Frank McCourt makes his pitch to Bud Selig
Frank McCourt's lieutenants met with executives from the commissioner's office on Tuesday, presenting McCourt's plan for preserving his ownership of the Dodgers.
Neither McCourt nor Commissioner Bud Selig attended the meeting. No decisions were made; the baseball officials there promised to forward all the details to Selig.
The framework of the plan, as outlined in this Times story, involves a television deal with Fox that would enable McCourt to settle his divorce, manage the Dodgers' steep debt and improve the team.
Selig has to approve any television deal, and without this one McCourt might be unable to afford to settle his divorce without selling the team. Selig wants McCourt out, but the commissioner risks a lawsuit from McCourt should he reject what would be a fair-market television deal comparable to those of other clubs.
Neither MLB nor the spokesman for McCourt, Steve Sugerman, would comment on the meeting, which was first reported by si.com.
-- Bill Shaikin
buddie boy will give frankie anything he wants. buddie boy loves owners who run their franchise on shoestring budgets. This way he keeps salaries down. Why do you think he wants to expand the playoffs, so the shoestringers can BULL CRAP their fans into believing that they have a contender and that management is really trying to field a winner. AND WHEN THIS FAILS he will try and make MLB like the ncaa basketball tornament and we can have our final four. he won`t stop until he has eight teams from each league in the playoffs. Arizona,Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Oakland have got to be eliminated from MLB. But buddie needs the dillution of talent to sell tickets to new and up and coming fans......HE DON`T HAVE THE GUTS TO THROW THIS BUM OUT OF THE LOS ANGELES SPORTS SCENE.And he has the power....
Posted by: Jim McVeigh | 04/05/2011 at 08:08 PM
Sorry for mispelling toUrnament.
Posted by: Jim McVeigh | 04/05/2011 at 08:09 PM
Now we'll see if Selig shoots himself in the other foot.
Posted by: skyharbor | 04/05/2011 at 08:09 PM
Moron meeting with moron.
Posted by: FormerLifelongDodgerFan | 04/05/2011 at 09:17 PM
I don't think that Selig will reject this deal because it is a fair market deal, unless he just doesn't like Frank McCourt. And if that's the case than he's(Selig) going to be in a big mess of trouble. Maybe Frank could sue him for enough of the money that he needs for the divorce, his debts and the team.
Posted by: OldBrooklynFan | 04/05/2011 at 09:20 PM
Bud please just say no!
Posted by: campc4 | 04/05/2011 at 09:29 PM
Bud simply do the RIGHT & HONEST move to BLOCK this DEAL. THIS MAN IS EVIL AND CORUPT!
Posted by: Cokomo | 04/05/2011 at 09:41 PM
Bud! Get rid of this owner. He is ruining the L.A. Dodgers franchise. The empty seats tell the tale.
Posted by: Steve Wimer | 04/06/2011 at 02:16 AM
Mc"Creep" ought to be in jail!!!
Posted by: NoJustice | 04/06/2011 at 05:36 AM
Bud Lite will look the other way, just as he did with steroids.
Posted by: Airedale | 04/06/2011 at 06:01 AM
Was this latest meeting setup before or after the parking lot incident?
If before, what new scheme could McCourt possibly come up with to get a favorable decision?
If after, the pleading of the possible costs of lawsuits sounds good.
Correct me, but I don't remember any mention of this meeting as was mentioned beforehand for the first one.
The old adage, "it will all come out in the wash" is not applicable here as there is too much dirty linen on both sides to ever get clean or be revealed.
Posted by: StanL | 04/06/2011 at 06:38 AM
baseball's worst owner meets baseball's village idiot commissioner.
and they didn't even meet.
that's atrocious.
Posted by: Chumpy Kemp | 04/06/2011 at 10:08 AM
Bud,
.
Do the right thing.
.
I'm watching.
Posted by: Big Blue Dodger in the Sky | 04/06/2011 at 10:11 AM
I don't think Bud will give McCourt what he wants.
He made Tom Hicks sell and the Rangers are no where near on par with the Dodgers, market size, team profile, history, none of it!
Selig is leaving his job soon and believe me he has a HUGE ego, there's NO way he wants to leave one of the marquee franchises in MLB in bad hands, he's got a legacy to think about.
Bud knows that a strong team in the #2 market in the US is HUGE and that McCourt doesn't make the team strong at all.
Dennis Gilbert tried to buy the Rangers but his bid was not accepted, maybe that was a blessing for Dodger fans, he still has season tickets to the Dodgers, they're his hometown team and if ANYONE can put together a strong ownership group who will make the Dodgers strong on the field and in the financial books it would be Mr. Gilbert.
Let's "Go Go" Dennis! Get that ownership group together and get the Dodgers back to where they belong!
Posted by: Jason F | 04/06/2011 at 11:33 AM
I heard yesterday McCourt is planning a fund raiser for the victim to cover his medical bills when the Dodgers get back from their road trip. Apparently he expects Dodger fans to flip the bill for this, and then quote "Turns out he hasn’t had a full-time head of stadium security for four months". Its like having car insurance Frank if it lapses YOU still have to pay for the damages. As for Bratton he may or may not make a difference but for Bryon Stow's family it's a little to late....Pay the bill your self Frank
Posted by: Long time fan | 04/07/2011 at 02:21 PM