Fact or Fiction: What Happens to the Los Angeles Dodgers Now?
The storied Dodger franchise of Brooklyn and now Los Angeles has officially been taken over by the offices of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Mr. Bud Selig. This epic downfall is perhaps the lowest day in Dodger history since the club left Brooklyn for Los Angeles, and is the sole fault of owner Frank McCourt. In the seven years of the McCourt family ownership, the club has had success that should be credited to the McCourts.
All Dodger fans were positive and warm towards Frank and Jamie even as ticket prices soared, along with major changes to Dodger Stadium that made it feel too commercial, just because the team on the field was finding success. In the McCourts' first six seasons of ownership, the Dodgers went to the playoffs four times and went to back-to-back NLCS, losing both to the Philadelphia Phillies.
However, Frank and Jamie's divorce put an overarching damper on the entire franchise, starting in the end of 2009 right as the Dodgers were battling for a spot in the World Series. The battle in terms of who controls the team after the divorce made many fans question if McCourt was right for the position, spending millions of money he did not have on his legal team.
McCourt's financial woes are the only reason Major League Baseball has had to get involved, as it was reported that Frank was $439 million in debt. Unable to make payroll in April, McCourt apparently had to take a $30 million loan from Fox (the company he bought the team from) after Selig denied McCourt's proposal for a $200 million loan.
Let's take a look at what will actually happen as a result of the MLB takeover, and what ideas are pure fiction.
Fact: This Is the End of the McCourt Era in Los Angeles
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Among the rumors that Frank McCourt is not done in Los Angeles even as his power is removed by Major League Baseball, all signs point towards a complete MLB takeover or a sale of the franchise in the coming months. Unable to pay the bills, McCourt has already violated the Major League Owners' agreement which basically states that the owner will be able to cover his or her own costs. Not that hard, right?
McCourt is planning on fighting his removal from power, most likely with a lawsuit against Bud Selig and the MLB, but is a long shot to win that. In the end, McCourt is going to be forced into selling because of his lack of money and the effect that the divorce will wreck his chances at staying afloat.
Afloat was months ago, the ship has sunk for Frank McCourt and he is neck-deep in problems.
Fiction: Frank McCourt Will Go Quietly into the Darkness
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If Dodger fans have learned anything about Frank McCourt over the last seven years, it is that the man does not do anything quietly.
Renovations at Dodger Stadium? Way more than what he originally stated.
A quiet separation from his wife Jamie? Ha. Forget about that one.
It is not going to be a quiet response from Team Frank in this instance. His legal team will push to get the Dodgers back into his hands. His right hand man now, Steve Soboroff, is trying to redo the Dodger image one displeased fan at a time. The irony is, McCourt is still not even showing his face even as his power is being pulled from right underneath him.
Frank is going to fight this one until the bitter end, using all of his monetary supply to pay for lawyers so that if he magically wins, there will be nothing left to spend on his own ballclub. Just as the divorce battle is still ongoing, there is no chance that Frank will let a Major League decision that removes him of power stand without injunctions or appeals. In recent days Frank has attempted to get more involved with the club and its day to day operations, which means he will have more to say to Bud Selig when the time comes for a heart-to-heart conversation.
Fact: The Dodgers Will Suffer Because of the MLB Takeover
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The Dodgers, victim of Frank McCourt's stingy spending in the last two seasons, have to brace themselves for more financial trimmings. There is no way Bud Selig and his Major League Baseball-appointed trustee will be offering to spend the money on keeping the Dodgers in the playoff race come July and August. No matter what bargains General Manager Ned Colletti can find or what strings baseball ambassador Tommy Lasorda (pictured above) can pull, the Dodgers are going to have to find the talent to win the 2011 World Series from within.
Even though Major League baseball allowed the Texas Rangers to make some moves while they were under league control while owner Tom Hicks filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Dodgers fans should not expect this situation to occur in Los Angeles. In Texas, Hicks declared bankruptcy to try to force an already-agreed sale to a group headed by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan, the team's president. The Dodgers do not have another owner or ownership group at the ready to take over day-to-day operations, like Ryan was for the Rangers.
