Dodgers Web Musings: Examining McCourt’s legal options

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It ain’t promising, thankfully. The opening is thin, which doesn’t mean Frank McCourt won’t jump into it.

You would think that even he can read the writing on the wall, but McCourt’s history is to fight, so it’s not as though anyone would be surprised if he sues.

His team has been taken over by Major League Baseball, leaving him as an owner without power.

The Times’ Victoria Kim, Christopher Goffard and Dan Weikel look at McCourt’s legal prospects and report that the courts have historically upheld the baseball commissioner’s unusual powers.

Sports Illustrated’s Michael McCann carefully breaks down the legal positions from both sides and concludes that MLB probably would prevail, but he ominously warns that the legal process could take years.

Also on the Web:

-- Yahoo Sports Tim Brown writes that McCourt’s battle is not just against Commissioner Bud Selig, but also the 29 other owners.

-- The Times Bill Dwyre says at the heart of the consensus-building Selig, lies the heart of a genuine baseball fan.

-- The Times’ Diane Pucin writes that before securing a $30-million personal loan from Fox, McCourt also reached out to rival Time Warner seeking financial relief.
-- The Times’ Bill Shaikin has McCourt’s new assistant, Steve Soboroff, blasting Selig for acting irresponsibly. Yes, he’s been on the job for two days.

-- Paul Oberjuerge writes that Soboroff acts like someone excited to do great things to help the Dodgers and L.A., and has now had the rug pulled out from him.

-- The Times’ John Cherwa has Selig explaining, just a tad, his actions.

-- ESPN.com’s Gene Wojciechowski says MLB can’t claim it wasn’t warned about McCourt’s thin financial standing when it allowed him to buy the team.

-- ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Arash Markazi says McCourt at least has to be given credit for a strong six-year run on the field.

-- In a video, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal says the Dodgers were not the power franchise they should have been under McCourt.

-- CBSSports.com’ Ray Ratto imagines Selig’s morning conversation with his wife.

-- ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark tries to forecast the coming months for the Dodgers.

-- Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci examines what the Dodgers can be expected to do, and not do, while overseen by an MLB trustee.

-- FoxSports.com’s Mark Kriegel says McCourt demonstrated how not to run a great franchise.

-- The Times’ Jim Peltz looks at rookie Jerry Sands’ expected struggles.

-- Riverside Press-Enterprise columnist Gregg Patton writes that the Angels have surpassed the Dodgers in the Southern California market in most every way.

-- Whittier Daily News’ Frank Girardot says MLB’s takeover is something to cheer.

-- Steve Dilbeck