Tom Schieffer: I’m not pursuing Dodgers

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From the moment Tom Schieffer (pictured above) set foot in Dodger Stadium, Frank McCourt and his associates suspected an ulterior motive.

In April, Commissioner Bud Selig installed Schieffer as the Dodgers’ trustee, essentially stripping McCourt of financial authority over the team. As Schieffer’s tenure extended from weeks into months — and as Schieffer looked to rent a home in the area so he could move out of his hotel — McCourt and his associates suspected that Selig made a deal with Schieffer: You help me get rid of McCourt, and I’ll give you first crack at buying the Dodgers.

Schieffer, the former president of the Texas Rangers and a former U.S. Ambassador, has the credentials to assemble a formidable bid group. However, now that McCourt has put the Dodgers up for sale, Schieffer says he doesn’t have an offer in the works.

‘I don’t anticipate bidding on the Dodgers,’ he said.

McCourt’s agreement to sell gives him — not Selig — the final call on the new Dodgers’ owner. If Schieffer were to bid, it would be difficult to imagine that McCourt would pick him unless the bid were substantially higher than any other.

— Bill Shaikin