The situation was ultimately resolved in a bankruptcy court auction as Greenberg-Hicks outbid Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and bought the team for $550 million this past August. However, the Dodger situation will not be solved in bankruptcy court unless Frank declares it or the MLB does a complete takeover and short-sells it to a potential suitor.
Fiction: The Los Angeles Dodgers Will Become the Montreal Expos
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When I read Josh Fisher's thoughts on DodgerDivorce.com about how the Dodgers could be the new Montreal Expos, I found it impossible that Major League Baseball would ever let the situation in Los Angeles get so despicable. The Dodgers are not going to become as Fisher stated, "a ward of the state" because Los Angeles is the second largest market in the United States. Sure, Major League Baseball might run the Dodgers similarly to how they ran the Expos/Nationals on a day-to-day basis, but Bud Selig will not allow the situation to get that bad.
The Dodgers are not going anywhere. They are still going to play in Chavez Ravine and are still going to expect to be competitive in the NL Western Division. They are not going to have to move, they are not going to go cold and fail to sign any free agents in the offseason, even though Major League Baseball has previously made blunders when owning the Expos such as not making any September call-ups despite being tied for first place in the Wild Card lead as late as August 28, 2003. The reason? MLB and their appointed trustees decided it wasn't worth the $50,000.
This won't happen in Los Angeles because riots would occur. Fans would not stand for actions like that because it would cause a rift in the L.A. sports world greater than when Fox sold off the most talented players on the Dodgers back in 1998.
Fact: The Dodgers Will Not Have a New Owner Until 2012
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See that man above? That would be Dodger great and current investor Steve Garvey, who is currently forming a super-team of investors that would be prepared to buy the Dodgers whenever the MLB makes them available for purchase.
Although Frank McCourt has made it very clear that he has no intention to sell the franchise, it seems evident that the end is here and a new face will have to take the reins soon enough. A sale in bankruptcy has also been discussed around the Dodger-blogosphere, as Josh Fisher also examined this case if Frank's Enterprise debts exceed its assets, thus making it insolvent. Because of the lack of ability to make payments such as payroll, Frank has appeared broke for months now. If MLB's intervention is solely an attempt to help Frank save face from declaring bankruptcy, which is what happened in Texas last year, then the Dodgers could see a quick change of power to different hands. Bankruptcy also might help Frank in the long term, and help the Dodgers in the short term.
However, those hands are going to take some time to develop as no suitors are ready at the moment. The very popular Mark Cuban has already been mentioned, but no one fully expects him to make the move for the Dodgers. Others have mentioned an attempt at trying to buy the Dodgers, but no one has had a better idea than Los Angeles City Councilwomen Janice Hahn who has proposed a fan ownership. How awesome would that be, having the Dodgers similar to the Green Bay Packers?
Although knowing Dodger fans and part owners, we would all want a say and then how would we decide the lineup?
Fiction: The MLB Takeover Will Effect Fans' Dodger Stadium Experience
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The uncertainty of ownership now creates an even larger looming question: Will Dodger fans stay away from Chavez Ravine for even longer?
Many fans have been boycotting the McCourt ownership by simply not showing up, and it has been a very powerful movement of late. Season ticket sales have dropped dramatically from 27 percent a mere two years ago to 17 percent this season. The Dodgers rank seventh in attendance, even though their stadium is the largest in the Major Leagues.
As seen in the picture, attendance is not going to magically jump back up 20 percent. Fans are rightfully upset and if boycotting Dodger Stadium is their way of getting back, then so be it. Do not expect this picture of thousands of empty seats to change for average games in 2011, but be hopeful that by the time the 81 regular season games are over at Dodger Stadium are over, there will be more baseball to play.
