Dodgers takeover: L.A. chamber president hopes move will end 'soap opera'
Gary Toebben, president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, said he thinks the involvement of Major League Baseball in the management of the Dodgers may be for the best.
“This has been like watching a soap opera unfold,” he said. “We want a financially solvent Dodgers. We want a winning team.”
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announced Wednesday that his office would assume control of the financial operations of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The move comes after Dodgers owner Frank McCourt needed a personal loan from Fox to meet the team's payroll.
“The Dodgers are part of the heart and soul of the community,” Toebben said, noting that the team brings hotel, restaurant and advertising dollars to L.A.
The worst-case scenario, he said, would be the Dodgers leaving Los Angeles.
“Franchises move in Major League Baseball,” he said. “But I would expect that with the history of the Dodgers in this community, they will stay.”
The big question, he said, “is who will own that franchise and which direction will they take it?”
He said he had not heard of any parties interested in taking over the team.
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Major League Baseball takes over financial control of the Dodgers
-- Kate Linthicum
Photo: Gary Toebben. Credit: L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce
EDITOR'S PICKS:
BACK TO BROOKLYN, BABY!!!
Posted by: Fletcha | April 20, 2011 at 03:59 PM
The decline of the Dodgers and Dodger Stadium began when the O'Malley family sold the team. The O'Malleys had a squeaky clean vision for the team and for the experience of the fan. Once sold, management began catering to a younger crowd with ear-splitting sound effects and music, and began pandering to minorities to bring in more revenue. It was no longer pleasurable to go to the games.
Murdoch and the McCourts should never have lowered the bar to woo the declining culture in Los Angeles.
Posted by: Jefferson_Not_Hamilton | April 20, 2011 at 04:03 PM
Given what LA represents to the overall community of the USA......let the Dodgers out of there.
As with the Raiders of the NFL.....who really gives a chit what or where they play or do?
Pro- sports for the most part is a classic example of the constant.....Entitlement Issues our country and value system is suffering from. Let them the owners and players get real jobs and drive used cars like we do.
Posted by: Kevin | April 20, 2011 at 04:25 PM
This man is president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and he has not heard of any parties interested in taking over the Dodgers!
Don't ya just love it!
Posted by: skyharbor | April 20, 2011 at 04:28 PM
It's ok if they move again since they weren't our team to begin with. They were the Brooklyn Dodgers! And maybe with less teams close together, there may be less gang -like beatings.
Posted by: lolo | April 20, 2011 at 04:29 PM
Time to move back!!!
Posted by: brokdodge | April 20, 2011 at 04:31 PM
George Carlin described baseball better than ANYONE!!!! baseball is as much of a sport as driving a car around in circles... get the "team"OUT of los angeles and send it BACK to the sewer it came from. The property can be put to MUCH better use than it is now!!!!
Posted by: Borchy | April 20, 2011 at 05:44 PM
I reckon if there was ever a chance the Dodgers might actually move back to Brooklyn- its now. Gee, why couldn't Donald Trump be a Dodgers fan...
Posted by: Joe R. Smith | April 20, 2011 at 06:02 PM
Come on zuckerberg buy the team!
Posted by: lewis | April 22, 2011 at 12:22 PM