Dodgers sale plan gives longtime fan 'tremendous relief'

The morning after Frank McCourt announced he'd auction off the Los Angeles Dodgers, lifelong fan Phil Lerner, clad in his blue baseball cap, ventured to Dodger Stadium for a tour, elated at the news.

Lerner, a Brooklyn native, has been a Dodger fan for as long as he can remember.

"Some of my happiest memories are from when my grandfather would take me to games at Ebbets Field" in Brooklyn, he recalled Wednesday.

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Lerner, an accountant, has followed every turn of the McCourt saga and is happy to see the franchise move on.

"I feel tremendous relief," he said. "This is one of the oldest teams in baseball. They should not be mired in all these legal troubles."

Lerner said the next owner should have a love for baseball and the financial resources to recruit good players. He added, "That someone should also be a native of Los Angeles."

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Photo: Phil Lerner, a lifelong Dodger fan, waits for a tour at Dodger Stadium Wednesday morning. He said he feels tremendous relief at hearing Frank McCourt will auction off the team. Credit: Richardo Lopez / Los Angeles Times