Bud Selig confirms appointment of Dodgers trustee, investigation into club finances
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced Wednesday that his office will assume control of the Dodgers' operations. Owner Frank McCourt needed a personal loan from Fox in order to meet the Dodgers' payroll last week.
The official statement from Commissioner Bud Selig:
"Pursuant to my authority as Commissioner, I informed Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt today that I will appoint a representative to oversee all aspects of the business and the day-to-day operations of the Club. I have taken this action because of my deep concerns regarding the finances and operations of the Dodgers and to protect the best interests of the Club, its great fans and all of Major League Baseball. My office will continue its thorough investigation into the operations and finances of the Dodgers and related entities during the period of Mr. McCourt's ownership. I will announce the name of my representative in the next several days. The Dodgers have been one of the most prestigious franchises in all of sports, and we owe it to their legion of loyal fans to ensure that this club is being operated properly now and will be guided appropriately in the future."
ALSO:
Selig expected to take over Dodgers' financial operations
Dodgers hire developer Steve Soboroff as vice chairman
If the fans don't come, does that really mean Frank McCourt goes?
-- Bill Shaikin
Photo: Commissioner of major league baseball, Bud Selig. Credit: Chris Morrison / US Presswire
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Rich | 04/20/2011 at 02:19 PM
I'm shocked.
Posted by: pete | 04/20/2011 at 02:19 PM
FREE AT LAST FREE AT LAST THANK GOD ALMIGHTY WE ARE FREE AT LAST
Posted by: JOHNNY | 04/20/2011 at 02:20 PM
Hopefully this is phase 1 of McCourt being kicked out of LA. Thank you Mr. Selig. Keep the process going and get this clown out of being the owner of the Dodgers franchise.
Posted by: Kurt | 04/20/2011 at 02:20 PM
FREE AT LAST FREE AT LAST THANK GOD ALMIGHTY WE ARE FREE AT LAST
Posted by: JOHNNY | 04/20/2011 at 02:20 PM
Wow! This is really too bad. Even as a Giant fan, I hate the fact the Dodgers organization is in such bad shape. Hopefully you guys can get new ownership and rebuild some of the tradition that has been lost.... As long as you finish behind the Giants :-)
Posted by: Rob | 04/20/2011 at 02:21 PM
A great day for the Dodgers! Way to go Bud!
Posted by: Lon | 04/20/2011 at 02:21 PM
YAY!!! A year late, but still good news.
Posted by: wasabi | 04/20/2011 at 02:22 PM
About time. Why don't you do everyone a favor and get out of town, Frank?
Posted by: Dpetre | 04/20/2011 at 02:22 PM
Thank you, Lord!
Posted by: Striker | 04/20/2011 at 02:23 PM
See ya, McCourt. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Posted by: Guido Merkins | 04/20/2011 at 02:23 PM
Way to go Bud.
Posted by: Dodger Steve | 04/20/2011 at 02:23 PM
About time. Why don't you do everyone a favor and get out of town, Frank?
Posted by: Dpetre | 04/20/2011 at 02:24 PM
Way to go Bud! Good riddens Frank
Posted by: Lon | 04/20/2011 at 02:24 PM
THANK YOU!!!! NOW GET McCOURT OUT!!!!
Posted by: DAVID O | 04/20/2011 at 02:24 PM
HALLELUJAH. This is the day I've been waiting for since Selig handed over the Dodgers to the weakest, brokest guy Fox could find to sell to. They have only themselves to blame for this catastrophe of an owner.
Posted by: Rob McMillin | 04/20/2011 at 02:24 PM
Thank God! Get the McCourt's out please!
Posted by: Dodger Fan | 04/20/2011 at 02:25 PM
YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Selig I could kiss you!
Posted by: Phillip | 04/20/2011 at 02:25 PM
I suppose this MLB takeover can't make things any worse, but I'm not convinced the commissioner should have the authority to interfere in this way.
