Hey, Mayor, new owner gets points being from L.A. but not required
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Well, guess Mark Cuban’s out.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has mailed -- and faxed -- a letter to Commissioner Bud Selig asking that the next Dodgers owner be from Los Angeles. You know, sort of like Walter O’Malley.
Now this seems a curious political move, given that Villaraigosa had no problems constantly buddying up to Frank and Jamie McCourt while the Boston carpetbaggers were parading around Dodger Stadium. They practically walked around holding hands.
When the McCourts first arrived they weren’t exactly embraced, but at the time everyone was so fed up with Fox they tried to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Now everyone is convinced the problem was the McCourts weren’t from Los Angeles. The problem was they were bad owners, ultimately more interested in playing the part of the nouveau riche than playing the best team they could afford.
Now ideally, the new owner should be from Los Angeles, understand the city and its deep affection to the Dodgers. And in truth, almost all of the names currently being circulated live in Los Angeles. But if the most qualified owner is from Portland or Pensacola, then that is the owner who should ultimately be welcomed. Arte Moreno is not from Anaheim, Orange County or Southern California. He’s from Phoenix, but he’s been a tremendous owner for the Angels.
Hopefully the new owner will be from Los Angeles. Hey, I’m all for it. At least, you don’t want to hear that the first time they walked into Dodger Stadium was after buying the team, like the McCourts did.
Still, the idea of rejecting a potential candidate simply because he has an accent is not smart. What Los Angeles deserves is the best owner it can get, not a mayor playing politics.
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-- Steve Dilbeck