Frank and Jamie McCourt: A race where no one pulls for a winner?

Got a horse in this race?…

Divorce American Style, or at least that version as it pertains to the fabulously wealthy, is upon us. Like most, I never thought it would actually come to this, but here it is. Yet the logical settlement never happened, and away they go …

Frank and Jamie McCourt began battle over ownership of the Dodgers in court Monday.…

And exactly what outcome are we supposed to be pulling for here?…

A Frank victory? A Jamie triumph?

It feels like an election where you must vote for the lesser of two evils.…

It’s been an unsightly, embarrassing run to this point. Almost a year of personal revelations that have made the McCourts appear far from part of the Los Angeles fabric. All the excess, the financial contortions, the bizarre twists, the stomach-turning greed.…

And now what?…

Frank wins, figures out a way to pay off Jamie, keeps the team, and it’s more of the same bizarre financial high-jinks, where team greatness takes a backseat to amassing personal wealth?…

Jamie wins, gets half the team, really does have a group of investors who can buy Frank out, and "the face of the Dodgers" continues to use the team as her entrée to L.A.'s upper social echelons and to fuel odd political aspirations? Also, V-power returns?…

At this point, as both a couple and as individuals, they have taken a blowtorch to the public images, and most fans would simply prefer that Jamie win and they be forced to sell to a new owner.…

This unknown owner, of course, could even be worse. It is possible. Right now, though, the race is underway. And all that’s at stake is the future of the Dodgers.…

-- Steve Dilbeck

Comments

[KoufaxFan]

One for have to pull for Commissioner Gordon: to rule the Dodgers must be sold. The McCraps have turned this storied franchise into the laughing stock of baseball.

[William]

There is only one favorable outcome for Dodger fans: something which forces the sale of the Dodgers to someone other than either McCourt. And for those few who insist that "it could be worse," I would reply that no, it could not be worse. Under Frank McCourt, the Dodgers are soon to become a second-division team, year after year. He and his flunky GM have sold away most of the farm system for a few short-term players and some cash, which of course is always McCourt's real bottom line. In a year or two, the Loneys and Kemps will leave, because McCourt will never pay market value, or offer any free agent, even his own, a long-term contract. This year is going to be remembered as a successful season, compared to what the seasons are going to look like in future.

And I won't even get into Jamie, who really has no interest in running a baseball team, other than the money. Not too much different than Frank, but he does like the ego trip--as long as he doesn't have to pay much for it. So the only good result--the one all Dodger fans should be desperately hoping for--is some kind of split verdict wherein Frank gets the team, but has to pay so much to Jamie in community property, that he cannot afford to keep it.

Who might buy the team? Who knows? But I insist it cannot be worse. Maybe Dennis Gilbert's consortium, which tried to buy the Rangers. Maybe Mark Cuban, though he is mostly publicity, not much in the way of providing a winning franchise. Or someone else; someone who both cares about the Dodger franchise, and has the money to afford a payroll of $150 million, which is what it should be, given the 3.7 million attendance and the large media market. And this person is not Peter O'Malley, who spent the last five years of his ownership comnplaining about the high cost of owning a team. We need someone like Arte Moreno, who loves his team, spends money as necessary, and stays out of the way of his management team. Surely there has to be another person like that in the entire Los Angeles area? Of course, we can be sure that Bud Selig will try to get another cheapskate owner in here, as he somehow is obsessed with keeping the Dodgers from spending big money, while the Yankees laugh at him and his payroll tax.

If the McCourts settle, we are doomed here. If Frank wins a full victory, it is even worse. We will never get rid of this nouveau riche poseur, unless there is a full-fledged fan boycott which cuts the attendance in half. So I am hoping for a long, expensive trial, and a mixed verdict, one which severely hurts Frank financially. A verdict which is appealed is fine, too, even though it would drag it out. The longer it is dragged out, the less money McCourt has, and the more embarrassing it is to baseball. Oh, and let's have some really juicy revelations, to further embarrass both the McCourts and MLB. Getting both McCourts out of here is our last real hope to save this franchise from becoming a running baseball joke.

[The Lawyers]

You forgot about us---we are already winning.
.
Ka-Ching!

[Lou]

As a lifelong Dodger fan, I'm rooting for Jamie so it will force Frank to sell the team.

Mark Cuban or Eli Broad better be paying attention.

[steve turner]

Help us!! The judge is from frisco.

[labeldude]

Don't think we have to worry either that Selig comes riding to the rescue on an old gray nag (a white steed just doesn't seem to fit Bud) and forces the McCourts to sell "in the best interests of baseball." Especially seeing as how he did everything he could to get McLeveraged into L.A. in the first place so he could rest assured we wouldn't become the Yanks or Sox of the west coast.

[Bucky Ray Silvertooth]

McCourt has not let the fans down.

Neddie has not let the fans down.

Even Torre, whose decisions have been wacko, has not let the fans down.

The overpaid, spoiled players on the field, that have choked, have let the fans down.

Check out San Diego's payroll. Is it next to the last in the majors? Now tell me how McCourt, who has spent far more, especially on prima donnas, has hurt this team, financially?

Merchandising Money this week will have paid, what, 70% or more of Zack Lee's signing bonus?

Posted by: Bucky Ray Silvertooth | 08/30/2010 at 03:12 PM

[Cleopa Catwaller]

Steve,

I don't think we can count on hooking a multi-billionaire willing to take over this team while being a benign, check-writing machine.

The business of baseball is changing before our eyes. I believe the Money Ramirez contract was the last of its kind for the Blue Crew, with or without McCourt.

Paying an aging former superstar $45 million for two years? The Era of Excess was epitomized this deal.

[jimishelter]

I also find the McCourts annoying. But what does anyone have to say when confronted by the fact that we have been in the playoffs three times since they took over? I think my biggest problem with the McCourts is Ned Colletti.

[Garrett]

Here's what I said on another thread yesterday:

It's really very sad what's become of the Dodgers since the O'Malleys had to sell the team.

Goes to show it takes a real visionary and dedicated owner to produce a champion and the legacy of a champion.

We've only had chumps for 20 years now, sad to say. Manny was simply symptomatic of the bigger problem--quick fixes and impatience with real baseball, real team-building. Even Sweet Lou Johnson was a call-up from Spokane, our AAA team back in the day. I don't mind trades--the great Reggie Smith, Dusty Baker, Kirk Gibson, and pitchers like Jerry Reuss, Tommy John, Andy Messersmith all came to us in trades. But I'm sour in free agency as a means to make a team. What's it brought us? Kevin Brown, Mueller, Schmidt, Dru Jones, Pierre, and Manny. All multi-million dollar busts.

I hope the McCourts destroy each other in the divorce. I never want to hear their names again associated with anything having to do with baseball--not even the Giants. That's how much I hate them.

[Steve Caretta]

Maybe Scott Boras has the money to buy the Dodgers, this way Boras clients will jump on the Dodger band wagon. This is of course if the MCcourts are forced to sell.

[alanw19]

Kind of reminds me of a recent run by the horses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQRlZw4Rad0

[neoncactus]

While it's true you never know about the new owner, especially in the case of Fox, there are certain safeguards, such as making sure the new owner isn't leveraged up to their eyeballs so they can realistically field a competitive team in a huge media market.

I will say that it was nice to get Tom Hicks out of the Rangers organization here in Dallas and the first day after Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan's group was approved as owners, they lowered concession, parking and merchandise prices. They've made it clear to their GM they were behind him making acquisitions like Cliff Lee, Jorge Cantu and Cristian Guzman, even putting in a claim on Manny that could have cost $4 million. Why can't the Dodgers have owners like that?