Posted by: howard | 04/20/2011 at 02:25 PM
Sounds like the best news coming out of Dodger operations in quite a while. I have been a Dodger fan since I can remember. I have never heard of such ridicule in management as I have since McCourt divorce. Its such a shame that the loyal fan base of the Dodgers have to go through something like this. I think for any club it would be a shame.
I hope things work themselves out and we can get an owner that is committed to excellence and cheering on the Dodgers as the fans are. Moreno was a great match for Anaheim, we need some one like that. I wonder if Dr. Buss has any interest :-)
Posted by: Oscar Chavez | 04/20/2011 at 02:26 PM
We are saved!!!!!!! Thanks Bud U the Man
Posted by: rails | 04/20/2011 at 02:27 PM
Ding, dong, the witch is dead.
Posted by: ryfle | 04/20/2011 at 02:27 PM
THANK YOU BUD SELIG!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Nacho | 04/20/2011 at 02:29 PM
(Baseball)God is good!
Posted by: Jess | 04/20/2011 at 02:29 PM
About time!
Posted by: Mike | 04/20/2011 at 02:29 PM
About time. Hopefully the beginning of the end of the "McFrauds."
Posted by: Steven L. A. Palms | 04/20/2011 at 02:30 PM
Dont know if this is a good thing or not
Posted by: Go_Blue_2011 | 04/20/2011 at 02:30 PM
YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Posted by: Jerry Kurtz | 04/20/2011 at 02:30 PM
NICE!!!!!!! GOOD RIDDANCE McCOURT!!!!
Posted by: KingMe32 | 04/20/2011 at 02:32 PM
Finally. It is time for the absolute embarrassment that is the McCourt family to leave this great franchise.
Posted by: Matthew | 04/20/2011 at 02:32 PM
YES !!!! Beginning of the end of the McCourt fiasco!!! Can't wait to see what's unearthed!!! Too bad it had to happen to my beloved Dodgers!!
Posted by: HAMCONGA | 04/20/2011 at 02:33 PM
Frank McCourt is a complete disaster. Time to tar and feather him and run him out of town.
Posted by: Yield Junkie | 04/20/2011 at 02:33 PM
Its about time! Thank you, Bud.
Posted by: GoDodgers | 04/20/2011 at 02:34 PM
Socialism !!
I thought the whole point of being an American was to let millionaires do whatever they want ? Maybe Scientology can take over ?
Posted by: Farmer John | 04/20/2011 at 02:34 PM
It is about time. This might be bad news for the Dodgers in the interim but has to be better long term.
The main issue I have with the owners is that it appears that they are living the high life off the Dodgers. I don’t know how different that is from other owners but I would imagine that other owners have other sources of income or don’t live as lavishly as the McCourts do if the team is their only source. Now, those massive profits that they were living off of will possibly need to be split in half. I just don’t like it.
The McCourts just need to go far, far away from Los Angeles. If not for the 2 winning seasons the Dodger fan base and LA media would have crucified them already.
Thank you MLB for saving the Dodgers from the hands of these parasites that are not capable or worthy of running an MLB franchise; especially one as prestigious as the Dodgers.
Posted by: Nanizm | 04/20/2011 at 02:34 PM
There is a GOD. Go back to Boston Mr. and Mrs. Helmsley
Posted by: tamer Abdelaal | 04/20/2011 at 02:34 PM
BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO!
Posted by: Paul M. Mock | 04/20/2011 at 02:35 PM
Well, well, well couldn't happen to a happier couple.
That's what you get when you run the team like its your own personal ATM.
Posted by: g7caligirl | 04/20/2011 at 02:35 PM
Later McCourt, you slimeball.
Love baseball fans everywhere!!!
P.S., I am a Giant fan and can't stand this guy!!! Ruined the dodgers!
Posted by: instereo911 | 04/20/2011 at 02:36 PM
finally something is being done!! of course The Dodgers is one of the most prestigious franchises in all of sports. Good move by the commissioner. But, still his fault for allowing the McBrokes to own our team, with the way he allowed ownership of the team. But I support him this time. A move that might force the team to be sold.
