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Dodgers Web musings: Frank McCourt has eviction notice?

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Sometimes you want something to be true so badly, the blinders come on to all the potential pitfalls. History be damned, you just want to believe.

And so it is with the official news that Frank McCourt must bid a final adieu to the Dodgers by April 30th.

It’s in writing and everything, though we’ve been down that road before. Late Tuesday night the sales agreement reached between McCourt and Major League Baseball was finally filed in bankruptcy court.

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As The Times’ Bill Shaikin reported, it wasn’t exactly all good news. As expected, the agreement does give McCourt the ability to keep the parking lots surrounding Dodger Stadium and sign a ‘long-term lease’ with the new owner. That’s plenty scary, so you just have to cross fingers that an agreement is reached for the team, stadium and surrounding property.

Otherwise, the agreement actually allows McCourt to build parking garages to replace existing spaces so he could develop the property. How insane is that? Somebody is going to drop a billion dollars to buy the team and stadium, only to watch McCourt develop the property around it? I’m thinking they’re going to want a lot more control than that.

But it’s still encouraging that the agreement does require McCourt divest himself of the team by April 30. Count the days.

Initial bids for the team are due by Jan. 13.

Also on the Web:

— Meet the new Dodgers, same as the old Dodgers? The Times’ Dylan Hernandez looks at Don Mattingly’s current team overview at the winter meetings.

— MLB.com offers a video of part of Mattingly’s interview, including an almost desperate plea: ‘We’re going to have to have guys have good years.’

— Despite their flurry of activity, Tony Jackson of ESPN/LA writes that the Dodgers are still pursuing another bat, but this one via trade.

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— Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness tries to determine which player could be that hoped-for bat.

— The Times in an editorial wants a new Dodgers owner who values the community.

— Roberto Baly of Vin Scully Is My Homeboy on news of Clayton Kershaw’s next scheduled sojourn to Africa.

— Ken Gurnick of Dodgers.com has the details of the team’s spring training schedule. Shaikin writes that it returns the traditional Freeway Series this spring with the Angels.

— The Times’ Diane Pucin writes that the Dodgers’ next media-rights contract is shaping up as a monster battle between titans Fox and Time Warner.

— The Astros have interviewed Dodgers Assistant General Manager Logan White for their vacant GM position.

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— Hall of Fame baseball writer Ross Newhan thinks Magic Johnson might be wise to cool his talk of spending big if he gets ownership of the Dodgers.

— ESPN’s David Schoenfield doesn’t think much of the Dodgers’ off-season acquisitions, figuring he’s added a bunch of mediocre 30-somethings.

— ESPN’s Jon Weisman is feeling uninspired by the Dodgers’ winter but longs for spring.

— SB Nation’s Jeff Sullivan is actually depressed looking at the Dodgers’ infield for 2012.

— If you doubt Tommy Lasorda can still spin a good yarn, check out his stories on new Red Sox Manager Bobby Valentine in the Boston Globe.

— And finally, remember that scene in the John Cusack film ‘High Fidelity’ when he envisions different scenarios on how to greet rival Tim Robbins when he comes into his record store? Including the one where Jack Black leaps over the counter?

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TMZ plays off that on its premise of what you might say to McCourt if you ran into him in a restaurant.

— Steve Dilbeck

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