Cuts will be seen even more drastically to fans' experience with the MLB takeover. Do you think Bud Selig will care about spending $10,000 on having a couple more bobble-head giveaway nights? Do not expect more freebies from the folks at Dodger stadium.
Look for head PR man Josh Rawitch, to try to come up with some innovative ideas to keep the Dodgers afloat, as he is a leader in his field. However, without the money, the fans will suffer, the players will suffer and the franchise will suffer even more.
Fact: Ned Colletti's Job Is Up in the Air Just Because of the Takeover
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Just because of the MLB takeover, a new front office might have to be put in place. Some could call what might happen "cleaning house," but since Frank McCourt lowballed his own team and forced them to pay rent to play in their own stadium, evicting might be the best word to describe it. Ned Colletti has been a serviceable general manager in his time, an exceptional baseball man and an overall stand-up guy; however, he represents the old regime and either the MLB or a new owner might want a fresh start after a messy fall from grace.
Ned Colletti, already worried about what the takeover would do to his position and ability to do his job, confirmed that he spoke with Rangers general manager Jon Daniels and that former Mets general manager Omar Minaya left him a message. Both of those men were victims of previous MLB takeovers but their jobs were saved. Minaya was fired after numerous debacles stemming from the original takeover, but Jim Bowden, who replaced Minaya while MLB was overseeing the Expos' move to Washington, said Wednesday his operation continued without interruption while MLB was in charge.
Bowden has since Tweeted that Stan Kasten is the front-runner to be the trustee. Others mentioned in media reports include John McHale Jr. and Corey Busch. All three of these men are very much in line with Bud Selig's beliefs and would be reporting directly to Bud.
Ned should not worry yet, but he along with tens of other front office workers and scouts might want to go above and beyond to prove to the MLB they are worthy of staying through a regime change.
Fiction: The Dodgers Will Be Sellers in July and Inactive Come Winter
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This slide is completely dependent on the Dodgers' ability to win baseball games this season. If they revert to playing like the 2010 version of themselves, this slide is negligible and the MLB will either forget about the Dodgers or even potentially sell off some talent. If the Dodgers can improve and look poised to make a playoff run, look for GM Ned Colletti to make some moves akin to the Texas Rangers of last year. Even under MLB control, Texas was able to acquire stud pitcher Cliff Lee and catcher Bengie Molina, who helped carry them to a World Series appearance. Unlike during the Expos takeover, transactions happened constantly for the Rangers.
However, the Rangers were forced to give away more talent in hopes of getting financial coverage because they were unable to take on any more payroll. They even sold off some prospects for money during the pennant race and they took money from their MLB amateur draft budget to add to the major league payroll.
The Dodgers will be able to make things happen. They will have to be conservative, smart and move quickly to get the guys they want. People want to play for the Dodgers; Ned Colletti and his team will have to do their best to get them. It is very possible for the Dodgers to be buyers come July and contenders in the winter similarly to their 2010 offseason, getting valuable contributors without the star power of guys demanding higher salaries.
This is the Los Angeles Dodgers. The second largest market team in the Major Leagues. If the Rangers can achieve things while being under the control of the MLB, the Dodgers sure be able to pull together their leadership and find a way to be successful in the trade market and in the offseason with free agents. This is not necessarily mean they need to sign Albert Pujols, but finding useful and impact players are necessary to keep them competitive.
Matt Guerrier (left) is a much needed asset but as a middle reliever, does not get any hype. As much as Dodger fans wanted to hear Carl Crawford's name in November, with Frank McCourt the options were limited and Juan Uribe was what they got. Uribe was a good addition to the 2011 Dodgers, but with a new owner the names will get larger and more competitive with the likes of the Yankees or Red Sox.
But most importantly, the Dodgers still have to prove that they can be to that level of a contender to even think about making moves.
We will find out in the coming months if I am right with these predictions or if the Dodgers will revert to playing poor baseball, wasting another Los Angeles summer of lost hope and desire.
