) may be like Derek Jeter, where you get somebody else to invest a ton of money and let you run the show," Samson said. [14:47]