MLB withdraws bid to disqualify Dodgers attorneys [UPDATED]

Major League Baseball on Monday withdrew its motion to disqualify the attorneys representing the Dodgers in the team's bankruptcy case, five days after the judge overseeing the case said he "didn't think very highly" of the motion.

MLB had argued that the attorneys were inevitably conflicted between what the league said were the divergent interests of the Dodgers and of owner Frank McCourt. In response, the Dodgers called the MLB move a "blatant tactical maneuver" designed to cripple the team on the verge of a key hearing and another example of the league's "ongoing public smear campaign" against McCourt.

On Monday, the league said it withdrew its motion "at the suggestion of the Court appointed mediator."

[UPDATED: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said the league reserved the right to file a similar motion at a later date. The league did not reserve that right and cannot again seek to disqualify the attorneys.]

Attorneys for MLB and the Dodgers will participate in a Wednesday hearing designed in part to set ground rules for the key hearing scheduled to start Oct. 31. One of the topics that could be discussed on Wednesday: What documents is McCourt entitled to get from Fox Sports?

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross ruled last week that McCourt and his attorneys are not entitled to documents from MLB related to the television contracts of other teams. The Dodgers have not publicly disclosed what documents they are seeking from Fox, but the information on Fox contracts with other teams could help -- if, that is, McCourt and his attorneys are allowed to get it.

-- Bill Shaikin