Posted by: s. gallegos | 04/20/2011 at 02:37 PM
Yay!
Posted by: Jim Moran | 04/20/2011 at 02:38 PM
Wonder what will become of our LA Marathon?
This off-season, they have already let go of two of the heads thus far; Russ
Pillar & Peter Abraham.
Clearly, for McCourt, the LAM has always been an afterthought compared to
the Dodgers.
Can Bud Selig take over the LAM too to insure day-to-day operations
continue with ethical behavior and no money milking for the divorce?
The LAM hasn't had a stable owner since Bill Burke
and the Dodgers since O'Malley.
Concerned perennial marathoner and LA Roadrunner
Philip
Posted by: Philip Steinman | 04/20/2011 at 02:41 PM
HELL TO THE YEAH!!!!
Posted by: BillyAllen99 | 04/20/2011 at 02:42 PM
Thank god. Bud light does something right.
Posted by: derek | 04/20/2011 at 02:42 PM
I thought about it for 15 seconds....
Should feel sad or should I break out the bottle of Veuve Cliquot sitting in my refrigerator?
Champagne it is! Let's party, Dodger fans!
Posted by: RunsWithScissors | 04/20/2011 at 02:44 PM
Boy, this was great news to see scrolling across my TV screen, and to have updated here. Finally, a ray of light for us currently miserable Dodger fans. I think that it is inevitable that MLB forces McCourt to sell the team; they are certainly not going to run it for him. That is great news. However, it is a long way from this to a world series title.
First, there is absolutely no guarantee that Selig is going to let the Dodgers be sold to an entity which would be willing and able to substantially increase the payroll. Nothing in Selig's past dealings regarding the Dodgers suggests that. He demanded that Fox promise not to put the payroll over a certain amount. He then railroaded through the McCourt acquisition, when there were a number of more qualified and solvent bidders. Selig, as we all know, is very afraid of this franchise becoming another Yankees or Red Sox, so he makes sure that its owner won't or can't engage in high bidding wars. Why should we think this will change?
With the right owner, the Dodgers could be the best franchise in baseball. But with the wrong ones (please, do not let Steve Garvey and his group get this team!), it will only be marginally better than it is now. My vote goes to Dennis Gilbert's group; just a hunch that they would be ready and willing to go after top players.
The other negative right now is that McCourt and Colletti have done so much damage that it would take at least two or three years to fix the roster. There really isn't much here now, outside of Kemp, Eithier, Kershaw, maybe a couple of others. Over-the-hill players, journeymen, stopgaps, populate the roster. And unless Colletti is jettisoned, the horrible top-prospect-for-retread-veteran trades will continue. Colletti has no idea of what he is doing. So there is much, much work to be done. But today's news is an absolutely essential first step.
Posted by: William L | 04/20/2011 at 02:45 PM
In Bud we trust! ::rolls eyes::
Posted by: FormerLifelongDodgerFan | 04/20/2011 at 02:47 PM
Thank the Great Big Blue Dodger in the Sky!
Posted by: Mike McAvin | 04/20/2011 at 02:48 PM
Now the team can play without a dark cloud over the ravine!!! I feel a ten game win streak coming on! Go Blue!!!
Posted by: Dodger Dude | 04/20/2011 at 02:52 PM
DODGER FANS - OUR LONG DARK NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS OVER. I ASSUME KIM NG WILL BE OVERSEEING THE DODGERS AND IF SELIG DOES FOR US WHAT HE DID FOR THE TEXAS RANGERS - WELL, SEE YA IN THE FALL CLASSIC, MY FRIENDS.
WOW. JUST WHEN ALL ELSE HAD FAILED - THERE IS A GOD OF BASEBALL AND HE APPARENTLY IS BLUE!
Posted by: Hollywood Mark | 04/20/2011 at 02:53 PM