Key Dodgers bankruptcy hearing postponed one month

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The Bankruptcy Court showdown between Frank McCourt and Bud Selig has been postponed by a month, according to an order issued Wednesday by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross.

The hearing now will take place from Nov. 29 through Dec. 2. Gross did not provide a reason for the delay in his order.

The postponement makes it unlikely that Gross will rule on whether McCourt has to sell the Dodgers before baseball’s annual winter meetings, set for Dec. 5-8 in Dallas. The bankruptcy proceedings do not necessarily preclude the Dodgers from exploring a long-term contract extension with Matt Kemp or pursuing major free agents such as Prince Fielder.

The hearing had been set to start on Monday and extend through Nov. 4, but attorneys had told Gross on Tuesday that they might need more time. The primary matters for the hearing: Can McCourt sell the Dodgers’ television rights, over the objections of Fox Sports and Major League Baseball, and can the commissioner get the judge to order the Dodgers sold?

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-- Bill Shaikin

Left photo: Frank McCourt. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Right photo: Bud Selig. Credit: Frank Franklin II / Associated Press